@article {KNZ001464,
	title = {The timing of climate variability and grassland productivity},
	journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
	volume = {109},
	year = {2012},
	pages = {3401 -3405},
	abstract = {<p>Changes in precipitation amount and variability have the potential to alter the structure and function of grasslands, but we know little about how changes in the timing of precipitation might affect grasslands. Here, we analyze long-term records from a tallgrass prairie to show that shifts in the timing of precipitation during the growing season have little effect on primary productivity or grass reproduction, but can greatly affect grazer performance. While greater late-season precipitation increases the weight gain of adult and young bison, greater mid-season precipitation decreases their weight gain. In addition, calving rates are lower after years with greater mid-season precipitation and higher after years with greater late-season precipitation. As well-timed drought can actually increase grazer weight gain and reproduction, it will be necessary to generate predictions of within-season distribution of precipitation to successfully forecast future grazer performance.</p>},
	keywords = {LTER-KNZ},
	doi = {10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20400.x},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20400.x},
	author = {Craine, J.M. and Jesse B. Nippert and Elmore, A.J. and Skibbe, A.M. and Hutchinson, S.L. and N. Brunsell}
}
@article {KNZ001303,
	title = {Climate change and cattle nutritional stress},
	journal = {Global Change Biology},
	volume = {16},
	year = {2010},
	pages = {2901 -2911},
	abstract = {<p>Owing to the complex interactions among climate, plants, cattle grazing, and land management practices, the impacts of climate change on cattle have been hard to predict. Predicting future grassland ecosystem functioning relies on understanding how changes in climate alter the quantity of forage produced, but also forage quality. Plant protein, which is a function of plant nitrogen concentrations, and digestible energy limit the performance of herbivores when in short supply; moreover, deficiencies can be expensive to mitigate. To better understand how changes in temperature and precipitation would affect forage protein and energy availability, we analyzed over 21 000 measurements of cattle fecal chemistry acquired over 14 years in the continental US. Our analysis of patterns in forage quality among ecologically defined regions revealed that increasing temperature and declining precipitation decreased dietary crude protein and digestible organic matter for regions with continental climates. Within regions, quality also declined with increased temperature; however, the effects of precipitation were mixed. Any future increases in precipitation would be unlikely to compensate for the declines in forage quality that accompany projected temperature increases. As a result, cattle are likely to experience greater nutritional stress in the future. If these geographic patterns hold as a proxy for future climates, agriculture will require increased supplemental feeds or the consequence will be a decrease in livestock growth.</p>},
	keywords = {LTER-KNZ},
	doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02060.x},
	url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02060.x},
	author = {Craine, J.M. and Elmore, A.J. and K.C. Olson and Tolleson, D.}
}
