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Ring‐necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) demographic response is sensitive to chick survival and nest success. The establishment and management of grasslands within agricultural landscapes, often through cropland conversion programs (e.g., Conservation Reserve Program [CRP]), have positive impacts on survival and nest success. Newly established CRP and early successional habitat can provide vegetative structure selected by pheasant chicks. Ideal brood habitat provides an abundance of arthropods, an open understory promoting efficient chick movement, and a protective canopy cover. However, the natural succession of grasslands changes desired vegetative structure and challenges managers with providing adequate habitat for pheasant chicks. We investigated the efficacy of different methods of CRP management, including haying, burning, herbicide application, interseeding, and grazing, to provide adequate brood rearing habitat in cool‐ and warm‐season grasslands. We assessed chick body mass change using human‐imprinted ring‐necked pheasant chicks and investigated changes in vegetation composition and structure in relation to various habitat treatments in north‐central and north‐eastern South Dakota during mid‐June and mid‐July of 2013, 2014, and 2015. Generally, treatments that incorporated interseeding, herbicide application, or their combination had the greatest chick mass gain, reduced litter cover and depth, and increased bare ground and forb cover. Effective management for brood habitat may require more aggressive techniques than simple haying or prescribed fire techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade‐offs exist between timing of grassland habitat management activities (e.g., weed and brush control) while also ensuring other conservation objectives (e.g., grassland bird reproductive success) are met. On land set aside for grassland conservation (e.g., lands enrolled in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Reserve Program and some state and federal wildlife management areas), federal and state agencies set time frames for land management based on avoiding disturbance of grassland bird nests. However, recent calls for considering the needs of dependent fledglings in conservation plans imply a need to evaluate whether current time frames are adequate. We used initiation and end dates for 3,257 nests of 8 obligate grassland bird species in Illinois and Wisconsin and a simulation approach for fledgling survival to estimate the potential proportion of active nests at risk when management (e.g., mowing, fire) occurred on the 1st and 15th day of May, June, July, and August during the breeding season. Management during June had the potential to impact 24–61% of nests, depending on the species. Management during July had the potential to impact 4–52% of nests, depending on the species. If disturbance occurred during August, proportionately few active nests were at risk for any species (0–9% of nests on 1 August, 0–<0.5% on 15 August). Potential proportions of fledglings at risk from management were greatest in July for 7 of the 8 species (7–18%). Our study suggests that on lands where a primary conservation objective is to increase or ensure survival of grassland birds, delaying management activities until August could be beneficial for protecting both grassland bird nests and fledglings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the ecological succession of the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) planning regulations in the U.S. as of January 2019. Topics include the effects of the revisions on the management of national forests and grasslands, a brief history of NFMA, and the use of silvicultural practices to manage timber production.

The article talks about the nutritional benefits of grass feed beef and cost effectiveness of growing grass in comparison to growing cereals and grass management and impact of carbon sequestering on soil health and selection of right breed of cattle to be grass fed. INSET: Organic farming makes organic food different.

The article discusses the use of caterpillar fungus or yartsa gunbu as medicine to prevent cancer, cure back pain and treating erectile dysfunction in Tibet, China. It examines the environmental impact of caterpillar fungus on the damage grassland. It also cites the increase demand of caterpillar fungus due to its contribution to the traditional Chinese medicine for human health.

The article offers information of several cactus and succulent societies including Toronto Cactus & Succulent Club, Desert Plant Society of Vancouver and Victoria Cactus & Succulent Society and presents several charts that lists conversions, edition and prices of the journal.

ABSTRACT Little is known about the impacts and effects of exotic, invasive grasses on wildlife in the Southeast United States. We selected 3 species of exotic grasses common to the Southeast and review the literature on their regional distribution, ecosystem impacts, wildlife impacts, and management. These grasses have the potential to harm indigenous wildlife species, such as northern bobwhite ( Colinus virginianus), that need grasslands with a shrub component for nesting, brood-rearing, and loafing. These exotic, invasive grasses are sod-forming in nature, typically forming dense monotypic stands that provide little bare ground and have low plant species and insect diversity. Furthermore, it appears that wildlife do not prefer to consume these plant species. Control is often difficult and usually requires the use of herbicides in combination with mechanical treatment, such as disking, to provide adequate habitat. Attempts should be encouraged to convert these idle grasslands to a mixture of native grasses and forbs to make stands more suitable for wildlife species. We provide suggestions for future research and management needs regarding exotic, invasive grasses and wildlife in the Southeast United States. © 2013 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article recognizes the efforts of wildlife partners tasked with the management of Game Production Areas (GPAs) under the State of South Dakota and Game Fish & Parks (GF&P). The difference between share contracts and fee contracts for food plots planted by wildlife partners is discussed. Also discussed are the methods of grassland management implemented by partners, such as haying and grazing. The development of habitats by planting Round-Up Ready soybeans is also credited to wildlife partners.

