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The grazing of a specific unit by livestock throughout a year or for that part of the year during which grazing is feasible. The term is not necessarily synonymous with yearlong grazing, since seasonal grazing may be involved. A preferred term is continuous stocking.

The practice of allowing juvenile animals to graze areas that their dams cannot access at the same time.

The deferment of grazing in a nonsystematic rotation with other land units. cf. deferment

Grazing management that utilizes relatively large land areas per animal and a relatively low level of labor, resources, or capital. cf. intensive grazing management

A method of utilizing two or more groups of animals, usually with different nutritional requirements, to graze sequentially on the same land area. Syn. leader-follower; preference-follower; top and bottom grazing.

The use of forestland or woodland for both wood production and animal production by grazing.

A grazing method that allocated forage within a land area by means of a sliding fence that livestock can advance to gain access to ungrazed forage.

(vt.) To graze.

The inverse of the grazing fraction, i.e., (l/GF). Abbr. GACI

The foraging response elicited from a herbivore by its interaction with its surrounding environment.

The maximum stocking rate that will achieve a target level of animal performance, in a specified grazing method, based on total nutrient resources available, including harvested roughages and concentrates, that can be applied over a defined period without deterioration of the ecosystem. A description of the grazing capacity should include stocking rate, grazing method, targeted animal performance and nongrazed nutrient resources.

The time elapsed between the beginning of one grazing period and the beginning of the next grazing period in the same paddock where the forage is regularly grazed and rested. One grazing cycle includes one grazing period plus one rest period.

Dispersion of livestock grazing within a management unit or area.

(1) An administrative unit of Federal range established by the Secretary of Interior under the provisions of the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, as amended. (2) An administrative unit of state, private, or other rangelands, established under certain state laws.

The length of time that an animal grazes without stopping. cf. grazing period

A charge, usually on a monthly basis, for grazing use by a given kind of animal.

The fraction of land in a single grazing system which is being grazed at any time. Abbr. GF cf. grazing animal concentration index

Official written permission to graze a specific number, kind, and class of livestock for a specified period on a defined allotment or management area. cf. annual, temporary, and term license or permit

The manipulation of animal grazing in pursuit of a defined objective.

A program of action designed to secure the best practicable use of the forage resources with grazing or browsing animals.

The grazing land area used to support a group of grazing animals for a grazing season. It may be a single area or it may have a number of subdivisions. cf. paddock, pasture

A defined procedure or technique of grazing management designed to achieve a specific objective(s). One or more grazing methods can be utilized within a grazing system.

The length of time that grazing livestock or wildlife occupy a specific land area. cf. grazing event

Syn. grazing license

(1) Selection of certain plants, or plant parts, over others by grazing animals. (2) In the administration of public lands, a basis upon which permits and licenses are issued for grazing use. cf. palatability, grazing privilege and grazing right

An animal to forage relationship measured in terms of animal units per unit weight of forage at any instant, i.e., AU/kg or ton.

An animal to forage relationship measured in terms of animal units per unit weight of forage over a period of time, i.e., AU/kg or ton.

Permissive use of lands for grazing by livestock. cf. grazing right

A right to graze specified lands, permanently vested in the beneficiary as specified by the terms of the law or contract.

(1) The time period during which grazing can normally be practiced each year or portion of each year. (2) On U.S. public lands, an established period for which grazing permits are issued. It may be the whole year or a very short time span, and is normally a function of forage mass and climate. In this context, the vegetative growing season may be only a part of the grazing season.

The systematic collection of data pertaining to forage resources and other information pertinent to range management. May be either extensive or intensive grazing survey. cf. range survey, forage inventory

A specialization of grazing management which defines the periods of grazing and non-grazing. Descriptive common names may be used; however, the first usage of a grazing system name in a publication should be followed by a description using a standard format. This format should consist of at least the following: the number of pastures (or units); number of herds; length of grazing periods; length of non-grazing periods for any given unit in the system followed by an abbreviation of the unit of time used. cf. deferred grazing, deferred-rotation, rotation, rest-rotation, and short duration grazing

The grazing of livestock on a range area without proper authority, and resulting from a willful or negligent act. cf. unauthorized use

An area of land, public or private, which is grazed as an entity.

