Devii R Rao

Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor, Sonoma and Marin Counties

MS Range Management, UC Berkeley. 2006
BA Environmental Studies, UC Santa Cruz. 1996

Rangeland Ecology and Management, Rangeland Conservation, Grazing Management, Conservation of Biological Diversity, Watershed Protection and Management.

Sonoma
UCCE SONOMA COUNTY

Devii Rao is the UCCE Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor serving Sonoma and Marin Counties. She was the Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor in San Benito, Monterey, and Santa Cruz counties from 2015 - 2024 and transferred to the north coast in 2025 to be closer to family. Her research and education program has focused on targeted grazing, prescribed fire, mitigating climate change through working lands, oak woodland ecology, and weed management. She is now beginning to explore virtual fencing and changes in land ownership/land management.

Publications

Peer Reviewed scholarly journal publications

Dahl, J.; Larson, J. E.; Duquette, C.; Fernandez-Gimenez, M. E.; Tanner, E. P.; Rao, D.; Gloeckner, G. (2025). SRM survey and membership shifts demonstrate "change on the range". Rangelands. 47:3, 161-171.
Larsen, R.; Robins, J.G.; Jensen, K.B.; Shapero, M; Striby, K.; Althouse, L.; George, M.; Horney, M.; Rao, D.; Hernandez, A.; and Dahlgren, R. (2023). Statistical considerations of using the 1-ft2 quadrat for monitoring peak standing crop and residual dry matter on California annual rangelands. Rangelands. 45:5, 102-108.
Feuz, R.; Bosworth, R.; Larsen, R.; Larsen, R.; Klein, S.; Shapero, M.W.; Rao, D.R.; Althouse, L.; and Striby, K. (2023). Expanding on Basis Risk Estimates for Pasture, Rangeland, and Forage Insurance. Journal of Applied Farm Economics. 6:1.
Ratcliff, F.; Barry, S.; Rao, D.; Peterson, R.; Becchetti, T.; Kebreab, E.; Motamed, K.; Jung, M.; and Mitloehner, F. (2023). Cattle Grazing Moderates Greenhouse Gas and Particulate Matter Emissions from California Grassland Wildfires. Sustainability. 15:18.
Rao, D.R.; Hovanes, K.; Smith, R.; Davy, J.; and Gornish, E.S. (2022). Russian thistle (Salsola spp.) control in California rangelands over five years. Invasive Plant Science and Management. 15:1, 33-40. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/invasive-plant-science-and-management/article/russian-thistle-salsola-spp-control-in-california-rangelands-over-five-years/0D3351E26A2373D68BE0164CAFCB5AB3
Baldwin, R.A.; Becchetti, T.A.; Davy, J.S.; Larsen, R.E.; Mashiri, F.E.; Meinerz, R.; Ozeran, R.K.; and Rao, D. (2022). Estimating Reduction in Standing Crop Biomass from California Ground Squirrels in Central California Rangelands. Rangeland Ecology & Management. 83, 50-58. https://bioone.org/journals/rangeland-ecology-and-management/volume-83/issue-1/j.rama.2022.03.002/Estimating-Reduction-in-Standing-Crop-Biomass-from-California-Ground-Squirrels/10.1016/j.rama.2022.03.002.full
Larsen, R.E.; Shapero, M.W.K.; Striby, K.; Althouse, L.; Meade, D.E.; Brown, K.; Horney, M.R.; Rao, D.R.; Davy, J.S.; Rigby, C.W.; Jensen, K.B.; Dahlgren, R.A. (2021). Forage Quantity and Quality Dynamics Due to Weathering over the Dry Season on California Annual Rangelands. Rangeland Ecology & Management. 76, 150-156. May 2021. https://bioone.org/journals/rangeland-ecology-and-management/volume-76/issue-1/j.rama.2021.02.010/Forage-Quantity-and-Quality-Dynamics-Due-to-Weathering-Over-the/10.1016/j.rama.2021.02.010.short
Shackelford, G.; Kelsey, R.; Sutherland, W.; Kennedy, C.; Wood, S.; Gennet, S.; Karp, D.; Kremen, C.; Seavy, N.; Jedlicka, J.; Gravuer, K.; Kross, S.M.; Bossio, D. A.; Munoz-Saez, A.; LaHue, D. G.; Garbach, K.; Ford, L.D.; Felice, M.; M.D. Reynolds, D. Rao; Boomer, K.; LeBuhn, G.; Dicks, and L. V. (2019). Evidence synthesis as the basis for decision analysis: a method of selecting the best agricultural practices for multiple ecosystem services. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 3:83. 10/11/2019. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fsufs.2019.00083
Davy, J.S.; Forero, L.C.; Shapero, M.W.K.; Rao, D. R.; Becchetti, T. A.; Koopman Rivers, C.; Stackhouse, J.W.; DeAtley, K.L.; McNabb, B.R. (2018). Mineral Status of California Beef Cattle. Translational Animal Science. Volume 3:Issue 1, Pages 1â€“8. https://doi.org/10.1093