The article discusses an emission trading market in Montana that reimburses ranchers for grasslands and the carbon storage they achieve to offset industrial emissions of greenhouse gases. Rancher James Stuart, who participates in the program, is acknowledged. A cap-and-trade emission control system implemented by 10 northeastern states is discussed.

Focuses on several butterfly conservation management projects launched in the U.S. Information on the Model Backyard Habitat program for butterflies and other wildlife developed at the Cape May Bird Observatory Center for Research and Education in New Jersey; Variety of management types used for maintaining the Buena Vista Grassland in Wisconsin; Species of nectar flowers planted in the backyard butterfly garden of David and Lana Edwards in Southeastern Florida.

Pastures are often a mixture of different plant species. The growth patterns of these mixtures are determined by the interactions and competition among the coexisting species, as well as their response and interactions with the environment. Grassland management for economic and environmental sustainability should be based on the integrated view of the pasture system and the understanding of the processes involved. Computer models are ideal to study such complex systems. Most modeling efforts have focused on binary combinations of an agronomic crop and a major weed species in agricultural systems. In this research, the GRAzing Simulation Model (GRASIM) was extended to account for growth and interspecies competition among a mixture of plant species, including grasses, legumes, and weeds. In the multispecies GRASIM, a user-specified number of species grow separately on a daily time step, competing for light, soil water, and nitrogen. Forage experiments were conducted on a naturalized pasture at the Pennsylvania State University Beef Research Farm (University Park, Pa.). The pasture was divided and rotationally stocked at two intensities (high and low). Forage biomass data from 1998 and 1999 were used to develop and evaluate the multispecies GRASIM model. The multispecies GRASIM reasonably simulated the growth dynamics of multiple species on two grazing treatments across two seasons, despite the high variability of the pasture. The model-simulated and observed biomass data for the dominant species across the two treatments and the two growing seasons gave regression coefficients of determination (R²) ranging from 0.25 to 0.98. Model limitations and directions for future efforts are outlined and discussed. The multispecies GRASIM can be used to help evaluate coexisting species interaction and their response to the environment and provide insight into the complex mixed-species pasture ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article announces the retirement of waterfowl biologist Ron Reynolds. His work as Habitat and Population Evaluation Team Project Leader for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewed. The author comments on the use of thunderstorm maps in wetland and grassland habitat management decisions. Reynolds discusses his efforts to develop thunderstorm maps as a tool for biologists.

The article focuses on the impact of fire on the development and maintenance of tall tussock grasslands in New Zealand. The deliberate use of fire in pastoral management was contradicted by environmentalists because of its damaging effect to the native flora and fauna which lead to the spread of weeds and soil erosion. Meanwhile, pastoralists consider the approach as means of improving access for stock and promoting palatable regrowth.

Highlights from the article: The University of Tennessee professor and director for the Center for Native Grasslands Management says cattle producers often ask about doing a prescribed burn on native pastures. Cattle can graze the year pastures burn.

In this article, the author discusses grassland management for improving soil health without using cover crops. Topics discussed include cost effectiveness of improving soil quality in perennial grassland, increasing plant diversity, use of cover crops in perennial pasture, implementation of controlled grazing or rotational grazing, limited livestock integration, and pasture management. INSET: Here's a scenario when cover crops may help pasture.

The article reports on a study released by the National Audubon Society in New York which demonstrates the significant role of grasslands of the greater Chicago region in Illinois to the recovery of threatened bird populations.

The article focuses on the Center of the Nation Cattle Company, owned by Jeff Smeenk, which boasts of prime grasslands and several species of birds and wildlife. It states that the Center was the winner of the 2011 Environmental Stewardship Award Program and mentions that the beef products supplied b the center, improves its profitability. It discusses the center's partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

The article focuses on the sequestration of carbon into the grasslands that can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to Mark Liebig, soil scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Agricultural Research Service Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, prairie grasslands of the Northern Great Plains help minimize carbon and transfer it into the soil. Moreover, he states that raising cattle on grass is viable for the reduction of GHG emissions.

The article focuses on the prescribed burn of the André Bluemel Meadow located at the River Farm headquarters of American Horticultural Society (AHS). River Farm manager Trish Gibson says that burning helps in the regulation of woody and herbaceous invasive species within the meadows and grasslands. It says that burning gives life to older meadows by reviving nutrients and allowing better air circulation. It mentions that the mowed walking paths in the AHS meadow offer barriers for fire.

