Actionable science, Fish and wildlife, Working lands
Best Management Practices for Pollinators on Great Plains Rangelands
Case Study by the Conservation and Adaptation Resources Toolbox
Status
Completed

Location

States

Texas

Ecosystem

Prairie

Subject

Agriculture
At-risk species
Fires
Grasslands
Grazing
Invasive species
Non-native
Outreach
Pollinators
Restoration
Vegetation
Working lands

Introduction

A monarch butterfly on a wildflower
Image Details

Pollinators are important for sustaining a wide array of wildflowers in rangelands of the Great Plains. These wildflowers provide valuable forage for livestock and wildlife, support soil health, and contribute to maintaining healthy grassland ecosystems. Unfortunately, pollinator habitat in the Great Plains faces many threats including the expansion of woody plants and invasive grasses into rangelands, and the conversion of rangelands to croplands. Although some rangeland ecoregions of the Great Plains have long hosted some species of native shrubs and trees, woody plant cover has increased greatly in some regions during the last 30 years and has become a threat to grassland ecosystems and the pollinators they support. Managing rangelands in the Great Plains to maintain productivity and ecosystem health can include adjusting grazing rotations, using prescribed burns, and applying herbicides to kill invasive plants. However, these same management practices have the potential to harm pollinators and their habitats if carried out in ways that are incompatible with the needs of these insects. Land managers therefore need support in implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) that align current land management practices with the health of the pollinator community in rangelands of the Great Plains.

To assist landowners in implementing management actions that benefit both livestock and pollinators, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation identified Best Management Practices (BMPs) for pollinators in the Great Plains and published their findings in a guidebook: Best Management Practices for Rangelands in the Great Plains. This guidebook aims to provide actionable, practical guidance to land managers to align rangeland management actions with pollinator health. The Xerces Society encourages ranchers to seek the support of their local Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field office to implement BMPs that can help conserve pollinators through the better management of grazing, prescribed fire, and herbicide use.

Key Issues Addressed

Common management practices – such as grazing, prescribed fire, and herbicide use – can have positive or negative effects on pollinator habitat in rangelands of the Great Plains depending on how they are implemented. Ranchers need additional technical & financial support to align management practices used to meet the goals of their livestock operation with the health of the pollinator community. 

Appropriate grazing practices can maintain healthy grasses, provide a diversity of habitats for pollinators, increase the abundance and diversity of wildflowers, and improve soil and livestock health in rangelands of the Great Plains. However, overgrazing can cause soil compaction and degrade pollinator habitat by reducing the availability of host plants, nesting sites, and floral resources. Ultimately, pollinators cannot benefit from grazing if wildflowers do not have time to bloom between grazing rotations. 

Fire is an essential component of grassland health in many ecosystems. It can promote the growth of nutritious grasses and improve pollinator habitat when applied in the right season and over an appropriate area. However, burning large areas of continuous land may directly kill pollinators and degrade their habitat, making it difficult for them to find areas to retreat to and recover after fire.

Herbicide application over broad acreages to reduce forb abundance in the hope of reducing competition with grasses can kill many of the native species of wildflowers that are critical for pollinators. This includes milkweed (Asclepias spp.), which is especially important for the larval (caterpillar) stage of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) lifecycle. 

Woody plants and invasive grasses cause pollinator habitat loss across the Great Plains by outcompeting native wildflowers on these working landscapes, creating lower quality habitat that supports fewer pollinators. Identifying and implementing control techniques for invasive grasses and woody plants that also support the health of the pollinator community, remains a pressing challenge.

Project Goals

  • Synthesize information about how to align current grazing practices and the use of prescribed burns with the health of the pollinator community
  • Identify practices that reduce abundance of woody plants and invasive species invasive species
    An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

    Learn more about invasive species     without compromising pollinators
  • Assess how current herbicide application practices can be modified to minimize harm to pollinators and better meet management objectives
  • Assist land managers in implementing BMPs on their land through NRCS assistance

