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Book details Perramond EP Political Ecologies of Cattle Ranching in Northern Mexico: Private Revolutions Tucson: University of Arizona Press 2010 288 pages 2 maps, 2 tables, 2 figures, 21 photos, ISBN 978-0-8165-2721-2

Access to the Internet continues to grow in rural areas, ensuring ranchers will have increasing opportunities to use the Web to find information about management practices that may provide them ecological and financial benefits. Although past studies have examined the role of the Internet in informing daily decision making by agricultural producers, no studies have focused specifically on the use of the Internet by ranchers in the western United States. This study uses a mixed-methods approach (a survey and semistructured interviews) to assess the extent and patterns of ranchers' Internet use in Colorado and Wyoming, identify barriers to greater use, and establish a typology of Web use behavior by ranchers. Our findings indicate that Internet use is widespread and that age, education, and risk tolerance predict the extent to which a rancher will rely on the Internet for dayto-day ranch management. A duster analysis delineated four distinct types of Web usage among ranchers: unin-fluenced, focused on sales and herd management, moderately influenced, and an Internet-reliant type. Outreach personnel can use this classification to determine the potential utility of digital outreach tools for their programming on the basis of their target audience and outreach topics. ; USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Invasive Species Program award titled "Ecological and Economic Risk Assessment Decision Tool for Management of Bromus tectorum Invasions" [2008-55320-04570]; Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station ; This research was funded by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Invasive Species Program award titled "Ecological and Economic Risk Assessment Decision Tool for Management of Bromus tectorum Invasions (award 2008-55320-04570)" and the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station. ; Public domain authored by a U.S. government employee

Despite increasing calls for knowledge integration around the world, traditional knowledge is rarely used in formal, Western‐science‐based monitoring and resource management. To better understand indicators herders use and their relationship to researcher‐measured indicators, we conducted in‐depth field interviews with 26 herders in three ecological zones of Mongolia. We asked each herder to (1) assess the overall condition of three different sites located along a livestock‐use gradient from their winter camp using a numeric scale, (2) describe the indicators they used in their assessment, and (3) explain what caused their pastures to remain healthy or become degraded. At each site, we collected field data on vegetation variables and compared these with herders' ratings and indicators using linear regression. We used classification and ordination to understand how herders' assessment scores related to plant community composition, and determine how well multivariate analysis of factors determining plant community composition aligned with herders' observations of factors causing rangeland change. Across all ecological zones, herders use indicators similar to those used in formal monitoring. Herders' assessment scores correlated significantly and positively with measured total foliar cover in all three ecological zones, and with additional measured variables in the steppe and desert steppe. Ordination revealed that herder assessment scores were correlated with the primary ordination axis in each zone, and the main factors driving plant community composition in each zone were the same as those identified by herders as the primary causes of rangeland change in that zone. These results show promise for developing integrated indicators and monitoring protocols and highlight the importance of developing a common language of monitoring terminology shared by herders, government monitoring agencies, and researchers. We propose a new model for integrating herder knowledge and participation into formal monitoring in ...

Ranchers and pastoralists worldwide manage and depend upon resources from rangelands (which support indigenous vegetation with the potential for grazing) across Earth's terrestrial surface. In the Great Plains of North America rangeland ecology has increasingly recognized the importance of managing rangeland vegetation heterogeneity to address conservation and production goals. This paradigm, however, has limited application for ranchers as they manage extensive beef production operations under high levels of social-ecological complexity and uncertainty. We draw on the ethics of care theoretical framework to explore how ranchers choose management actions. We used modified grounded theory analysis of repeated interviews with ranchers to (1) compare rancher decision-making under relatively certain and uncertain conditions and (2) describe a typology of practices used to prioritize and choose management actions that maintain effective stewardship of these often multi-generational ranches. We contrast traditional decision-making frameworks with those described by interviewees when high levels of environmental and market uncertainty or ecological complexity led ranchers toward use of care-based, flexible and relational frameworks for decision-making. Ranchers facing complexity and uncertainty often sought "middle-ground" strategies to balance multiple, conflicting responsibilities in rangeland social-ecological systems. For example, ranchers' care-based decision-making leads to conservative stocking approaches to "manage for the middle," e.g. to limit risk under uncertain weather and forage availability conditions. Efforts to promote heterogeneity-based rangeland management for biodiversity conservation through the restoration of patch burn grazing and prairie dog conservation will require increased valuation of ranchers' care work. ; USDA-ARSUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA); USDA-NIFA AFRIUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA) [2009-04442, 2012-38415-20328]; Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station project [COLO0698]; Western Sustainable Agriculture, Research, and Education program [SW10-073]; Center for Collaborative Conservation Fellows Program at Colorado State University ; The authors appreciate Dr. Emily Kachergis who helped initiate the research, developed the study design and collected data in Wyoming in 2012, and Dr. Kachergis, Dr. Paul Meiman, Brad Palmer, Dr. David Briske, Dr. Tracy Hruska, Julie Kennedy, Sam Cannon and Dr. David Augustine for helpful comments on the study and/or manuscript. Research assistance provided by Pam Freeman, Nicole Kaplan and Shakota Dilley. Funding provided by: USDA-ARS; USDA-NIFA AFRI awards 2009-04442 and 2012-38415-20328, Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station project COLO0698; Western Sustainable Agriculture, Research, and Education program (Project Number SW10-073); and the Center for Collaborative Conservation Fellows Program at Colorado State University. ; Public domain authored by a U.S. government employee

