Duration: 10/01/2026 to 09/30/2031

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Western U.S. rangelands provide benefits that extend well beyond livestock production, including wildlife habitat,
watershed protection, carbon storage, recreation, and support for resilient rural communities and ecosystems. Managing
these lands requires balancing multiple objectives across diverse environments and grazing systems, making sciencebased
decision-making essential.
This project brings together the interdisciplinary expertise, infrastructure, and resources needed to develop and deliver
precision livestock management systems for Western rangelands. These systems support environmentally, socially, and
economically sustainable livestock production while helping managers maintain critical ecosystem services.
Our goal is to provide land managers, livestock producers, and policymakers with tools and information that improve
stewardship of public and private rangelands. These tools will help optimize land use, sustain plant diversity, improve soil
health and ecosystem function, and support productive plant communities that benefit both livestock and wildlife. Precision
monitoring technologies will also provide valuable insights into animal behavior, health, movement, and productivity.
Through coordinated research and outreach, we will advance science-based management practices that improve livestock
production, reduce costs and labor needs, optimize animal performance, and enhance forage utilization. Precision
agriculture data will improve supplementation strategies, strengthen understanding of environmental influences on
nutrient requirements, and support more efficient nutrient delivery systems.
The project also evaluates innovative technologies for monitoring vegetation, soils, livestock, and environmental
conditions. These tools will improve management decisions, strengthen ecosystem resilience, support adaptation to
climate variability, and sustain rangeland productivity. By integrating animal science, rangeland ecology, data science, and
precision agriculture, the project will generate practical solutions that enhance livestock sustainability while protecting the
ecological resources and ecosystem services upon which society depends.

Statement of Issues and Justification

Rangeland-based livestock grazing is the predominant agricultural industry in regions unsuitable for farming. However, the future of this industry faces significant challenges, including uncertain public land policies, anthropogenic development, climatic variability, and concerns related to threatened and endangered species. These factors challenge the long-term sustainability of rangeland-based livestock production and the rural communities that depend on it.
To address these challenges, it is imperative to develop precision livestock management strategies and tools that enable
economically efficient and environmentally responsive livestock production. These strategies must also maintain or
improve rangeland health, address wildlife habitat needs, and support local social networks. The complex mechanisms
employed by ruminant livestock to navigate biotic and abiotic interactions throughout the production year often pose
significant challenges for managers. Livestock behavior changes to maintain homeothermy, access preferred forages,
acknowledge social dominance, engage in exploratory activities, and adapt to the grazing environment and ecosystem.
Precision technologies aid in discovery of mechanistic strategies that livestock employ to match their environment
(Schauer et al., 2005; Brennan et al., 2021; Sprinkle et al., 2021a; Sprinkle et al., 2021c; Sprinkle et al., 2025; Vandermark et al., 2025; Sprinkle et al., 2026). Without fully exploring these technologies, adaptive behavioral mechanisms that livestock pursue in response to climate, forage quality and availability, genetics, and nutrient partitioning will remain undiscovered. Thus, stakeholders will not be provided with management options to accommodate an ever-changing natural world within their livestock operations.
Precision technologies, such as virtual fencing (Antaya et al., 2025), wearable sensors including GPS and accelerometers,
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), smart supplementation feeders (Wyffels et al., 2018), remote sensing (Sprinkle et al.,
2025), genetic testing (Stegemiller et al., 2021) and selection, offer exciting and powerful tools for land and livestock
managers. These technologies can enhance our ability to manage livestock more effectively and sustainably.
Livestock grazing operations in the West span a wide diversity of environments from frigid winter grazing operations close to the Canadian border to late summer grazing in the desert southwest. Grazing operations can also vary from grazing winter wheat in Oklahoma to dormant season sagebrush steppe grazing in Oregon. Cattle who inhabit these varied environments may engage in grazing activity that varies from environment to environment (Wyffels et al. 2018; Sprinkle et al., 2021c; Sprinkle et al., 2025). As such, there is a need to explore precision livestock grazing across as many environments as possible.
The breadth of knowledge required to advance this field is best achieved through a multidisciplinary, multi-region, and
multi-institutional approach. A myriad of contributing factors must be studied to develop comprehensive solutions.
Participating scientists and Extension specialists in this project bring extensive knowledge and experience in utilizing
existing and emerging technologies with grazing livestock. This includes developing improved supplementation strategies, assessing and interpreting animal behavior, optimizing cattle productivity, assisting in strategic animal selection, developing statistical models and inferences, meeting natural resource management objectives, and creating outreach tools and materials for educational programs for current stakeholders and next generation workforce.
The proposed Precision Technologies in Rangeland-Based Livestock and Natural Resource Management multistate project
addresses a critical and currently underrepresented research need at the intersection of livestock production, rangeland
ecology, natural resource stewardship, and emerging precision technologies. The proposal is supported by a strong
multidisciplinary team of researchers from Oregon State University, University of Idaho, South Dakota State University, New Mexico State University, Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M University, California Polytechnic State University, and the University of Nebraska. Collectively, these institutions provide expertise in livestock production, rangeland ecology, precision agriculture, animal behavior and grazing management, agricultural engineering, remote sensing, data analytics, and natural resource management, along with extensive research infrastructure, field sites, technology platforms, and stakeholder networks that will facilitate impactful and regionally relevant outcomes. As the project develops, additional collaborators and areas of expertise will be actively sought and encouraged to broaden the scope, strengthen interdisciplinary capacity, and maximize opportunities for research innovation and stakeholder engagement.