The article focuses on the development of prairie lawn in areas such as Saskatoon and Regina in Saskatchewan, where there is lack of enough rain. It considers grass alternatives that thrive without pesticides or fertilizer and requires little mowing such as blue grama, mat muhly and June grass. Nora Stewart, president of the Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan (NPSS) recommended to plant a mixture of low growing grasses to lessen mowing activities.

The article offers suggestions from professor Dirk Philipp on fertilization and grassland maintenance for adequate nutrient levelsin the soil which includes moving feeders and shade structures, feeding hay with the help of a strip grazing method, and collecting soil samples.

The article discusses the planned improvements of the Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt prairie wetland in Polk County, Iowa following the approval of a master plan by the conservation organization Polk County Conservation Board. Topics mentioned include the use of bonds to finance the improvements, construction of a visitor's center, paths, and a research facility at the prairie, and the claim of the board's director Richard Leopold on other facilities to be included in such natural area.

The article offers the author's insights on the grassland in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Topics mentioned include the social aspects of grassland, the national park management, and the Little Missouri National Grasslands in the U.S. Also mentioned are the social aspects of national park and the landscape management.

The article discusses the annual Soil Symposium that took place in Bristol, England on the top six inches, importance of protecting and improving the health of our soils, growing soil organic matter, and management of grasslands.

The article reports on the post-fire restoration of the high desert outside of Milford, Utah. According to Steve Monsen, a retired U.S. Forest Service ecologist, a collection of cheatgrass and fire-resistant collection of bunchgrasses and sagebrush is what managers should be trying to re-create after the landscape burns. Land managers will drop nearly one million tons of seeds, most via plane or helicopter on burned areas. The first round of seeds of grasses and forbs will be dropped in October 2007 and after the first snow, the planes will fly again, dropping tiny delicate seeds of sagebrush and forage kochia which will germinate on the surface of the disturbed ground.

In this article, the reflects on the conflicts over the idea of livestock grazing management in the U.S. livestock industry and mentions the interaction between grazing animals and grasslands.

The article offers information on the Native Grasslands Enhancement Program of Mattole Restoration Council which aims to restore native grasses in California. Among the objectives of the program are to better understand King Range National Conservation Area and Mattole grasslands and to plan and enforce restoration projects. Grassland restoration using different techniques is also noted.

The article offers information on ways of improving grasslands and maintaining biological diversity, by treating weeds and pests with qualitative and quantitative herbicides and controlled grazing of animals.

The article discusses why grain-finished beef would not reduce the number of hungry people, agriculture based on good management of grassland, and the success of the Argentine model of rotating between four to six years of grazing mixed-species swards and one to two years of crop production.

The author discusses the edible silvopasture approach adopted in the U.S. where the cows graze the trees while offering other benefits including shade, microclimate and evapotranspiration reduction. He mentions the need of about 30,000 grazeable trees per acre that are managed like brush for edible silvopasture. He also suggests finding species adapted to the environment for the system to work. The author's preparation of the grassland before planting tree seed is also tackled. INSET: The basics to getting started.

The article offers information on the programs created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for farmers. It notes the EQIP considered as the main program of the USDA which provides flat-rate payments to farmers for more than 80 farmland conservation practices. It mentions other USDA programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, Wetlands Reserve Program and Grassland Reserve Program. Moreover, it states that most programs are open for sign-up all-year long.

The article presents the author's insights on managing mineral cycle in pastures. The author mentions that forage growth depends on the mineral cycle or plant nutrient cycle. He relates the huge vegetation in rain forests where nutrients of decayed plants are ingested by organisms and kept in the cycle. It adds that ineffective mineral cycle caused by poor soil management results to the need for fertilizer materials or livestock mineral supplements.

The article discusses the effect of raising livestock on grass to the quality of meat. It refers to the writing of Richard Manning in "Utne Reader," April to May 2009 issue, on the potential of pasture-raised livestock in fighting climate change. Tips on how to create healthy grassland are offered such as planting annual crops like corn or soybeans.

The article reports on the launch of the Prairie Grouse Partners, a new conservation partnership with an aggressive goal of restoring 20 percent of native grasslands in North America. It is said that the effort will result in 60 million acres of improved habitat for a wide range of wildlife. The focus of the plan is on three major grouse species considered primary indicators of healthy grassland ecosystems.

Martin and Louise Collins are owner occupiers of Park Farm at Heckfield in Hampshire. The mixed farm, with a busy farm shop, extends to 380 acres of Symbol certified land, next to the Wellington Country Park. Phil Stocker went to visit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]