After more than a century of heavy, season-long cattle grazing, a study was implemented on Meadow creek in the Starkey Experimental Forest, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon. Uplands consist of a ponderosa pine and grand fir community on north slopes with a ponderosa pine bunchgrass community on southern slopes. Prior to removal, the area had a utilization rate of 70% herbaceous growth, with 60-65% shrub utilization. Cattle grazing was removed following the 1990 grazing season. The study looked at the difference in riparian vegetation recovery when 1) cattle were removed and 2) when game-proof enclosures were built. Three large game exclosures were constructed in the fall of 1991 on the upper, middle and lower end of the study site. Measurements were taken from 1991-1993.
Citations and enhanced abstracts for journals articles and documents focused on rangeland ecology and management. RSIS is a collaboration between Montana State University, University of Idaho, and University of Wyoming.