National Priorities
Our goals align with 3 of the 5 goals noted by United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brook Rollins in her
December 30, 2025, Memorandum 1078-020. Specifically, our proposal supports:
1. Increasing Profitability of Farmers and Ranchers: We are committed to advancing cutting-edge technologies and
practices that enhance the efficiency and sustainability of livestock production. Our research aims to develop
innovative solutions that can be rapidly adopted by industry, driving progress and improving outcomes.
2. Protecting the Integrity of American Agriculture from Invasive Species: Research on invasive annual grass
control is critical in the western United States because species such as cheatgrass, medusahead, and ventenata
reduce forage productivity and quality for livestock, alter grazing systems, and increase competition with desirable
perennial vegetation. Effective control strategies help reduce fine fuel loads and wildfire risk while supporting
rangeland restoration efforts that improve ecosystem resilience, biodiversity, and long-term agricultural sustainability.
3. Promoting Soil Health to Regenerate Long-Term Productivity of Land: Our research is dedicated to promoting
the health and resilience of ecosystems. By focusing on sustainable rangeland management, we strive to maintain
and enhance biodiversity, soil health, and overall ecosystem function, ensuring long-term viability for livestock
production.
Our primary stakeholders include farmers, ranchers, and state and federal land managers. These individuals and
organizations directly benefit from our research through improved livestock management practices that enhance
productivity and sustainability. However, the impact of our work extends beyond these primary stakeholders.
Nationally and internationally, our research has broad applicability, influencing livestock production systems worldwide.
Consumers of animal products are our secondary stakeholders, benefiting from reduced prices associated with more
efficient production systems. By optimizing livestock management, we contribute to cost savings that are passed on to
consumers, making animal products more affordable.
Our tertiary stakeholders are the citizens of communities whose economies are bolstered by profitable and sustainable
animal industries. The multiplier effects of these industries enhance community economies, create jobs, support local
businesses, and foster economic resilience.
Through our commitment to these priorities, we aim to drive meaningful change in the livestock industry, benefiting a wide range of stakeholders and contributing to the overall advancement of sustainable agricultural practices.

