Thursday, February 25, 2021

5-6:15pm

Register HERE

Globally, rangelands comprise the largest land use, estimated to cover about 25% of Earth’s land surface. This makes them an essential resource for both maintaining environmental services like biodiversity conservation and as a source of livelihood, especially for rural communities. Worldwide the surging demand for livestock products is largely met by large-scale livestock production and associated food chains. Nonetheless, hundreds of millions of small-scale producers and pastoralists depend on livestock for their livelihoods. Regenerating degraded rangelands relies on balancing competing demands and the interrelationships among plants, livestock, wildlife, and human disturbance with soils, climate and other factors. Our panel will discuss potential preventative and regenerative measures in the sustainable utilization of these ecosystems in the context of Global Change drivers.

Panelists:
Kevin Jablonski: Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship
Richard Knight: Department of Human Dimensions and Natural Resources
Melinda Smith: Semi-and Grassland Research Center
Kim Stackhouse-Lawson: Sustainable Livestock Systems Collaborative

Moderator: Gene Kelly, SoGES Faculty Research Liaison, Deputy Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean of Extension