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On the Ground•Rangeland livestock producers were among the first agricultural communities affected by California's multiyear drought.•Rancher surveys and in-person interviews have identified key strategies for coping with and adapting to drought.•Increasing flexibility, resource valuation, and information sharing are important components of building adaptive capacity.•Web-based communication systems have provided new tools for peer-to-peer learning, public education, and extending knowledge to larger audiences.•Insights from managers’ experiences are important for adaptation planning to enhance resilience of rangeland social-ecological systems to climate stresses.

More frequent drought is projected for California. As water supplies constrict, and urban growth and out-migration spread to rural areas, trade-offs in water use for agriculture, biodiversity conservation, fire hazard reduction, residential development, and quality of life will be exacerbated. The California Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis coturniculus), state listed as “Threatened,” depends on leaks from antiquated irrigation district irrigation systems for much of its remnant small wetland habitat in the north central Sierra Nevada foothills. Residents of the 1295 km² foothill habitat distribution of the Black Rail were surveyed about water use. Results show that the most Black Rail habitat is owned by those purchasing water to irrigate pasture, a use that commonly creates wetlands from leaks and tailwater. Promoting wildlife, agricultural production, and preventing wildfire are common resident goals that call for abundant and inexpensive water; social and economic pressures encourage reduction in water use and the repair of leaks that benefit wildlife and greenery. Broad inflexible state interventions to curtail water use are likely to create a multitude of unintended consequences, including loss of biodiversity and environmental quality, and alienation of residents as valued ecosystem services literally dry up. Adaptive and proactive policies are needed that consider the linkages in the social-ecological system, are sensitive to local conditions, prevent landscape dewatering, and recognize the beneficial use of water to support ecosystem services such as wildlife habitat. Much Black Rail habitat is anthropogenic, created at the nexus of local governance, plentiful water, agricultural practices, historical events, and changing land uses. This history should be recognized and leveraged rather than ignored in a rush to “save” water by unraveling the social-ecological system that created the landscape. Policy and governance needs to identify and prioritize habitat areas to maintain during drought., This project was funded as part of the NSF Coupled Human Natural Systems Program, Project Award Number 1115069, Wetlands in a Working Landscape, with Professor Steve Beissinger as Principal Investigator. J.L. Oviedo’s involvement in this study was also funded by the Salvador de Madariaga program (grant number PRX16/00452) of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.

Author(s): Oliver, Mike; Nader, Glenn A; Maas, John; Blanchard, Myra; Stott, Jeffrey; Teglas, Mike; Becchetti, Theresa; Bushnell, Robert | Abstract: A tick-borne bacterial disease, commonly known as foothill abortion, kills cow fetuses and has had a devastating effect on herds grazing in parts of the intermountain West. This publication will help you develop management strategies that minimize the impacts of the disease including whether ticks are present in a pasture (identified by dry ice trapping), the time when ticks are active, and the stage of pregnancy of a heifer or cow when grazing pasture where ticks may be present.

Author(s): Davy, Josh S; Nader, Glenn A; Stackhouse, Jeffery W | Abstract: One of the advantages of cattle production in California is the diversity of feeds available in times of need to supplement rangeland that is normally used for cattle. In most cases, supplementing with alfalfa or a combination of alfalfa and small grain hay is the easiest method to meet protein, energy, and calcium requirements when rangeland nutrients are depleted due to drought.

Drought leads to predictable lack of forage production on rangelands. This leaves two possible management scenarios: sell animals to reduce forage demand, or supplement feeding to maintain herd genetics. In some cases producers may choose a combination of both to prevent complete herd dispersal. This publication is designed to help producers think through the supplementation of cattle during drought years.

In dry western Unites States forests where past resource management has altered the ecological role of fire and stand characteristics alike, mechanical thinning and prescribed burning are commonly applied in wildfire hazard abatement. The reduced surface fuel loads and stand structures resulting from fuels modifications are temporary, yet few studies have assessed the lifespan of treatment effects. We sampled forest fuels and vegetation following fuels reduction in a chronosequence of time since treatment in the northern Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade regions of California. Treatments altered overstory characteristics including stand density, basal area, and species composition. These effects were still present on the oldest treatment sites (8–15 years post-treatment). Other stand characteristics, particularly timelag fuel loads, seedling density, and shrub cover, exhibited substantial variability, and differences between treatment age classes and between treatment and control groups were not statistically significant.

We used 11 years of data from video auction sales across the western United States to address two long-standing questions posed by California cattle ranchers. First, as expected, ranchers receive lower prices for cattle sold here compared to prices received by ranchers in the Midwest. Second, some (but not all) “value-adding” production and marketing practices raise prices received by ranchers. We report the average amount of location discounts and quality premiums for several market regions.