Related, Current and Previous Work

A review of existing NIMSS multistate activities demonstrates that the proposed project complements, rather than
duplicates, current efforts. Projects such as NRSP13 (Artificial Intelligence for Agricultural Autonomy), NC1211 (Precision
Management of Animals for Improved Care, Health, and Wellbeing of Livestock and Poultry), and S1090 (AI in
Agroecosystems) focus primarily on autonomous systems, animal monitoring, robotics, and computer vision tools
development in confined livestock systems or crop production environments. Other projects address related but narrower topics: W4010 focuses on feed utilization efficiency in beef cattle; NC1181 emphasizes forage and grazing management; NC1182 evaluates nutrient cycling and environmental impacts; SERA41 concentrates on production efficiency within southeastern forage systems; and S1069 focuses broadly on UAV applications across agriculture and natural resources.
While these efforts advance precision agriculture broadly, they do not address the complexities of managing livestock and natural resources across large, heterogeneous rangeland landscapes.
The proposed multistate project is unique because it integrates four traditionally separate disciplines: rangeland ecology,
livestock production, natural resource management, and precision technology adoption and development. Extensive
rangeland systems present challenges that differ fundamentally from those encountered in cropland or confined animal
production. Grazing livestock operates across vast landscapes characterized by variable topography, forage availability,
water distribution, weather patterns, and vegetation communities. Furthermore, these environments often lack reliable
electrical power, cellular connectivity, and internet infrastructure, creating significant barriers to the deployment and
adoption of precision technologies. Consequently, technologies developed for feedlots, swine and poultry operations, or
row-crop agriculture require substantial adaptation before they can be implemented in rangeland settings.
Unlike existing projects that focus primarily on animal performance, forage production, nutrient utilization, or standalone
technology development, this effort seeks to develop and evaluate technologies that simultaneously improve livestock
production efficiency and support sustainable management of rangeland resources. The project will leverage advances in
remote sensing, animal-mounted sensors, computer vision-based camera systems, spatial analytics, artificial intelligence, autonomous monitoring systems, and decision-support tools to better understand interactions among grazing animals, vegetation, soil resources, and ecosystem processes. This integrated approach recognizes that successful management of rangeland systems requires balancing livestock productivity with long-term ecosystem resilience and stewardship objectives.
A summary of recent pertinent research follows: Critical underpinnings for cow adaptability in a rangeland setting include
grazing behavior (Brennan et al. 2021; Sprinkle et al., 2021a; Sprinkle et al., 2021c; Sprinkle et al., 2025), diet selection,
forage intake (Schauer et al., 2005; Sprinkle et al., 2026), harvesting efficiency (Sprinkle et al., 2026), nutrient partitioning
(Menendez et al., 2023), strategic supplementation (Wyffels et al., 2018), complementary forages to extend grazing
seasons, and maintaining reproductive efficiency. Technological advances have enabled scientists to be more precise in
the discovery of optimal, sustainable livestock production on Western rangelands.
With the research cited in the previous paragraph, and with the aid of precision technology used in each study mentioned,
our understanding of livestock grazing adaptations has expanded beyond early discoveries. Data collected during those
early years was quite laborious and expensive to obtain and often missed fine scale grazing adaptations. Conversely,
precision technologies can gather data at much higher frequencies or even in near-real-time to reveal how livestock
respond to changing climate and grazing environment from minute to minute. For example, accelerometers can be set to
obtain measurements 25 times/second! These data can then be aggregated to a manageable dataset that allows us to
interpret what the cow was doing every 5 seconds, 24 hours a day.
Recent advancements in real-time global positioning system (GPS) tracking, accelerometers, and other sensor technologies have catalyzed the emergence of precision livestock management as a novel field of study. These technologies enable the remote detection of livestock diseases, assessment of animal well-being, and monitoring of grazing distribution, thereby allowing ranchers and land managers to respond promptly to any issues. In addition to the above benefits, virtual fencing has been embraced as a tool to achieve conservation purposes and improved grazing management (Bennett et al., 2026).
Accelerometers can effectively monitor livestock behavior and detect behavioral changes associated with disease and
parturition (Chang et al. 2024). Additionally, GPS tracking can identify parturition events by monitoring the spatial
relationship between a ewe and the rest of the flock. This tracking capability also extends to detecting water system
failures. The integration of GPS tracking and accelerometer monitoring has been shown to provide more accurate data than either technology used independently (Sprinkle et al., 2021b).
Real-time GPS tracking can pinpoint when livestock congregate in environmentally sensitive areas, enabling managers to
take preemptive action to prevent resource degradation. The identification of genetic markers associated with terrain use, along with the reduced costs of GPS tracking and advancements in data processing, is expected to facilitate the
development of tools for genetic selection aimed at optimizing livestock grazing distribution.
Recent advances in precision livestock management have highlighted the potential of GPS-enabled virtual fencing as a
flexible tool for managing livestock distribution across complex rangeland landscapes. Unlike conventional fencing, virtual fencing can be rapidly adjusted to meet changing management objectives, allowing producers and land managers to influence grazing patterns, protect sensitive habitats, and respond to dynamic environmental conditions without extensive infrastructure investments. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of virtual fencing for excluding cattle from recently burned areas, directing grazing to strategic fuel breaks, and reducing use of vulnerable riparian zones. In
sagebrush steppe ecosystems, virtual fencing has successfully limited cattle use of post-fire areas to less than 5% of
recorded animal locations while concentrating more than 85% of livestock activity within designated fuel-break boundaries.
These targeted grazing applications resulted in substantial reductions in herbaceous fuel loads and improved opportunities for post-fire vegetation management and landscape restoration (Boyd et al., 2022; 2023). Such findings suggest that virtual fencing may provide land managers with an adaptable and cost-effective approach for achieving both livestock production and conservation objectives across working rangelands. Furthermore, heart-rate monitoring indicated that trained cattle experienced minimal acute stress when interacting with virtual boundaries (Dozler et al., 2024), while another study achieved greater than 99% containment when two herds were managed in adjacent virtual paddocks (Aquino et al., 2026). Ongoing strip-grazing studies further suggest that virtual fencing can support frequent livestock movements and more intensive forage use. Together, these studies show how virtual fencing can be adapted to
differences in topography, forage resources, and management intensity.
Overall, precision livestock management holds significant potential to enhance the welfare of livestock grazing on
rangelands and forested areas, reduce labor costs, improve ranch profitability, and promote the sustainability of riparian
zones and other environmentally sensitive areas on grazing lands globally. Members of this Multistate Research Group
have, or are currently, utilizing these and additional technological advances in field trials, including assembling low-cost
GPS and accelerometer grazing collars (Sprinkle et al., 2021b; Zhao et al., 2025), utilizing virtual fence technology (Aquino et al., 2026; Boyd et al., 2023; Dozler et al., 2024; Murray et al., 2024), and remote sensing. This has enabled us to multiply the number of experimental units in our studies and increase the statistical power for discovering mechanistic and behavioral responses to an everchanging landscape.
We have employed the use of specialized equipment (GrowSafe Systems, Ltd., Airdrie, Alberta, Canada) to first classify
beef cattle with respect to residual feed intake (RFI), which is expressed as the difference between expected feed intake
(based upon body weight and growth) and actual feed intake (Koch et al., 1963). Cattle with negative RFI scores (less feed intake; more efficient) will have reduced feed intake. Industry has embraced the adoption of using RFI data for bull
purchases. Research from Montana indicates that beef producers are willing to pay more for an RFI-efficient bull (McDonald et al., 2010). In a recent survey (Wulfhorst et al., 2010), beef cattle producers were evaluated for their perceptions about the adoption of RFI technology. Almost half (49%) of commercial producers indicated they were willing to adopt RFI as a measure of feed efficiency. Despite the willingness of producers to adopt RFI as a measure of overall efficiency, little is known about how RFI might affect other desirable traits, such as longevity and beef cattle efficiency on rangeland.
Therefore, it is important to evaluate divergently ranked cattle for this trait in a rangeland environment.
Work in Idaho (Sprinkle et al., 2021a; Stegemiller et al., 2021) comparing efficient vs inefficient cattle on rangeland
suggests that cattle with greater appetite (high rankings for residual feed intake) spend more time at lower elevations
when temperatures elevate in late summer. Most likely, this is due to greater metabolic heat loading engendered by a
larger digestive tract (Sprinkle et al., 2000; Sprinkle et al., 2026). This work has helped demonstrate that livestock
differentially use rangeland areas and alter grazing behavior based on previously determined RFI; therefore, providing a
selection tool for producers interested in selecting for specific management objectives and grazing behavior.
It is apparent that the increased selection which has occurred for RFI, and the influence of this trait in a rangeland
environment, necessitates the need for additional research in a variety of environments. Similarly, the complexity of the
interactions of environment and cow size and age warrant further investigation. A series of studies were conducted in
Montana (Williams et al., 2018a, b; Wyffels et al., 2018) to assess how cow grazing distribution, resource use, and
supplement intake varied among cows classified by weaning weight ratio and body weight in a winter, native rangeland,
grazing system. This research utilized a SmartFeed Pro self-feeder system (C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD) to determine
individual supplement intake behavior, and grazing behavior/distribution on fall/winter rangelands. The application of
Growsafe, SmartFeed Pro, GreenFeed, SmartWater, SmartScale and Supersmart feeding systems in extensive rangeland
environments will provide data that was not possible to obtain in the past. Specifically, we can measure supplement and
water intake on a per animal basis as well as on a per day basis. Coupled with environmental data, we now have the tools to fine tune strategic supplementation of beef cattle for improved animal health and optimal management of beef cattle in limited nutrition environments.
Researchers have discovered cattle that climb higher on extensive rangelands could be identified with genetic markers
(Bailey et al., 2015). By extending this research throughout the West, it may become possible to apply selection pressure on recently weaned calves with a blood sample (DNA) and a genotype test to identify replacement heifers that will at least behaviorally fit rugged rangeland pastures. We need to discover if this genetic trait for “hill climbing” is related to or complementary to genetic selection for feed efficiency. Recent studies with a larger animal database have identified a correlation between feed efficiency and “hill climbing” (Pierce et al., 2020).