Other peer-reviewed publications

Ozeran, R.; Finzel, J.; Rao, D. (In Press). Investigating Blue Oak Phenology, Vigor, and Mortality on Central California Rangelands. Proceedings of the Eighth California Oak Symposium: Sustaining Oak Woodlands Under Current and Future Conditions.
Rao, D.; Finzel, J.; Ozeran, R. (In Press). Rancher and Land Manager Responses to an Oak Needs Assessment Survey. Proceedings of the Eighth California Oak Symposium: Sustaining Oak Woodlands Under Current and Future Conditions.
Rao, D.; Dykier, C.; Nader, G.; Ingram, R.; Davy, J.; Busch, R.; Macon, D.; James, J. (2022). Managing Small Ruminant Nutrition in Chaparral: Targeted Grazing to Reduce Fire Fuel Loads in California Chaparral Series Part 2. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. UC ANR Publication 8717. https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8717.pdf
Ratcliff, F.; Rao, D.; Barry, S.; Dewees, S.; Macaulay, L.; Larsen, R.; Shapero, M.; Peterson, R.; Moritz, M.; Forero, L. (2022). Cattle Grazing Reduces Fine Fuels and Wildfire Flame Lengths in California Rangelands. California Agriculture. 76:2-3, 60-69. https://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?article=ca.2022a0011
Larsen, R.E.; Cook, D.; Gardner, D.R.; Lee, S.T.; Shapero, M.; Althouse, L.; Dennis, M.; Forero, L.C.; Davy, J.S.; Rao, D.R.; Horney, M.; Brown, K.; Rigby, C.W.; Jensen, K.B. (2021). Seasonal Changes in Forage Nutrient and Toxicity Levels on California Central Coast Rangelands: A Preliminary Study. Grasslands. 31:1. Winter 2021. https://cnga.org/resources/Documents/Grasslands%20Journal/Grassland%20Issues/2021%20Grasslands%20Journal/CNGA%20Grasslands%20Winter%20V31%20No%201.pdf
Dykier, C.; Rao, D.; Nader, G.; Ingram, R.; Davy, J.; James, J.; Peischel, A. (2018). PROFILES OF CALIFORNIA BRUSH: Targeted Grazing to Reduce Fire Fuel Loads in California Chaparral Series Part 1. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. ANR Publication 8527. May 2018.
Rao, D.; Davy, J.; and Bohnert, D. W. (2018). Mineral Supplementation of Beef Cows in the Western United States. Cattle Producerâ€™s Handbook, fourth edition. Western Beef Resources Committee. Publication number 327, pp 1-7.
Andreini, E.; Finzel, J.; Rao, D.; Larson-Praplan, S.; and Oltjen, J.W. (2018). Estimation of the Requirement for Water and Ecosystem Benefits of Cow-Calf Production on California Rangeland. Rangelands. 40(1), pp.24-31.
Rao, D.; Gornish, E; Smith, R. and Davy (2017). Progress Report: Tumbleweed on Californiaâ€™s Central Coast. Grasslands. 77:4, 11-13.
Hopkinson, P.; Stevenson, M.; Hammond, M.; Gennet, S.; Rao, D.; Bartolome, J.W. (2009). "Annual rye-grass: a new central California dominant?" Grasslands 19: 4-8.
Hopkinson, P.; Stevenson, M.; Hammond, M.; Gennet, S.; Rao, D.; Bartolome, J.W. (2008). "Annual rye-grass: a new central California dominant?" Fremontia 36: 20-24.
Rao, D.; Gennet, S.; Hammond, M.; Hopkinson, P.; Bartolome, J. W. (2006). A landscape analysis of grassland birds in a Valley Grassland-Oak Woodland mosaic. A. Merenlender, editor. The Sixth Symposium on Oak Woodlands: Today's Challenges, Tomorrow's Opportunities, Rohnert Park, CA, USA.