Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risks
ABSTRACT Intensive natural gas development causes habitat loss that reduces nutritional carrying capacity for ungulates and other species of conservation concern. To offset habitat loss from energy development, wildlife managers are experimenting with large‐scale sagebrush fertilization on western p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2015-03-01
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| Series: | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.519 |
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| author | Nicole M. Korfanta Megan L. Mobley Ingrid C. Burke |
| author_facet | Nicole M. Korfanta Megan L. Mobley Ingrid C. Burke |
| author_sort | Nicole M. Korfanta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Intensive natural gas development causes habitat loss that reduces nutritional carrying capacity for ungulates and other species of conservation concern. To offset habitat loss from energy development, wildlife managers are experimenting with large‐scale sagebrush fertilization on western public rangelands. We synthesize what is known about basic sagebrush ecosystem biogeochemistry and ungulate nutritional ecology to anticipate the benefits and risks of this emerging mitigation tool. Under some environmental conditions, fertilization can temporarily increase sagebrush biomass, and potentially, the nutritional carrying capacity of mule deer limited by digestible energy. However, nitrogen additions are costly and pose environmental risks when applied to arid and semi‐arid systems. Fertilization may promote weed invasions, changes to biogeochemical cycles, and potentially irreversible ecosystem shifts that reduce shrub communities. Fertilization also creates excess nitrogen at 2–8 × natural background levels and increases greenhouse gases, ozone pollution precursors, downwind nitrogen deposition, and freshwater degradation. Considering these risks and recognizing that potential benefits are short‐term, uncertain, and expensive to achieve, the practice of sagebrush fertilization may pose a net conservation cost. © 2015 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by The Wildlife Society. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ae644257ea6941e49e460b1d2ed9c281 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2328-5540 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Wildlife Society Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj-art-ae644257ea6941e49e460b1d2ed9c2812025-08-20T01:56:53ZengWileyWildlife Society Bulletin2328-55402015-03-013911810.1002/wsb.519Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risksNicole M. Korfanta0Megan L. Mobley1Ingrid C. Burke2William D. Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources University of Wyoming Department 3971 Laramie WY 82071 USAHelga Otto Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Department of Botany University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USAHelga Otto Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources Department of Botany Department of Ecosystem Science and Management University of Wyoming Laramie WY 82071 USAABSTRACT Intensive natural gas development causes habitat loss that reduces nutritional carrying capacity for ungulates and other species of conservation concern. To offset habitat loss from energy development, wildlife managers are experimenting with large‐scale sagebrush fertilization on western public rangelands. We synthesize what is known about basic sagebrush ecosystem biogeochemistry and ungulate nutritional ecology to anticipate the benefits and risks of this emerging mitigation tool. Under some environmental conditions, fertilization can temporarily increase sagebrush biomass, and potentially, the nutritional carrying capacity of mule deer limited by digestible energy. However, nitrogen additions are costly and pose environmental risks when applied to arid and semi‐arid systems. Fertilization may promote weed invasions, changes to biogeochemical cycles, and potentially irreversible ecosystem shifts that reduce shrub communities. Fertilization also creates excess nitrogen at 2–8 × natural background levels and increases greenhouse gases, ozone pollution precursors, downwind nitrogen deposition, and freshwater degradation. Considering these risks and recognizing that potential benefits are short‐term, uncertain, and expensive to achieve, the practice of sagebrush fertilization may pose a net conservation cost. © 2015 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by The Wildlife Society.https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.519Artemisia sppBromus tectorumenergy mitigationfertilizationmule deernitrogen |
| spellingShingle | Nicole M. Korfanta Megan L. Mobley Ingrid C. Burke Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risks Wildlife Society Bulletin Artemisia spp Bromus tectorum energy mitigation fertilization mule deer nitrogen |
| title | Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risks |
| title_full | Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risks |
| title_fullStr | Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risks |
| title_short | Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risks |
| title_sort | fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation an assessment of benefits and risks |
| topic | Artemisia spp Bromus tectorum energy mitigation fertilization mule deer nitrogen |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.519 |
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