Despite the efforts to match the cow type and production to the rangeland environments, most western livestock producers are dependent on supplemental and harvested forage during the year. High elevation rangelands/ranches often have extended periods of snow cover. While a great deal of effort is made to reduce the reliance on harvested forage, most of the alternatives (stockpiled forage, straws and other crop residues) are also limited by nutritional quality and need substantial nutritional inputs to meet the nutritional demands of the cow/calf. Strategic supplementation is important for these producers and often critical to their success (DelCurto et al., 2000; Kunkle et al., 2000).
Most research on strategic supplementation to optimize the use of low-quality forages is based on group, pen, and/or herd averages. We have limited information about individual animal variation in the intake of supplements and the limited  research available is often dependent on the use of markers to estimate intake. While marker derived data does indicate that substantial variation exists among individual animals (Bowman and Sowell, 1997), this procedure usually involves taking a series of fecal samples (usually 4 to 7 days) which limits our ability to evaluate daily variation in intake. As a result, we have limited knowledge of how environmental extremes impact supplement intake and supplement intake as a function of time. New technologies that include Growsafe, SmartFeed, GreenFeed, and Supersmart Feed measurement units will provide data that will assist in refining current management with cattle grazing dormant, low-quality, rangelands in the late fall and winter period.
Outreach and dissemination of research to peers, industry, and livestock/land managers has been a key aspect of the
programs associated with many of the contributors of this project. One such example was 5th Grazing Livestock Nutrition Conference held in 2016 at Park City, Utah, which was organized by the W2012, predecessor to the current group. There were 18 invited speakers and 21 volunteered posters for this symposium and 139 individuals from around the world attended. This project will organize the 6 Grazing Livestock Nutrition Conference.
The following research project will provide information that helps ranchers and land managers optimize the use of western rangelands. Optimization will primarily focus on maximizing the use of these land resources for beef cattle production while maintaining or enhancing the vegetation diversity and the biological process that are mediated in part by healthy soils and desirable plant communities. The use of supplements to modify the grazing behavior and resource use while meeting both land and livestock management objectives will be a focal point of the research. In addition, we will look at beef cattle types as well as metrics to evaluate traits that are important for beef cattle production and the cow’s ability to be productive in a restrictive physical and nutritional environment. Finally, we will readily adopt new technology to study beef cattle grazing extensive rangeland environments. The use of electronic feeders, global positioning systems (GPS), geographical information systems (GIS), virtual fence technology, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) will be incorporated into research protocols to meet our research objectives.

