Recreationists sometimes use horses and mules when travelling in the wilderness and current management does not regulate grazing by pack stock in these protected areas. In this study, Cole et al. attempt to measure the impact of pack stock grazing in 3 wilderness area meadows, to determine if management should be applied. The impacts of grazing varied by site, year, and grazing intensity, with impacts becoming more obvious and predictable over time and as grazing intensity increased. In general, grazing reduced productivity and basal cover, increased percent cover of bare soil, and altered species composition by reducing graminoid species. The authors concluded that some management of pack stock grazing is needed in wilderness meadows to maintain the condition and productivity of these areas and recommend that managers develop an "animal nights per meadow per year" system to limit overuse and degradation of these wilderness areas.
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.