The economic and ecological benefits and control costs of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis Hook) management on rangelands are evaluated using a discrete-time, dynamic economic model developed to depict 4 representative ranches in the John Day region of north-central Oregon. The model’s optimization criterion is to maximize the net present value of profits through decisions regarding herd size and composition, cattle sales, and the manipulation of forage production through juniper management practices. Projections are made regarding the impacts of economically optimal juniper management on wildlife populations, stream flows, and erosion levels. Results consistently showed that juniper management options resulted in larger equilibrium herd sizes and greater economic returns. Erosion levels were substantially lower in scenarios that contained juniper management options. Economically optimal juniper management decisions led to increased quail and elk populations, but generally resulted in decreased deer populations. The results indicate there are both economic and ecological benefits from controlling western juniper on Oregon rangelands. The Rangeland Ecology & Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020 Legacy DOIs that must be preserved: 10.2458/azu_rangelands_v58i5_tanaka
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.