 

Objectives

1. Incorporate precision technologies to support data-driven decision-making for ruminant livestock and natural resource management on rangelands
   
2. Identification of environmental and management factors affecting soil health, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem function on rangelands.
   
3. Dissemination of results/products that will be used to inform land and livestock managers, land management agencies, policy-makers, and the general public
   
4. Provide professional development and mentoring opportunities for committee participants, young scientists, stakeholders, and graduate students
   

Methods

Our objectives are focused on the development and dissemination of information and tools needed by livestock and natural resource managers in improving efficiency of rangeland-based livestock production while maintaining or enhancing the vegetation diversity and the biological process that are mediated, in part, by healthy soils and desirable plant communities.  In addition, we hope to empower current and future scientists and natural resource professionals through mentoring and professional development opportunities.

Objective 1: Incorporate precision technologies to support data-driven decision-making for ruminant livestock and natural resource management on rangelands

 This project will utilize a multidisciplinary research approach to integrate precision technologies into sustainable rangeland-based ruminant livestock and natural resource management.  Field-based monitoring will be conducted using GPS collars, accelerometers, virtual fencing systems, and other wearable sensors to track livestock movement, grazing behavior, habitat use, and activity patterns.  Recent research has demonstrated that GPS-enabled virtual fencing can effectively manipulate livestock distribution across heterogeneous rangelands, including exclusion of cattle from recently burned areas, targeted use of fuel breaks, and protection of sensitive riparian zones, providing managers with flexible alternatives to conventional fencing while reducing infrastructure costs and wildlife conflicts.  In sagebrush steppe environments, virtual fencing has been shown to reduce cattle use of burned areas to less than 5% of recorded locations and achieve greater than 85% of livestock activity within designated fuel-break boundaries, resulting in substantial reductions in herbaceous fuel loads and improved management of post-fire landscapes (Boyd et al., 2022; 2023)

Remote sensing technologies, including satellite imagery, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and geospatial decision-support platforms, will be employed to assess forage availability, vegetation health, fine-fuel accumulation, and post-wildfire restoration outcomes.  These technologies will be integrated with livestock location data to quantify forage utilization patterns, evaluate grazing distribution relative to vegetation conditions and topography, and identify areas at elevated wildfire risk.  Research has demonstrated that coupling remotely sensed vegetation monitoring with precision livestock technologies can facilitate development of "fuelscapes," where grazing is strategically directed to reduce fuel continuity, lower fire intensity, and increase ecosystem resilience while maintaining livestock productivity (Boyd et al., 2023).

Precision supplementation strategies will be evaluated through controlled trials using automated feeders, smart supplement delivery systems, and real-time intake monitoring technologies to determine impacts on animal performance, nutrient utilization, grazing distribution, and resource use efficiency.  Behavioral responses to supplementation and other attractants will be integrated with location data to enhance understanding of how management interventions can be used to strategically influence livestock distribution across large landscapes.

Environmental and behavioral modeling will be developed to link terrain, climate, vegetation characteristics, management practices, and animal responses with livestock nutrient requirements, habitat use, and grazing patterns.  Building on recent advances in telemetry-based modeling, machine learning and statistical approaches will be used to predict livestock use of sensitive landscape features, including riparian areas and recently disturbed habitats.  Previous research has shown that cattle distributions can be accurately predicted from variables such as season, weather conditions, grazing duration, and management practices, including range riding and herding frequency, demonstrating the potential for predictive decision-support tools that help managers proactively balance livestock production with conservation objectives (Rowland et al., 2025)

Genomic and phenotypic analyses will be conducted to identify genetic markers associated with grazing behavior, landscape use, adaptability, heat tolerance, and productivity.  These analyses will be integrated with precision monitoring data to quantify individual animal variation in grazing distribution and resource selection, enabling development of selection tools for livestock biotypes optimally suited to western rangeland environments.  Such tools will support the identification of animals exhibiting desirable behavioral traits, including effective use of upland habitats, reduced dependence on sensitive riparian areas, and improved adaptation to variable environmental conditions.

