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An agent-based model of cattle grazing toxic Geyer's larkspur

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  • Kevin E Jablonski
  • Randall B Boone
  • Paul J Meiman

Abstract

By killing cattle and otherwise complicating management, the many species of larkspur (Delphinium spp.) present a serious, intractable, and complex challenge to livestock grazing management in the western United States. Among the many obstacles to improving our understanding of cattle-larkspur dynamics has been the difficulty of testing different grazing management strategies in the field, as the risk of dead animals is too great. Agent-based models (ABMs) provide an effective method of testing alternate management strategies without risk to livestock. ABMs are especially useful for modeling complex systems such as livestock grazing management, and allow for realistic bottom-up encoding of cattle behavior. Here, we introduce a spatially-explicit, behavior-based ABM of cattle grazing in a pasture with a dangerous amount of Geyer’s larkspur (D. geyeri). This model tests the role of herd cohesion and stocking density in larkspur intake, finds that both are key drivers of larkspur-induced toxicosis, and indicates that alteration of these factors within realistic bounds can mitigate risk. Crucially, the model points to herd cohesion, which has received little attention in the discipline, as playing an important role in lethal acute toxicosis. As the first ABM to model grazing behavior at realistic scales, this study also demonstrates the tremendous potential of ABMs to illuminate grazing management dynamics, including fundamental aspects of livestock behavior amidst ecological heterogeneity.

Suggested Citation

  • Kevin E Jablonski & Randall B Boone & Paul J Meiman, 2018. "An agent-based model of cattle grazing toxic Geyer's larkspur," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(3), pages 1-22, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0194450
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194450
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Augusiak, Jacqueline & Van den Brink, Paul J. & Grimm, Volker, 2014. "Merging validation and evaluation of ecological models to ‘evaludation’: A review of terminology and a practical approach," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 280(C), pages 117-128.
    2. McLane, Adam J. & Semeniuk, Christina & McDermid, Gregory J. & Marceau, Danielle J., 2011. "The role of agent-based models in wildlife ecology and management," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(8), pages 1544-1556.
    3. Kevin D. Welch & Daniel Cook & Benedict T. Green & Dale R. Gardner & James A. Pfister & Tara G. McDaneld & Kip E. Panter, 2015. "Adverse Effects of Larkspur ( Delphinium spp.) on Cattle," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-19, July.
    4. Grimm, Volker & Berger, Uta & DeAngelis, Donald L. & Polhill, J. Gary & Giske, Jarl & Railsback, Steven F., 2010. "The ODD protocol: A review and first update," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 221(23), pages 2760-2768.
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    1. Cisneros-Pineda, Alfredo & Aadland, David & Tschirhart, John, 2020. "Impacts of cattle, hunting, and natural gas development in a rangeland ecosystem," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 431(C).

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