Any vegetated land that is grazed or that has the potential to be grazed by animals.

The manipulation of the soil-plant-animal complex of the grazing land in pursuit of a desired result. The definition may be applied to specific kinds of grazing land by substituting the appropriate term, such as grassland in place of grazingland.

A comparative term which indicates that the stocking rate of a pasture is relatively greater than that of other pastures. Often erroneously used to mean overuse. cf. light and moderate grazing

Grazing management that attempts to increase production or utilization per unit area or production per animal through a relative increase in stocking rates, forage utilization, labor, resources, or capital. Intensive grazing management is not synonymous with rotation grazing. Grazing management can be intensified by using any one or more of a number of grazing methods that use relatively more labor or capital resources. cf. extensive grazing management

A method that imposed grazing for indefinite periods at irregular intervals.

A comparative term which indicates that the stocking rate of one pasture is relatively less than that of other pastures. Often erroneously used to mean under use. cf. heavy and moderate grazing

Grazing by two or more species of grazing animals on the same land unit, not necessarily at the same time but within the same grazing season.

In the management of a grazing unit, grazing by a relatively large number of animals at a high stocking density for a short time period.

A comparative term which indicates that the stocking rate of a pasture is between the rates of other pastures. Often erroneously used to mean proper use. cf. heavy and light grazing

Utilization of forage by grazing animals so that all forage species and/or all plants within a species are grazed. cf. mob grazing. Non-selective grazing is generally attempted by using high stocking rates or high stocking densities during short time periods. In practice, non-selective grazing is achieved rarely.

Continued heavy grazing which exceeds the recovery capacity of the community and creates a deteriorated range. cf. overuse

Grazing before range readiness; may be allowable if done infrequently and followed by adequate rest.

The act of continuously obtaining proper use.

Confining animals to an area of grazing land to provide the daily allowance of forage per animal. cf. strip grazing

A grazing strategy in which different kinds of pastures are arranged in a series and each is grazed at the same time each year, often for less than the full feasible grazing season to provide a special use. Syn. seasonal grazing

A grazing scheme where animals are moved from one grazing unit (paddock) in the same group of grazing units to another without regard to specific graze: rest periods or levels of plant defoliation. cf. grazing system

Systematic rotation of deferment among land areas within a grazing management unit.

A grazing method that utilizes recurring periods of grazing and rest among two or more paddocks in a grazing management unit throughout the period when grazing is allowed. The lengths of the grazing and of the rest periods should be defined. Words such as controlled or intensive are sometimes used in an attempt to describe the degree of grazing management applied to this grazing method. These words are not synonyms for rotational stocking. cf. continuous stocking

Grazing restricted to one or more specific seasons of the year.

The grazing of certain plant species, individual plants, or plant parts on the range to the exclusion of others.

The grazing of two or more land units in succession that differ in forage species composition. Sequence grazing takes advantage of differences among forage species combinations, grown in separate areas for management purposes, to extend forage quality and/or quantity, or achieve some other management objective.

Grazing management whereby relatively short periods (days) of grazing and associated non-grazing are applied to range or pasture units. Periods of grazing and non-grazing are based upon plant growth characteristics. Short duration grazing has nothing to do with intensity of grazing use. cf. grazing system

Repeated grazing of small areas while adjacent areas are lightly grazed or unused.

Confining animals to an area of grazing land to be grazed in a relatively short period of time, where the paddock size is varied to allow access to a specific land area. Strip grazing may or may not be a form of rotational stocking, depending on whether or not specific paddocks are utilized for recurring periods of grazing and rest. cf. rotational stocking, ration grazing

The act of continued underuse.

Continuous grazing for a calendar year.