Wildfire risk mitigation and post-fire restoration will be addressed through the integration of precision livestock management, remote sensing, and spatial modeling technologies. Virtual fencing and other precision grazing tools will be evaluated as mechanisms for concentrating livestock use within strategically located fuel breaks and excluding animals from vulnerable post-fire restoration areas.  Previous studies have shown that targeted grazing directed through virtual fencing can achieve nearly 50% forage utilization within designated fuel breaks while maintaining minimal use of surrounding areas, substantially reducing fine-fuel biomass and improving opportunities for wildfire suppression and landscape resilience.  In addition, remote sensing-based monitoring of vegetation recovery and fuel accumulation will be used to assess restoration success, evaluate ecosystem responses to grazing management, and identify adaptive management strategies that support long-term rangeland sustainability (Boyd et al, 2022; 2023).

Objective 2: Identification of environmental and management factors affecting soil health, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem function on rangelands

Western U.S. rangelands provide critical ecosystem services while supporting livestock production, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, carbon storage, recreation, and overall ecosystem resilience.  Public land managers, tribal governments, and state and federal agencies are tasked with balancing these often-competing objectives across millions of acres that vary substantially in soils, vegetation communities, climate, and grazing management systems.  As a result, effective management and policy decisions require robust scientific evidence that accounts for the ecological complexity of these landscapes.

At the same time, livestock producers face increasing public scrutiny regarding the environmental impacts of ruminants, particularly greenhouse gas emissions.  However, rangeland livestock systems also contribute important environmental benefits. Grazing management can increase soil carbon storage, improve soil health, enhance water infiltration, support nutrient cycling, and increase long-term resilience to drought.  As inherent grazers, cattle and other large ruminants play an important ecological role in maintaining healthy rangeland ecosystems while providing a sustainable source of protein for a growing human population.

This multistate research effort will evaluate how environmental conditions, grazing management strategies, and emerging precision technologies interact to influence soil health, nutrient cycling, ecosystem function, carbon dynamics, and livestock productivity across diverse western rangelands.  Coordinated research across multiple ecological sites and management systems will generate regionally relevant information needed to develop adaptive, science-based management frameworks rather than relying on generalized recommendations that may not be effective under all conditions.

Recent advances in precision agriculture and monitoring technologies provide unprecedented opportunities to collect the data required to address these challenges. Remote sensing platforms, unmanned aerial systems, environmental sensors, virtual fencing, livestock tracking technologies, in-pasture weighing systems, GreenFeed emissions monitoring systems, and integrated monitoring networks can provide continuous measurements of vegetation condition, forage quality, livestock distribution, soil moisture, ecosystem productivity, carbon sequestration, and enteric methane emissions.  These technologies allow researchers and land managers to move beyond periodic observation toward objective, data-driven assessments of management outcomes.

A particular focus of this objective will be integrating remotely sensed forage quality data, daily in-pasture animal weights, enteric emissions measurements, animal grazing locations, carbon fluxes measured using hyperspectral UAVs and eddy-covariance modeling, and animal nutrition models to estimate forage intake and evaluate livestock efficiency under diverse grazing conditions.  Coupling these data streams with genetic evaluations will enable identification of animals that utilize rangeland resources more efficiently while producing lower emissions.  This approach addresses a major knowledge gap, as most livestock efficiency research has historically been conducted in feedlot or drylot environments rather than on pasture and rangelands where animals spend much of their production life.

The resulting datasets will improve understanding of how grazing management influences soil health, carbon storage, water infiltration, vegetation productivity, and drought resilience while simultaneously affecting animal performance and environmental outcomes.  Furthermore, technologies such as virtual fencing can facilitate implementation of prescribed and regenerative grazing practices while generating digital records that document practice adoption and landscape use patterns.

Ultimately, this research will provide the empirical foundation needed to develop transparent, defensible, and adaptive management strategies that support both sustainable livestock production and long-term conservation of western rangeland ecosystems.  The information generated will assist land managers, policymakers, and producers in evaluating management alternatives, improving resource-use efficiency, quantifying ecosystem services, and identifying opportunities to participate in emerging sustainability-focused livestock markets.

Objective 3: Dissemination of results/products that will be used to inform land and livestock managers, land management agencies, policymakers, and the general public

This objective is dedicated to enhancing the dissemination of programming approaches and related topics through publication, workshops, professional meetings, social media and website platforms, and outreach programming.  To ensure the relevance and impact of our outreach programs, we will actively solicit input from group members on topics of interest.  This will include key events such as the Montana Nutrition Conference and Livestock Forum, the Range Beef Cow Symposium, individual statewide Range Livestock Symposiums/Grazing Conferences, youth camps, and field days.

We will leverage the extensive expertise in livestock production systems within our group by inviting members from other states to speak at these programs.  This cross-pollination of knowledge will enrich the content and provide diverse perspectives, thereby enhancing the educational value for all participants.

To measure the effectiveness of our outreach programs, members will be encouraged to track not only the number of individuals reached, knowledge gained, but also the anticipated behavioral changes.  This will be achieved through pre/post-conference surveys and other evaluation methods, providing valuable feedback on the impact of our initiatives.

