Rangeland Ecology & Management

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Grazing Management
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The management measure is intended to be applied to activities on rangeland, irrigated and non-irrigated pasture, and other grazing lands used by domestic livestock. This management measure applies to both public and private range and pasture lands. A grazing management plan/system should be used to plan and achieve implementation of this management measure. The goals of this management measure are to protect water quality and quantity and sensitive areas. The grazing management plan/system is the primary mechanism through which these goals are achieved. A grazing management plan/ system may include management strategies and practices such as herding, alternative water sources, livestock exclusion, and conservation of range, pasture, and other grazing lands. Grazing management systems are intended to achieve specified objectives and ensure “proper use.” Proper use can be defined as grazing managed so that the total vegetation available is grazed at a time and intensity that does not degrade the existing-riverine/aquatic-riparian-upland systems or in the case of degraded rangelands, inhibit system response to a more desirable state (adapted from Platts, 1990). As such, a clear understanding of plants and their ecology are key to good grazing management. It is recognized that livestock exclusion is more practicable on pasture than rangeland in many cases, but livestock exclusion can be used for the protection of water quality in key sensitive areas on rangelands. In grazing systems, major environmental improvements can be achieved by minimizing livestock access to streambanks and riparian areas during periods of streambank instability and regrowth of key riparian vegetation.

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English
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  • Articles, citations, reports, websites, and multimedia resources focused on rangeland ecology, management, restoration, and other issues on American rangelands.