BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//UNL_UCBCN//NONSGML UNL Event Publisher//EN
X-WR-CALNAME:SNR Seminars & Discussions
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART:20240717T150000Z
UID:182014@events.unl.edu
DTSTAMP:20240708T165846Z
ORGANIZER;CN=Andrew Little:MAILTO:alittle6@unl.edu
SUMMARY:M.S. Thesis Defense - Kaitlyn Dozler
STATUS:CONFIRMED
DESCRIPTION:The Nebraska Sandhills are home to Nebraska’s top agriculture
  industry\, beef cattle production\, and various wildlife and plant specie
 s. The overlap of agriculture and natural resources in this area makes it 
 challenging to maintain a profitable agriculture operation while minimizin
 g negative impacts on the area’s natural resources. However\, with the d
 evelopment of precision livestock management technology\, new conservation
  methods are becoming accessible to ranchers that can aid in optimizing ra
 ngeland profitability and habitat conservation. Our study occurred during 
 the 2023 summer grazing season at the University of Nebraska Lincoln’s G
 udmundsen Sandhills Research Laboratory. Two research studies were conduct
 ed to explore the effects of virtual fencing on beef cattle stress and exa
 mine how the Sandhills topography may influence wildlife species richness 
 and abundance. Livestock producers who consider adopting new precision man
 agement technology\, such as virtual fencing\, hold animal welfare as a to
 p priority. The first study examines how virtual fencing influences heart 
 rate (HR) changes in cattle fitted with virtual fencing collars. The resul
 ts indicated that cattle did not experience any significant increases in H
 R due to audio or shock cues\, and the virtual fence did not appear to cau
 se acute stress on the cattle. The second study aimed to identify critical
  wildlife habitats in rangeland landscapes and the factors that influence 
 wildlife habitat selection. We explicitly focused on three main topographi
 cal areas spread throughout the ranch\: dry valleys\, dune tops\, and wetl
 ands/sub-irrigated meadows. The results showed no significant difference i
 n species richness. However\, there was a significant difference in overal
 l species abundance amongst the three topographic areas\, with abundance b
 eing greater in the sub-irrigated meadows. By integrating precision techno
 logy into livestock management and conservation practices\, ranchers can c
 reate a sustainable and prosperous future for their livestock and the loca
 l ecosystem for future generations.
LOCATION:Hardin Hall Room 901 South, and online at Zoom Webinar (https://un
 l.zoom.us/j/96501324624)
URL://events.unl.edu/SNR_Seminar/2024/07/17/182014/
DTEND:20240717T160000Z
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR