1. Range Management

2. Range Management Terminology
Range Management- Manipulation of rangeland components to obtain optimum combination of goods and services for society on a sustained basis.
Rangeland (Range)- Uncultivated land that will provide the necessities of life for grazing and browsing animals.
Multiple Use- Harmonious use of the range for more than one purpose; livestock, wildlife, water, recreation, etc.

3. Grazing and rangelands

4. Range Management Terminology cont.
Common Use- Intentional grazing of the range by more than one type of animal to obtain economic and /or social benefit.
Ecology- Study of the relationship between organism or group of organisms and their environment.
Economics- Study of how to allocate scarce resources among competing uses.

5. Range Management Terminology cont.
Ruminant- Have enlarged compartment (rumen) that permits microbial degradation of food before it passes to the stomach (abomasum) [cow, deer, sheep, goat, elk, moose, etc.]
Forage- All plant material on a given area potentially edible by livestock and wildlife.
Grasses Plants that have hollow; jointed stems; fine narrow leaves; and fibrous roots.

6. Range Management Terminology cont.
Forbs- Nongrass-like plants that have tap root, broad leaves, and solid non-jointed stems.
Shrubs -Woody plants that have long, coarse roots; branch near ground level; and generally have broad leaves.
Trees - Woody plants that have a trunk that branches well above ground.

7. Basic Range Management Concepts
1. Grazing land is a renewable resource.
2. Energy from the sun can be captured by green plants which can only be harvested by the grazing animal.
3. Grazing land supply us with food and fiber at a very low additional energy cost.

8. Basic Range Management Concepts
4. The amount and kind of forage available is determined by the type of soil and the climatic conditions. A given set of soil and climatic conditions define a “range site”
5. Grazing lands supply us with multiple products: food, fiber, fishing, hunting, sightseeing, minerals, timber, and water.

9. Four Basic Principles of Grazing Management
Proper Stocking rate
Proper Season of grazing
Proper Distribution of grazing across landscape
Match kinds and classes with the rangeland vegetation, topography and climate
Proper grazing animals

10. Grazing Management Concepts Basic tenets of grazing management
Grazing intensity (degree of use)
Light – moderate – heavy – extreme
Methods for monitoring degree of use
Key area method (Key species)

11. Grazing Intensity
A certain amount of plant biomass must remain to maintain to assure health of animals, plants and soil
Herbivore diet
Plant vigor and reproduction
Soil stability

12. Grazing Intensity
As annual precipitation declines, sustainable level of forage utilization generally decreases
Sustainable intensity of grazing is directly related to availability of water and soil nutrients
Greater resource availability increases proportional allocation to shoot relative to root

13. Monitoring Range Utilization
Key Species Method for monitoring use
Monitor utilization of 1-3 key species that are abundant, productive, and palatable (decreasers or increasers) rather than monitor many species
Assumption: use of entire range is optimal when use of key species is optimal:
Key species are moderately used – %
Secondary species are lightly used – %
“Ice-cream” plants may be overused – >40 %

14. Monitoring Range Utilization
Key Area method for monitoring range use
Monitor an area that is “representative” of overall range condition, trend, and degree of seasonal use
No rangeland is uniformly used – some “sacrifice” areas will occur due to area selectivity
Heavy use – Clipped or mowed appearance
>50 % of fair or poor forage plants used
Moderate Use
50 % of good or fair forage plants used
Light use
Only choice plants used

15. Monitoring Range Utilization
Key Area method for monitoring range use
Optimal stubble height in key areas following grazing vary:
Tall-grasses
30-35 cm (12-14 inches)
Mid-grasses
15-20 cm (6-8 inches)
Short-grasses
5-8 cm (2-3 inches)

16. Monitoring Degree of Use
Using the Demand Day (DD) as a measure of animal production and maintenance from the pasture.
Energy required for maintenance and growth is estimated from animal weights and expressed as DD.
Productivity of the pastures is estimated from observed animal production and degree of use on the pasture.

