Team: 58
School: Melrose High
Area of Science: ecology
Interim: Pasture grazing
Melrose High school 12/14/2020
Team members: Troy May, Logan Devaney, April Arenivar
Problem statements
This project that my group is working on is an example and demonstration of how cattle, rabbits and antelope are influence on the different amounts of foliage in a pasture. My groups goal is to help outside readers and people that do not experience the country life style visualized that cattle aren’t the only things that eat a rancher’s grass.
Computational model
In our groups program for Netlogo we have made four pastures and set foliage of the patches to help demonstrate how much each animal will eat when it stands on top of that patch. For example, about 10 jack rabbits eat as much as one cow and three antelope eat as much as one cow. This just goes to show that you have to include all of these factors before you put cattle in a pasture. Also you are able to control how many cattle are in one pasture, but the antelope ant rabbits are able to move freely under the fences. We know many people don’t understand about ranching so we made this program so that the outsiders can see a portion of what ranchers cope with which is why made this Netlogo program as a educational tool
Progress to date
Up to this point we have made the animals and the pastures. We have also put in the fences with a house. Some of our nest steps is going to be giving the grass patches foliage levels and the animals various amounts of apatite this will also determine the amount of foliage that is takes from that patch. Our group is made up of ranchers so we did not have to do too much research.
Expected Results
Our groups expected results is to help the outside world realize that there is more to it than just buying the beef form the store. We made this model so people can see how a ranch looks in real life.
Citations
Most of our groups input has come from ranchers themselves. However, two people on our team where born and raised on a ranch so their knowledge is very creditable as well as their teacher Mr. D who also has experience much of the ranch life himself. “https://extension.psu.edu/basic-beef-production-guidelines†“https://www.bisoncentre.com/resources/resource-library/bison-research/ecology-bison-and-environment/foraging-ecology-bison-and-cattle/â€
Team Members:
Troy May
Logan DeVaney
april arenivar
Sponsoring Teacher: Alan Daugherty