Coordination of research and outreach efforts will be a key focus at our annual meetings. Each station will be given the opportunity to report and discuss their research and outreach programs, accomplishments, and publications.  These reports will be compiled into an annual report of the regional project, highlighting our collective achievements and identifying areas for further collaboration.

These discussions will illuminate commonalities and synergies that can lead to additional regional research and outreach efforts.  By fostering a collaborative environment, we aim to drive innovation and improve the effectiveness of our programs.

A significant goal of this objective is to organize and host the 6th Grazing Livestock Nutrition Conference. This event will serve as a platform for sharing the latest research findings, discussing best practices, and networking with peers.  By bringing together experts and practitioners, we aim to advance the field of grazing livestock nutrition and contribute to the overall success of our project.

Several members of the proposed multistate group are key contributors to the Rangelands Gateway Virtual Fence Platform (https://rangelandsgateway.org/virtual-fence), providing a strong foundation for coordinated outreach.  The group will use this established, vendor-neutral platform to translate project findings into practical resources for ranchers, emerging land and livestock managers, and the broader public, while developing state-specific materials when regional conditions warrant.  This collaboration will also strengthen multi-institutional research and outreach on virtual fencing and related precision livestock technologies.

Through these comprehensive efforts, we are committed to enhancing the quality and impact of our programming, fostering collaboration, and driving continuous improvement in our research and outreach activities.

Objective 4: Provide professional development and mentoring opportunities for committee participants, young scientists, stakeholders, and graduate students

The Multistate Research Project is committed to fostering professional development and mentoring opportunities for committee participants, young scientists, and graduate students.  To achieve this, we will integrate comprehensive discussions into each annual meeting, led by senior members of the committee.  These discussions will cover a broad range of critical topics, including but not limited to, grantsmanship in grazing livestock research, collaborative research discussions, publishing in peer-reviewed journals, and experimental design.

These sessions are designed to provide invaluable guidance to graduate students and young scientists, equipping them with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop robust research programs, secure successful publications and grants, and prepare strong promotion and tenure packets.  By engaging with experienced researchers, participants will gain insights into best practices and strategies for advancing their academic and professional careers.

Furthermore, we will facilitate opportunities for committee members and respective graduate students to visit each other's laboratories.  These visits will promote an open exchange of cutting-edge technologies and laboratory methodologies, thereby expanding our collective research capacity.  This initiative aims to nurture future collaborative efforts, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation within our research community.

By investing in the professional growth of our members and encouraging collaborative exchanges, we aim to build a dynamic and supportive research environment that drives scientific excellence and innovation.  This commitment to professional development and collaboration will not only enhance individual careers but also contribute to the advancement of the field as a whole.

Measurement of Progress and Results

Outputs

• This project will establish a multi-state collaborative research and Extension network that integrates expertise in livestock production, rangeland ecology, natural resource management, precision agriculture, remote sensing, animal behavior, and data analytics to address critical challenges facing western rangeland livestock systems. Comments: Through coordinated research across diverse rangeland ecosystems, the project will generate comprehensive, multi-state datasets that integrate animal movement, grazing behavior, forage resources, vegetation dynamics, environmental conditions, animal nutritional requirements, and natural resource indicators. These datasets will support the development and validation of precision livestock technologies specifically designed for extensive grazing systems and will provide a foundation for applying advanced analytical approaches that utilize artificial intelligence, computer vision, remote sensing, sensor technologies, and predictive modeling.
• Building on existing models that integrate GPS movement data with animal nutrition frameworks to estimate livestock energy expenditure and maintenance requirements (Vandermark et al., 2025), the project will expand and validate these approaches across multiple western states. Comments: The resulting integrated datasets and analytical tools will improve understanding of how cattle interact with heterogeneous landscapes and will enable development of decision-support systems that optimize livestock distribution, grazing management, resource utilization, animal performance, and ecosystem stewardship. Shared research protocols and technology evaluation methods developed through the project will facilitate standardized data collection and analysis across rangeland environments, increasing the scalability and applicability of project outcomes.
• A major project output will be the translation of research findings into practical Extension programming that enables adoption of precision livestock technologies by beef cattle producers. Comments: Extension activities will include producer-focused workshops, demonstrations, educational publications, and outreach programs designed to increase awareness of precision technologies and their potential to identify and manage cattle better adapted to western rangelands. Additional training opportunities will be developed for students, researchers, and industry professionals to build capacity in precision technology implementation, data analytics, and interpretation of management insights derived from precision livestock systems.
• Project outputs will further include peer-reviewed journal articles, extension publications, technical reports, scientific presentations, conference proceedings, website contents, open-source statistical code, real-data tutorials, and publicly accessible educational resources. Comments: Together, these outputs will accelerate technology adoption, strengthen collaborative research capacity, improve data-driven decision-making for rangeland livestock management, and enhance the long-term sustainability, productivity, and stewardship of grazing ecosystems across the western United States.

