Foraging behavior and spatial grazing distribution of free-ranging cattle 2014-2018 on the Central Plains Experimental Range

Data were collected on the Central Plains Experimental Range (CPER) from 2014-2018, near Nunn, Colorado as part of the common experiments in grazinglands for the Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network. LTAR scientists seek to create new knowledge regarding sustainable management of grazinglands. This dataset on cattle foraging behavior and distribution provides new information towards understanding how management practices influence grazing livestock movements in space and time. The common experiment at CPER is called Collaborative Adaptive Rangeland Management (CARM) and is a ten-year ranch-scale (2,600-ha) social-ecological experiment designed to examine how adaptive rotations of a single large cattle herd among paddocks within a heterogeneous landscape during the growing season (collaborative, adaptive rangeland management; CARM) contrasts with continuous, season-long grazing of paddocks by small non-rotational herds (traditional rangeland management; TRM). Differences in movement patterns between the two treatments were examined with data collected from global positioning system tracking collars (Lotek 3300LR GPS) combined with activity sensors. These data were used to determine daily metrics of foraging behavior by steers in both treatments at five-minute intervals and include (1) location, (2) distance moved within 5 minutes, and (3) and grazing activity. These data are from the first half of the CARM experiment to support the publication, "Adaptive, multi-paddock, rotational grazing management alters foraging behavior and spatial grazing distribution of free-ranging cattle."

Resources in this dataset:

• Resource Title: Data dictionary for foraging activity and location data for cattle File Name: DataDictionary_Template_nek.csv

• Resource Title: Foraging activity and location data for cattle in adaptive, multi-paddock, rotational grazing management File Name: CARMappended2014_2018.csv Resource Description: These data were used to determine daily metrics of foraging behavior by steers in both treatments at five-minute intervals and include (1) location, (2) distance moved within 5 minutes, and (3) and grazing activity.

• Resource Title: Foraging activity and location data for cattle in traditional grazing management File Name: TRMappended2014_2018.csv Resource Description: These data were used to determine daily metrics of foraging behavior by steers in both treatments at five-minute intervals and include (1) location, (2) distance moved within 5 minutes, and (3) and grazing activity.