Rangeland Ecology & Management

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HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT OPTIMIZES ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN BLACK HILLS, SD PINE FORESTS, A STEP TOWARD SILVOPASTURE
Author
Chowanski, Kurt
Ashton, Isabel W.
Gates, Roger
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2014
Body

Management of ponderosa pine forests in the Black Hills, SD has traditionally focused on reducing tree stocking and fuels to minimize wildfire and mountain pine beetle risks.  While many of these lands are grazed by livestock, current management practices are rarely optimized to increase timber and cattle production simultaneously.  A better understanding of the relationships among livestock grazing, timber and forage production, wildlife, aesthetics, and ecological integrity is critical to reduce uncertainty and optimize management.  We conducted a survey of grazed meadows and forests that differed in management practices in the Black Hills, SD to investigate relationships between past resource use, present forage production, pine seedling recruitment and plant community composition.  We compared pasture usage in animal unit months to visual obstruction readings, plant community composition, seedling densities, and ocular utilization estimates. Pastures under heavy use had fewer plant species, lower visual obstruction readings, and lower herbaceous production.  Holistically managed pastures had greater species richness, higher visual obstruction readings and more herbaceous production.  Forested areas of pastures managed holistically had more biomass, and higher visual obstruction readings than the meadow areas under more conventional management.  Preliminary work suggests that holistic management may optimize ecosystem services for landscapes with multiple uses.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Orlando, FL