Royce Larsen

UC Cooperative Extension

Thank you to all that have helped

on this project, and to all the

landowners

Central Coast Rangelands,

Restoration, and Potential New Plant

Materials Thursday, September 12, 2019

San Luis Obispo

What Forage do we have? Forage

Production and Nutrient Content on

Annual Rangelands

Phyllis Diller “We Californians are constantly

accused of not having seasons, but we do”.

Phyllis Diller “We Californians are constantly accused of not having seasons, but

we do”.

“We have fire, flood, mud, and drought”.

Peak Forage Production April 2014 Thomas Fire

December 2017

Interstate 101 in Santa Barbara

January 2018https://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/These-photos-

show-how-Southern-California-has-12487116.php

April 28, 2015

Rainfall Extremely Variable from Year to Year

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

30.00

35.00

188

8

189

2

189

6

190

0

190

4

190

8

191

2

191

6

192

0

192

4

192

8

193

2

193

6

194

0

194

4

194

8

1952

195

6

196

0

1964

196

8

197

2

197

6

198

0

198

4

198

8

199

2

199

6

200

0

200

4

200

8

201

2

201

6

Rain

fall

(in

)

Water Year

Downtown Paso Robles Rainfall 1887- 2019Water Year July - June

34 years

52% 31 years

48%

Average PPT

Wet Years

20.4 in

Average PPT

Dry Years

11.1 in

Average

10.6 in

Below Above

34 years

52% 31 years

48%

Average PPT

Wet Years

20.4 in

Average PPT

Dry Years

11.1 in

34 Dry

Years 52% 31 Wet

Years 48%

43 Dry

Years 66%

22 Wet

Years 34%

Average PPT

Dry Years

10.6 in

Average PPT

Wet Years

22.3 in

52%48%

66%

34%Average PPT

Dry years

11.1 in

Average

10.6 in

Below Above

Below Above

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Rain

fall

(in

) a. Paso Robles Rainfall

Monthly Average Distribution For Water Year (July - June)(Current Water Year July 2018 - June 2019)

Average 1887-2018 2018-2019

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Rain

fall

(in

) b. Paso Robles Rainfall

Cumulative Rainfall for Water Year (July-June)Current Water Year is July 2018-June 2019

Average 1887-2016 1997-19982018-2019 2013-2014

87 in

11 in

Rainfall SLO

County 2016-2017

WY

Rainfall Extremely Variable from Site to Site

Nacimiento Lake, which sits entirely in San Luis Obispo County went from 33 percent of capacity as of Friday to 46 percent of capacity as of today — a

nearly a 15-foot rise in lake level. Lake San Antonio, which is just north of the SLO County line, is at 21 percent. Large watersheds feed both lakes, but

Nacimiento Lake, as a rule, will fill up about three times faster than Lake San Antonio, due to the larger size and proximity of its watershed to the Pacific.

“However, different amounts of precipitation that fall in our notoriously complex Central Coast

microclimates can play havoc with this rule”. John Lindsey, PG&E Meteorologist, February 6, 2019 Weather Report, Dcpp-weather <dcpp-

weather-bounces@pge.com>; on behalf of; Lindsey, John <JCL5@pge.com>

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

19941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013

Ra

in &

Tem

per

atu

re I

nd

ex

Rainfall

Temperature

Annual averages for temperature and rainfall from 1994 to 2014 at

the Paso Robles City Weather Station.

Tietje et al.

Plot locations

across MO, SLO

and SB Counties,

Started in 2001

with 6 sites, we

are now up to

over 40 sites.

#1

#2

#3

#4

Site Setup

4 exclosures per site• Recording rain gauge

• Temperature Sensor

• Non-recording rain gauge

• Time lapse camera

Other Data• Peak production (spring)

• Species composition

• Germination dates

• Time to peak production

• RDM (fall)

0

5

10

15

Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Annual Rangelands

In California, Mediterranean Climate

Pozo Site,

2016-2017 WY,

36.5” Rainfall

Avg 16.9 in

DriversPPT, Temp, Timing,

RDM

Variation from Coastal To Eastern

Spring 2006 10,200 lbs/ac

Spring 2014 3100 lbs/ac

Spring 2006 4000 lbs/ac

Spring 2014 31 lbs/ac

Coast Eastern

Changing Forage Conditions and Drought

Variation at the same site, from one year to the next

Wet Year

Dry Year

Variation from Coastal To Eastern

Spring 2006 10,200 lbs/ac

Spring 2014 3100 lbs/ac

Spring 2006 4000 lbs/ac

Spring 2014 31 lbs/ac

Coast Eastern

Changing Forage Conditions and Drought

Easy to determine drought when conditions are this extreme

Wet Year

Dry Year

60-70% of Livestock Sold or Moved in 2014

Changes in Forage Production

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

lb/a

c

Available ForageEastern Area (Low Rainfall), Central Area (Mid Rainfall), Coastal (High Rainfall)

Eastern Central Coastal

Desired Forage

Forbs:Filaree

Clovers

Sub Clovers

Bur Clover

Acmispon (Deer Vetch)

Grasses:Soft Chess Brome

Annual Fescue

Wild Oats

Ryegrass

False Brome

Foxtail

Purple Needlegrass

Forage Species Composition Changes

0

5

10

15

20

25

AnnFescue

MeadowFoxtail

Foxtail RedBrome

Ryegrass Soft Chess Wild Oats Ripgut Barley

CP

(%

)

Crude ProteinPeak Production

0

5

10

15

20

25

Two SeededMilkvetch

Acmispon Bur Clover CommonVetch

PurpleVeetch

Filaree Trifolium Lomatium

CP

(%

)

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

20.00

25.00

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Rai

nfa

ll (i

n)

Gra

ss V

s. F

orb

s (%

of

Tota

l)

Year

Dominant Forage Average of All Monitored Sites

Rainfall Grass Forb

Forbs dominate during dryer years, while grass dominates

during wetter years.