Author(s): Davy, Josh S; Forero, Larry C; Nader, Glenn A; Stackhouse, Jeffrey W | Abstract: Managing livestock during drought usually combines supplemental feeding and culling. Removing animals from the herd is the most direct method of reducing forage consumption on drought-stricken rangeland. Strategic culling requires the ability to navigate the current year's challenges while considering the necessity to rebuild cattle numbers in the future. Culling and selling cattle will reduce forage consumption to better match range production.

In Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties, UC Cooperative Extension advisors have collaborated with fire safe councils to mitigate the risk of wildfire in local communities. They have determined the educational needs within the communities, obtained grant funding and worked collaboratively with the councils to deliver education and applied research programs that have helped homeowners and landowners take action to reduce their vulnerability to the risk of wildfires. Home structures have been modified to improve their fire resistance, fuel reduction programs have been adopted by local communities and maintained, communities have been mapped for evacuation plans and fuel breaks have been constructed on private and public forestland. Several wildfires, including the Marysville fire in 2006 and the Yuba fire in 2009, were slowed or stopped because of measures taken, showing the value of investment in pre-fire planning and actions.

Prescribed burning and the herbicide clopyralid are very effective tools for the management of yellow starthistle. However, repeated use of either can be impractical or can present other problems. The potential solution is the development of an effective integrated weed management strategy using a combination of the two approaches. In small plot studies (0.2 ha), we tested one of five possible treatments: (1) untreated control, (2) 2 consecutive yr of clopyralid (0.105 kg ha−1), (3) 2 consecutive yr of prescribed summer burning, (4) first-year clopyralid followed by second-year prescribed burning, and (5) first-year prescribed burning followed by second-year clopyralid. Treatments were made in 1999 and 2000 at three study sites in California (San Benito, Yuba, and Siskiyou counties). In 2001, the year following the final treatment, 2 consecutive yr of clopyralid or first-year burning followed by second-year clopyralid consistently reduced yellow starthistle cover in the following year by 92 to 100%. However, at the Yuba site, clopyralid alone increased medusahead and ripgut brome cover. Although 2 consecutive yr of burning was effective in Yuba, very high levels of starthistle infestation in San Benito were not completely burned in the second year because of the lack of available consumable fuel. Clopyralid treatment the first year followed by prescribed burning in the second year stimulated yellow starthistle germination and did not reduce the infestation. In a large-scale study conducted at two sites (13 and 81 ha) in southern Monterey County, we used a first-year burn followed by either 2 yr of clopyralid (0.158 kg ha−1) or a single year of clopyralid (0.210 kg ha−1) and a subsequent burn. Results were in close agreement with those found in the small-scale studies. In the year following the final treatment, control of yellow starthistle was greater than 99% when the burn was followed by 2 yr of clopyralid. In contrast, when a prescribed burn was used in the last year of the program, the level of control was not as good, probably because of the increased germination of the remaining soil seedbank. These results indicate that a first-year prescribed burn followed by a second-year clopyralid treatment can provide consistently good control of yellow starthistle, as well as reduced levels of noxious annual grasses, including medusahead and ripgut brome.

Author(s): Forero, Larry C; Nader, Glenn A; Ingram, Roger S; Larson, Stephanie | Abstract: As a new or established beef producer, how can you reach developing markets for antibiotic-free, grassfed, or other animal-care-specific meats? Is it worth the cost—to you or to consumers? This publication can help you find the path that's right for you.

UC has a wide reach in the agriculture sector of the California economy and is well recognized for research expertise in plant diseases. Less well known is the role UC plays in animal agriculture. In 2012, the California Animal Health and Food Safety lab at UC Davis performed nearly 980,000 tests on samples from sick livestock, including cattle, horses, pigs, chickens and turkeys. The lab is prepared to respond rapidly to any disease outbreak or identification of a foreign disease. Researchers at the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis are testing novel subunit vaccines to prevent pinkeye in cattle; UC ANR specialists and advisors and the staff at the Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center were key to the development of best management practices that landowners and resource managers are using to protect their herds and public water sources against the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum; and UC veterinary scientists are part of a large team of experts, including state and federal agencies, determined to combat the endemic bluetongue virus, which can affect the state's exports.

Successful control of yellow starthistle by mowing depends on both proper timing and the plant's form of growth and branching. The branching habit of yellow starthistle is highly variable and is in part dependent on the level of competition with other species for light. Field studies were conducted in five Northern California counties to examine the effects of growth form, timing of mowing and number of mowings on yellow starthistle growth and seed production. Erect, high-branching populations were effectively controlled by a single mowing at early flowering, while sprawling, lowbranching plants were not satisfactorily controlled even by multiple mowings. Mowing should provide an effective tool for yellow starthistle control in an integrated approach with clopyralid treatment, prescribed burning or biological control.