This synthesis article joins the authors of the special issue "Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change" in a common reflective dialogue about the main contributions of their papers. In sum, here we reflect on links between gender and feminist approaches to research in adaptation and resilience in global environmental change (GEC). The main theoretical contributions of this special issue are threefold: emphasizing the relevance of power relations in feminist political ecology, bringing the livelihood and intersectionality approaches into GEC, and linking resilience theories and critical feminist research. Empirical insights on key debates in GEC studies are also highlighted from the nine cases analysed, from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Further, the special issue also contributes to broaden the gender approach in adaptation to GEC by incorporating research sites in the Global North alongside sites from the Global South. This paper examines and compares the main approaches adopted (e.g. qualitative or mixed methods) and the methodological challenges that derive from intersectional perspectives. Finally, key messages for policy agendas and further research are drawn from the common reflection.

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu MdM-2015-0552 ; This synthesis article joins the authors of the special issue "Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change" in a common reflective dialogue about the main contributions of their papers. In sum, here we reflect on links between gender and feminist approaches to research in adaptation and resilience in global environmental change (GEC). The main theoretical contributions of this special issue are threefold: emphasizing the relevance of power relations in feminist political ecology, bringing the livelihood and intersectionality approaches into GEC, and linking resilience theories and critical feminist research. Empirical insights on key debates in GEC studies are also highlighted from the nine cases analysed, from Europe,the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Further, the special issue also contributes to broaden the gender approach in adaptation to GEC by incorporating research sites in the Global North alongside sites from the Global South. This paper examines and compares the main approaches adopted (e.g. qualitative or mixed methods) and the methodological challenges that derive from intersectional perspectives. Finally, key messages for policy agendas and further research are drawn from the common reflection.

This synthesis article joins the authors of the special issue "Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change" in a common reflective dialogue about the main contributions of their papers. In sum, here we reflect on links between gender and feminist approaches to research in adaptation and resilience in global environmental change (GEC). The main theoretical contributions of this special issue are threefold: emphasizing the relevance of power relations in feminist political ecology, bringing the livelihood and intersectionality approaches into GEC, and linking resilience theories and critical feminist research. Empirical insights on key debates in GEC studies are also highlighted from the nine cases analysed, from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Further, the special issue also contributes to broaden the gender approach in adaptation to GEC by incorporating research sites in the Global North alongside sites from the Global South. This paper examines and compares the main approaches adopted (e.g. qualitative or mixed methods) and the methodological challenges that derive from intersectional perspectives. Finally, key messages for policy agendas and further research are drawn from the common reflection. ; Este artículo de síntesis une a los autores del número especial "Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change" en un diálogo reflexivo común sobre las principales contribuciones de sus documentos. En resumen, aquí reflexionamos sobre los vínculos entre los enfoques feministas y de género a la investigación en adaptación y resiliencia en el cambio ambiental global (GEC). Las principales contribuciones teóricas de este número especial son tres: enfatizar la relevancia de las relaciones de poder en la ecología política feminista, incorporar los enfoques de medios de subsistencia e interseccionalidad al GEC y vincular las teorías de la resiliencia y la investigación feminista crítica. También se destacan las ideas empíricas sobre los debates clave en los estudios de GEC de los nueve casos analizados, de Europa, América, Asia, África y el Pacífico. Además, el número especial también contribuye a ampliar el enfoque de género en la adaptación a GEC mediante la incorporación de sitios de investigación en el Norte Global junto a sitios del Sur Global. Este documento examina y compara los principales enfoques adoptados (por ejemplo, los métodos cualitativos o mixtos) y los desafíos metodológicos que se derivan de las perspectivas interseccionales. Finalmente, los mensajes clave para las agendas políticas y la investigación adicional se extraen de la reflexión común. ; Aquest article de síntesi uneix els autors del número especial "Gender perspectives in resilience, vulnerability and adaptation to global environmental change" en un diàleg reflexiu comú sobre les principals contribucions dels seus documents. En resum, aquí reflexionem sobre els vincles entre els enfocaments feministes i de gènere a la investigació en adaptació i resiliència en el canvi ambiental global (GEC). Les principals contribucions teòriques d'aquest número especial són tres: emfatitzar la rellevància de les relacions de poder en l'ecologia política feminista, incorporar els enfocaments de mitjans de subsistència i interseccionalitat al GEC i vincular les teories de la resiliència i la investigació feminista crítica. També es destaquen les idees empíriques sobre els debats clau en els estudis de GEC dels nou casos analitzats, d'Europa, Amèrica, Àsia, Àfrica i el Pacífic. A més, el número especial també contribueix a ampliar l'enfocament de gènere en l'adaptació a GEC mitjançant la incorporació de llocs d'investigació al Nord Global al costat de llocs del Sud Global. Aquest document examina i compara els principals enfocaments adoptats (per exemple, els mètodes qualitatius o mixtos) i els desafiaments metodològics que es deriven de les perspectives interseccionals. Finalment, els missatges clau per a les agendes polítiques i la investigació addicional s'extreuen de la reflexió comuna.