Mob grazing using ultrahigh stocking densities is promoted as a tool to increase the health and productivity of grasslands by increasing nutrient cycling and increasing soil organic matter. Mob grazing can be defined as a strategy in which area available to grazing animals is restricted to achieve stocking densities of 225,000 kg/ha or greater. No research has been conducted on the effect of stocking density on vegetation trampling and harvest efficiency even though these are central to the claims used to promote mob grazing. The objective of this study was to compare utilization, including vegetation disappearance and trampling, among different high and ultrahigh stocking densities on Sandhills subirrigated meadow. Treatments included four stocking densities:  900,000, 450,000, 225,000 and 112,500 kg/ha. Each treatment was applied by yearling cattle for one day, to each of two replications in June and July 2012 and 2013.  Stocking rate was equal among treatments within years but varied between years based on available forage. Different stocking densities were achieved by altering the size of pastures and number of times cattle were moved each day. Utilization, trampling and harvest efficiency were determined by clipping standing live and trampled vegetation in paired plots before and after grazing. We hypothesized that increased stocking density would result in increased trampling and reduced harvest efficiency.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.