17. Season of Use Yearlong Seasonal Rotational
Used primarily in tropical & sub-tropical climates
Seasonal
Temperate to cold climates
Tame pastures
Rotational
Grazing Systems (This will be covered in a separate presentation.)

18. Length of Grazing Season vs Growing Season
Rangelands– Grazing season is generally longer than the growing season. This requires stockpiling forage for use during the non-growing season. This frequently involves very light use during the peak growing season.
Tame Pasture– Grazing season is matched with the growing season to harvest forage near maximum quality. Stockpiling forage usually involves shortening the grazing period during active growth.

19. Timing of Grazing Effect of grazing varies according to:
Season of use -- Plants are more resistant to intense herbivory during dormancy than in active growth.
Phenological stage of plant -- Defoliation in spring when plants start growth may be less harmful than in fall when plants are flowering and maturing.
Opportunity for regrowth – Will plants be able to produce new leaves and develop strong root systems prior to entering dormancy following defoliation?

20. Grazing Distribution: Animal Selectivity
Area distribution
Landscape
Patch
Feeding station
Species selective grazing
Plant part selective grazing
Live or dead
Leaf of stem

21. Area Selection Factors affecting area selection include:
Distance from Water
Vegetation Type
Topography (Slope)
Range Site (Soils)
Weather
Animal pests such as flies
Kind & class of animal
Management practices such as supplementation

22. Distance from Water
Recommended distances between watering points vary according to terrain, species of animal, and breed of livestock
General recommendations:
Rough country: ≈ 0.5-mile max
Rolling country: 1.0-mile max
Flat sandy country: ≈ 1.5-mile max
Flat country ≈ 2.0-mile max

23. Vegetation Type
Herbivores select areas with vegetation that best meets their nutritional needs
Bulk grazers prefer open grasslands
Cattle, Buffalo, White rhinos
Browsers prefer wooded areas
Mule deer, Giraffes, Black rhinos

24. Topography
Figure 10.2 Relationship of slope gradient to the percentage of observations of cattle, feral horses, deer, and bighorn sheep. (From Ganskopp and Vavra Reprinted with permission.)
Percent Slope
Percent of Observations 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
80+
Cattle
Horses
Deer
Bighorn

25. Improving Livestock Distribution
Provide supplemental feeds/mineral licks
Cattle move from water to grazing to salt:
Change location of salt-mineral licks
Place salt away from water in areas that grazing animals are avoiding
Grazing systems that reduce pasture size and significantly increase animal density may improve livestock grazing distribution.

26. Improving Livestock Distribution
Prescribed burning
Removal of previous years’ growth
Greater access to new plant growth
Early spring fires can
Increase soil temperature
Initiate growth
Improve forage quality
Encourage earlier grazing

27. Improving Livestock Distribution
Adjust kind/class of livestock
Changing animal species can improve livestock distribution depending on:
Vegetation composition
Water distribution
Topography
Because of non-uniform plant composition, multi-species animal production systems can increase:
Herbivore distribution
Vegetation use
Animal production

28. Improving Livestock Distribution
Fencing can be used to control:
Area selective grazing
Season of use
Rotational grazing systems
Use of high-value forages such as hay crops
Movement of wildlife

29. Livestock Distribution
Negative Aspects of Fencing
Cost prohibitive where productivity is low
Electric fences are less costly to construct than standard barbed wire but more expensive to maintain
Restrict movement of some wild species
High-fencing to control game species

30. Kind & Class of Animal Kind of animal (species)
Cattle, sheep, goat, horse, wildlife species
Class of animal (age, sex, physiological status)
Reproductive -- pregnant or open
Age -- mature or young
Lactating or dry
Adaptation to climate and forage quality
Breed of animal
Genetic potential for growth and lactation

31. Choice of Kind & Class of Animals
Match animal genetics with forage quality
Match the grazer with the landscape and the kinds of vegetation