Forbs Vs Grass and Rainfall

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Rai

nfa

ll (i

n)

Gra

ss V

s. F

orb

s (%

of

Tota

l)

Year

Dominant Forage Average of Eastern Sites

Rainfall Grass Forb

Forage Nutrient Analysis

Sample Preparation – Grinding the Samples in Preparation for the Near

Infrared Scanning

Forage Nutrient Analysis

Scanning with Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

With the NIRS

reflectance curve,

nutrient values can be

calculated.

Forage Nutrient Analysis Values Calculated

Include:

Crude Protein

Fiber

Ash

Fat

Lignin

Carbohydrates

Digestibility

Calcium

Phosphorus

Potassium

Magnesium

Starch

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

9.00

10.00

Coast Central East

Rain

fall

(mm

)

Perc

ent

Crude Protein

NIRS ResultsAverage All Years

Protein Peak Rain

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

2015 2016 2017

Rain

fall

(mm

)

Perc

ent

Crude Protein

NIRS ResultsAverage All Regions

Protein Peak Rain

Plant Species

Rainfall

NIRS results 2019:

Composite Samples, mixture of annual grasses and forbs

Crude

Protein

(%)

Pre-Peak 10.7 Vegetative State (Feb - Mar)

Peak 9.6 Seeded out, Green, No Shatter (April)

Post-Peak 5.8 Dry, Mostly Shattered (Early May)

Post-Rain 4.3 Following 1 to 1.5 - inch rainfall on dry plants (Late May)

Average of all samples, Partial data set as of August 30, 2019.

NIRS results 2019:

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Gra

ss a

nd

Fo

rbs

Red

Bro

me,

So

ft C

hes

s as

% T

ota

l Gra

sses

Year

Species CompositionAverage of Eastern SLO CO Forage Production Sites

Grass Forbs Softchess Red brome

Red Brome and Soft Chess Bromegrass

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Gra

ss a

nd

Fo

rbs

Red

Bro

me,

So

ft C

hes

s as

% T

ota

l Gra

sses

Year

Species CompositionAverage of Eastern SLO CO Forage Production Sites

Grass Forbs Softchess Red brome Linear (Softchess) Linear (Red brome)

Red Brome and Soft Chess Bromegrass

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Gra

ss a

nd

Fo

rbs

Red

Bro

me,

So

ft C

hes

s as

% T

ota

l Gra

sses

Year

Species CompositionAverage of Eastern SLO CO Forage Production Sites

Grass Forbs Softchess Red brome Linear (Softchess) Linear (Red brome)

Red Brome and Soft Chess Bromegrass

Soft Chess Red Brome

(%) (%)

PRE 10.4 6.0

PEAK 8.8 7.1

POST 3.2 2

Mustard Mustard Mustard Licorice Morning Purple Spike

(Whole ) (Leaves) Stems Malva Plant Glory Owls Clover Weed Tocalote YST

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

17.2 18.9 5 21.4 22.7 15.5 16.5 14.7 13 15

Narrow

Tar Coast Milk Leaf Russian Prostrate

Heliotropi

um Dove

Weed Tar Weed Buckwheat Weed Milkweed Marestail Thistle Verbena Weed

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

14.1 13.2 8.7 19.5 21.5 22.3 16.3 11.9 19.1 18.6

Spiny

Annual Blue Jimson Curly Button Spanish Loco Poison

Kochia Curls Weed Dock Celery Moss Fiddleneck Weed Lupin Hemlock

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

19.8 16.9 22.8 9.6 9 11.5 11.4 17.7 21 9

Crude Protein

Later Summer Plants

But many summer plants are toxic:

Locoweed, Lupine, Fiddleneck, Milkweed, Elderberry, Jimsonweed,

Heliotrope, Poison Hemlock, etc.

Coyote Golden

Chamise Brush Elderberry Bush Mulberry Mule Fat Willow

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

18.7 19 19.8 19.9 22.4 23.6 14

Blue Live Valley

Oak Oak Oak Sycamore Almond Walnut

(%) (%) (%) (%) (%) (%)

17 13.4 17.6 17.8 15.6 8.9

Crude Protein

Trees & Shrubs

Available Feed Highly Variable

Nutrition Level Changing? – Forbs Vs Grass, also Forb and Grass Species Changes,

Seeing a lot more of: Red Brome, Ripgut, Foxtail, Black Mustard, Thistles (YST),

Fiddleneck, Lupine, Astragulas spp., and Medusahead is coming, others (two

seeded milkvetch, peppergrass, tansy mustard)?

Last 50 years:

Wet Years Wetter, one out of

three are wet, Future?

Dry Years Drier, two out of

three are dry, Future?

Temperature Increasing, Future?

-2.5

-2

-1.5

-1

-0.5

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

Rai

nfa

ll (I

nch

)Yearly Rainfall

(Average of all Monitored Sites)

Conclusions:▪ Temperature

▪ Precipitation

“We have fire, flood, mud, and drought”.

Ranching is becoming much more complex!