Rhodes and Sharrow looked at the effects of sheep grazing on the vegetation in Oregon's Coastal Range and the viability of wildlife forage. Two bands of ewes were grazed in 5 different sections, one grazed twice, randomly for two seasons. This grazing reduced the overall forage by 40%, but increased the quality of forage for wintering wildlife. Grazing during the growing season removes the mature growth of the plant which in turn makes the plant increase the amount of nutrients it releases. Rhodes and Sharrow state that most wildlife species chose forage, not based on plant quantity, but on the quality.
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.