Rangeland Ecology & Management

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UTILIZATION OF SPRINGS AND RIPARIAN AREAS BY WILD HORSES, LIVESTOCK, AND WILDLIFE ON THE TWIN PEAKS HERD MANAGEMENT AREA
Author
Lile, David
Snell, Laura K.
Baldwin, Roger
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2018
Body

The Twin Peaks Herd Management Area for wild horses and burros in northeastern California and northwestern Nevada has exceeded appropriate management levels in recent years.� The steady rise in horse and burro population has prompted resource concerns relating to wildlife, range and riparian health standards, and high priority sage grouse habitat. Concentrated use of water and green forage around spring areas by horses, livestock, and native wildlife continues to be a controversial issue, and there have been relatively few examples successfully quantifying relative use by various grazers in the sage steppe ecosystem.� The study objective is to quantify the relative frequency, duration, and timing of use by horses, permitted livestock, and wildlife at spring locations and associated use levels. Nine representative spring sites within the Twin Peaks HMA were established as study locations in the summer of 2015. Motion sensitive cameras were deployed at each location for 14-day sampling periods during the spring, summer and fall of 2015-2017. Vegetative use including stubble height and bank trampling was collected concurrently. Photos are visually assessed to record species present, number of each species, and the time, date, and location of the observation. �Six of the nine spring areas include spring/riparian exclosure fencing adjacent to the study site allowing a comparison of grazed and ungrazed areas. Implications for management are discussed.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Reno, NV