Author(s): Forero, Larry; Nader, Glenn; Craigmill, Arthur; Ditomaso, Joseph M; Puschner, Birgit; Maas, John | Abstract: Horses, goats, sheep, and cattle can sicken or die if they eat from a poisonous plant. The best strategy is just to keep these plants out of reach. Here are photos, ID info, and poisoning symptoms for more than 30 hazardous ornamental and range plants.

Foothill abortion, also known as epizootic bovine abortion (EBA), has been a long-standing problem for California beef cattle producers. It is a major source of economic loss for California cow and calf producers, and in the 1990s it was estimated that 5% to 10% (45,000 to 90,000 calves) of the California beef calf crop may be lost each year (Bushnell et al. 1991). UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) farm advisors, specialists and UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) faculty have worked on this disease for nearly 50 years. This long research process finally moved forward in 2005, when the causative agent was identified.

Author(s): Quarles, Stephen L; Valachovic, Yana; Nakamura, Gary M; Nader, Glenn A; de Lasaux, Michael J | Abstract: It's like the three little pigs showed us: The way you build your house can make the difference between a cozy home and a heap of rubble when disaster strikes. Learn about design methods and building materials that will help your home survive a wildfire.

Growing consumer interest in grass-fed beef products has raised a number of questions with regard to the perceived differences in nutritional quality between grass-fed and grain-fed cattle. Research spanning three decades suggests that grass-based diets can significantly improve the fatty acid (FA) composition and antioxidant content of beef, albeit with variable impacts on overall palatability. Grass-based diets have been shown to enhance total conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) (C18:2) isomers, trans vaccenic acid (TVA) (C18:1 t11), a precursor to CLA, and omega-3 (n-3) FAs on a g/g fat basis. While the overall concentration of total SFAs is not different between feeding regimens, grass-finished beef tends toward a higher proportion of cholesterol neutral stearic FA (C18:0), and less cholesterol-elevating SFAs such as myristic (C14:0) and palmitic (C16:0) FAs. Several studies suggest that grass-based diets elevate precursors for Vitamin A and E, as well as cancer fighting antioxidants such as glutathione (GT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as compared to grain-fed contemporaries. Fat conscious consumers will also prefer the overall lower fat content of a grass-fed beef product. However, consumers should be aware that the differences in FA content will also give grass-fed beef a distinct grass flavor and unique cooking qualities that should be considered when making the transition from grain-fed beef. In addition, the fat from grass-finished beef may have a yellowish appearance from the elevated carotenoid content (precursor to Vitamin A). It is also noted that grain-fed beef consumers may achieve similar intakes of both n-3 and CLA through the consumption of higher fat grain-fed portions.

Author(s): Nader, Glenn; Nakamura, Gary; de Lasaux, Mike; Quarles, Steve; Valachovic, Yana | Abstract: Incorporating fire safe concepts into your landscape is one of the most important ways you can help your home survive a wildfire. You can have both a beautiful landscape and a fire safe home when you establish and maintain a “defensible space.

We analyzed video auction sales in the western United States from 1997 to 2003, in an attempt to answer two long-standing questions about the economics of cattle ranching in California. First, as expected, ranchers received lower prices for cattle sold here compared to prices received by ranchers in the Midwest; this is due to the cost of transporting cattle to Midwestern feedlots. Second, some (but not all) “value-adding” production and marketing practices — such as preconditioning, Quality Assurance Programs and natural beef production — did raise prices received by ranchers. We report on the average location discounts and quality premiums for several market regions.

Author(s): Drake, Daniel J; Nader, Glenn; Forero, Larry | Abstract: Rice straw, under increased scrutiny when burned as agricultural waste, has new promise as a livestock feed.

Author(s): George, Melvin; Nader, Glenn; McDougald, Neil; Connor, Mike; Frost, Bill | Abstract: Livestock on California's foothill rangelands get much of their nutrition from rangeland forage plants. Year-to-year variations in environmental conditions determine the nutrient content of this forage.

Author(s): George, Melvin; Nader, Glenn; Dunbar, John | Abstract: Livestock on California's foothill rangelands get much of their nutrition from rangeland forage plants. The publication helps you strike the best balance of range forage to purchased feed in any given year.

Yellow starthistle is the most widespread invasive weed in California. An exotic that invaded California in the Gold Rush days, starthistle was once a minor annoyance but is now out of control. One reason is that few herbicides are registered for use on California rangelands, pastures and wildlands. Of the registered herbicides, the majority are effective only when applied to the foliage of target plants; season-long control of yellow starthistle is not provided because seedlings that emerge after application of the herbicide escape injury. In a comparison of herbicides, the newly registered herbicide clopyralid provided excellent control at low use rates and worked eaually well whether applied to leaves or to soil to control germinating seedlings. In soil, it showed residual activity throughout the season. Complete yellow starthistle control was achieved with applications made from December through April, but treatments in February maximized desirable forage production, particularly grasses. Late-season applications of glyphosate and clopyralid were effective for control of starthistle plants in late rosette and bolting stages.