Rangeland Ecology & Management

Get reliable science

Cattle, vegetation, and economic responses to grazing systems and grazing pressure
Author
Hart, R. H.
Samuel, M. J.
Test, P. S.
Smith, M. A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1988-07-01
Body

Manipulating stocking rate and duration of grazing is fundamental to range management. It has been claimed that rotation grazing systems will increase stocking capacity of range while maintaining or improving animal gains, range condition, and forage production. To test these claims, we compared continuous, 4-pasture rotationally deferred, and 8-paddock short-duration rotation grazing on mixed-grass range near Cheyenne, Wyo. from 1982 through 1987. Grazing pressures ranged from 19 to 81 steer-days per tonne of forage dry matter produced. Steers were weighed biweekly; forage production, utilization, and botanical composition were estimated by clipping; and basal cover was estimated by inclined point frame. Basal cover of litter and bare ground responded to stocking rate or grazing systems, but basal cover of vegetation was affected only by years. Steer average daily gain decreased as grazing pressure increased (r2=0.66); systems had no significant effect. The most profitable stocking rate at 1986-87 costs and prices was approximately 60 to 80% above SCS recommendations, but the increase in return was small and range conditions and forage production probably could not be maintained at this rate. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/3899379
Additional Information
Hart, R. H., Samuel, M. J., Test, P. S., & Smith, M. A. (1988). Cattle, vegetation, and economic responses to grazing systems and grazing pressure. Journal of Range Management, 41(4), 282-286.
IISN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/645142
Journal Volume
41
Journal Number
4
Journal Pages
282-286
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
economics
Hesperostipa comata
Agropyron
liveweight gain
stocking rate
crop production
rotational grazing
Pascopyrum smithii
Wyoming
grazing intensity
cattle
range management
grazing
forage