View article

We constructed a simple simulation model (SESS) of the dynamics of forage growth and standing crop and cattle production to evaluate the ecological sustainability of management alternatives for extensive cow-calf production systems in northeastern México and south Texas. Equations were written to estimate annual net primary production based on range condition, annual precipitation, and soil characteristics typical of the region. Simulations were conducted for annual precipitation levels of 300, 500, and 700 mm to estimate total and green standing crop dynamics, cattle grazing efficiency, and range condition trend for different stocking rates. The model-estimated stocking rates to achieve stable or slight improvement of range condition for the three precipitation levels were close to 58, 15, and 6 ha per animal-unit-year (AUY), respectively. With the model parameterized for precipitation and soil characteristics …