The use of goat browsing to reduce fire hazard and maintain fire breaks in a California brushland was assessed in this study. Heavy to severe goat browsing of shrubs and light grazing of herbaceous understory plants reduced live fuels below 1.5 m. Goat browsing and trampling also reduced litter cover and standing dead biomass. The results of this study indicate that goat browsing can reduce the fire hazard and maintain fire breaks in this California brushland by reducing live and dead standing biomass. The authors suggest that goat browsing may be a more economical and safe method for reducing fire hazard than other management techniques.
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.