Project Highlights

  • Grazing: Using proper stocking rates and allowing blooming plants to recover after grazing is required for grazing to benefit pollinators.TheXerces Society recommends that rangeland managers consult with their local NRCS staff to determine proper stocking and utilization rates to benefit both livestock and pollinators.
  • Prescribed Fire: Periodic burning is essential for maintaining healthy rangelands in many regions of the Great Plains because of its regenerative effect on the soil and its ability to reduce the spread of woody plants and invasive grasses. Fire can also benefit many pollinator species if applied in a way that leaves some unburned areas for pollinators to retreat to. The Xerces Society recommends rotating burn seasons and burning a third or less of the area each year, depending on specific land characteristics, to allow for pollinators to have time to recover. 
  • Herbicides: Broadscale herbicide application does not consistently increase forage production and instead contributes to wildflower reduction. This reduction then limits habitat availability to pollinators and food for livestock. The Xerces Society recommends avoiding using broadcast herbicide applications on rangelands and allowing for native wildflowers to grow freely to restore pollinator abundance. If herbicides are used, it is recommended to avoid spraying native wildflowers or important pollinator wildflowers, use targeted applications, and follow herbicide label instructions. 
  • Managing Woody Plants: NRCS successfully implemented BMPs to restore hundreds of acres of monarch habitat through bush management on a 1,700-acre ranch in southern Oklahoma. The BMPs consisted of a combination of bulldozing red cedar trees (Juniperus virginiana), followed by prescribed fire to reinvigorate the vegetation, and finally returning livestock to the area to resume grazing. 
  • Support Ranchers: Ranchers’ and landowners’ actions have significant influence on pollinator success. Bringing awareness to their influence on pollinators and the importance of BMP implementation, while supporting them with technical and financial assistance throughout the process, empowers landowners to protect pollinators while maintaining their goals for the land. 
  • Success Speaks for Itself: Hearing success stories directly from fellow ranchers can help increase the implementation of BMPs to conserve pollinators in the rangelands of the Great Plains. 

Lessons Learned

A closeup of a milkweed plant
Image Details

Let Wildflowers Bloom: Rangeland management practices need to allow flowering plants to grow until they bloom to be most beneficial for the health of the pollinator community. 

Herbicides are sometimes used to eliminate wildflowers on rangelands of the Great Plains because of the belief that certain wildflowers, like milkweed, are not palatable to livestock and can even be toxic to them. However, research has shown that cattle tend not to eat milkweed in large enough quantities to cause them harm, even when milkweed is present (Poynor, 2019). Native wildflowers are an important component of livestock diets and there is little evidence that broad applications of herbicides increase grass production for livestock forage. In fact, the use of herbicides to eliminate wildflowers does not always increase the weight of livestock (Fuhlendorf et al., 2009) and is not necessary due to the palatability of many wildflowers to livestock. Allowing wildflowers to thrive while using herbicides judiciously to eliminate truly noxious plants is an example of a BMP that can benefitting pollinator habitat while also directly benefit a rancher’s bottom line. 

Overgrazing and undergrazing are both valid concerns for the management of the Great Plains. Disagreements among Xerces staff from the northern and southern Great Plains regarding BMPs for grazing were common throughout the development process because the areas differ ecologically, and there are many differences in range management practices between the two areas. These disagreements ended up being the project’s biggest strength because they led to beneficial discussions. Incorporating engagement from a broad geographical scope allowed the Xerces Society to include expertise for diverse types of rangeland.These differences also reinforced the importance of seeking assistance from local experts (i.e. conservationists from your local NRCS field office and/or Partners for Fish and Wildlife biologists from your closest U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service office).

Next Steps

  • Research and document the nutritional value of various wildflower species for livestock. Understanding the nutritional value of wildflowers may increase perception of value of wildflowers and encourage their conservation in rangelands of the Great Plains.
  • Work with NRCS Plant Materials Centers to develop educational materials about rangeland wildflowers that will be distributed online for the benefit of Great Plains ranchers, farmers, and the general public. These online materials will encourage ranchers in the Great Plains to conserve wildflowers on their rangeland instead of eliminating them with herbicides.
  • Expand In-person outreach about pollinator conservation within the Great Plains will resume when large gatherings are deemed safe in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Funding Partners

Resources

Contacts

Ray Moranz, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: ray.moranz@xerces.org

CART Lead Author

Ariana Porter, CART Student Writer, Northern Arizona University

Suggested Citation

Porter, A., C. (2021). “Best Management Practices for Pollinators on Rangelands in the Great Plains.” CART. Retrieved from

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