Outcomes or Projected Impacts

• Increased adoption of precision technologies that are specifically adapted to the challenges of extensive rangeland environments where power, internet connectivity, and infrastructure may be limited.
• Improved livestock production efficiency through enhanced monitoring of animal behavior, grazing distribution, and resource use.
• Improved producer decision-making through access to real-time and spatially explicit information on livestock, forage, and natural resources.
• Enhanced sustainability of rangeland-based livestock systems by integrating production objectives with natural resource stewardship goals.
• Improved management of grazing impacts on vegetation, soils, water resources, and ecosystem function across diverse rangeland landscapes.
• Increased resilience of livestock and rangeland systems to environmental variability, drought, and changing resource conditions.
• Strengthened collaboration among universities, industry partners, producers, and land management agencies to accelerate research innovation and technology transfer.

Milestones

(2027):Project Organization and Foundation Building: Establish and sustain a coordinated multi-state network of researchers, extension specialists, industry partners, and stakeholders focused on precision technologies for rangeland-based livestock and natural resource management. Identify common research priorities and opportunities that align livestock production, rangeland ecology, natural resource management, and precision technology development. Develop standardized protocols for data collection, technology evaluation, data management, and information sharing across participating institutions. Inventory existing technologies, datasets, field sites, and infrastructure available through participating universities and collaborators.

(2028):Technology Development and Research Integration: Generate integrated datasets that combine livestock, vegetation, environmental, and natural resource information across multiple rangeland ecosystems. Advance the development, testing, and validation of sensor systems, remote sensing platforms, artificial intelligence applications, machine learning approaches, and decision-support tools designed for extensive grazing systems. Improve understanding of interactions among grazing livestock, forage resources, landscape processes, and ecosystem health to support data-driven management decisions. Facilitate collaboration and information exchange through scientific meetings, workshops, field demonstrations, and stakeholder engagement activities.

(2029):Knowledge Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement: Plan, organize, and host the 6th Grazing Livestock Nutrition Conference as a national venue for dissemination of research findings, identification of emerging research priorities, and collaboration among scientists, extension professionals, producers, industry representatives, and natural resource managers. Disseminate preliminary and emerging research findings through conference presentations, extension programs, producer workshops, and scientific publications. Expand stakeholder participation and technology adoption through coordinated demonstrations and educational activities across participating states.

(2030):Validation, Adoption, and Impact Assessment: Produce science-based recommendations and management strategies that improve livestock productivity, resource-use efficiency, environmental stewardship, and ranch resilience. Validate precision technologies and decision-support tools across diverse rangeland environments and production systems. Disseminate best-management practices and technological advancements through coordinated multi-state extension and scientific outreach efforts. Develop recommendations and partnerships that support long-term advancement of precision technologies for rangeland livestock production and natural resource management.

Projected Participation

View Participation Form/Appendix E: Participation

Outreach Plan

Outreach Plan

This project will have a multi-faceted approach to transfer knowledge, skills, and technologies to peers, graduate students, and stakeholders. This Multistate Research Project will facilitate collaborations, manuscript reviews, and develop new approaches to assist natural resource and livestock managers recognize, appreciate, and incorporate precision technologies into their livestock/rangeland management plan(s).

Transfer of information to the general public will occur through Extension faculty programming efforts through a series of symposiums and producer meetings.  A series of Extension fact sheets will be written based on the journal articles.  Segments of the fact sheets or summaries will be placed in Extension newsletters and local newspapers and livestock and forage-related magazines. Web-based information will be prepared with links to the project.

Development of venues that will disseminate the expertise of members within the group, as well as, nationally and internationally recognized leaders in rangeland-based livestock and natural resource management will be a priority.  In addition, this project will provide professional development and mentoring opportunities for committee participants, young scientists, stakeholders, and graduate students.  These professional development activities will promote more rapid acceptance and incorporation of precision technologies for natural resource and livestock management.

This workgroup will organize and host the 6th Grazing Livestock Nutrition Conference that will be held in 2027 or 2028.  It will highlight achievements and on-going projects of group members and national/international peers.

Organization/Governance

The technical committee will organize and function in accordance with the procedures described in "Manual for Cooperative Regional Research."  The voting members will elect four officers (Chair, Secretary, Secretary-elect, and Treasurer).  These officers plus the immediate past Chair (after the first year) will constitute the executive committee. Specific task subcommittees and coordinators will be appointed as necessary to help coordinate activities among states.  The executive committee will conduct any necessary business between annual meetings of the technical committee.  The Chair will be responsible for presiding over the annual meeting of the technical committee, preparing the meeting agenda, and appointing any necessary subcommittees.  The Secretary will record and distribute the minutes of the annual meeting and prepare the annual project report for the year ending with the meeting at which he/she serves.  At the end of the annual meeting, the Secretary will become Chair and the Secretary-elect will become Secretary.  The Treasurer will manage any financial account for this Multistate Research Group and present an annual report in the year in which he/she serves.

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Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

ID, KS, NM, OR, SD, TX

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions