Grazing


Lynn Betts, USDA NRCS
Native prairies and grasslands have long been grazed by wild herds of bison, pronghorn sheep, elk, and other ungulates. The continual movement of these animals over the land, from one area to another, feeding on wild grasses and other native plants, created a complex but sustainable relationship between the animal populations and their food resources. However, when cattle, sheep, or other domestic livestock are brought onto the land, they are often restricted to limited plots and regimented grazing patterns, which can often lead to overgrazing. When this happens, plants die off, and the land is further degraded by animal movements that compact or erode the barren soil.

Grazing practices can mimic a more natural and sustainable interaction with the land by carefully rotating herds so that they graze an area for a limited time and at a frequency and degree of intensity that allow the plants to recover. While this kind of controlled grazing assures that browse plants have enough energy for regrowth, the habitat needs of local wildlife are often ignored. Livestock grazing practices should be managed to provide for the needs of domestic livestock as well as for native wildlife. These practices are especially important on ranchettes or rural subdivisions where domestic animals may be kept on smaller pastures.

Why is controlled grazing important to birds and the environment?

Subdivisions alter the ecology of the land and limit the movement of wildlife by introducing barriers such as fencing, roads, and buildings. The adoption of ecologically sound grazing practices can promote sustainability and provide wildlife habitat. Such methods include maintaining the proper number of grazing animals for the size of the plot and rotating grazing areas to allow not only for vegetative regrowth but for a full recovery so that cover and nesting opportunities are available for a variety of birds, including grasslands species in decline, such as Henslow's Sparrow, Bobolink, and Northern Bobwhite. The goal of progressive ranching for wildlife is to view the property as both a working land and a sustainer of native wildlife and ecological processes.

Getting Started: What You Can Do

  • Establish goals for the management of your property. What do you want to achieve?
  • Inventory resources such as plant biomass (species, coverage, etc.), riparian features, slope, and acreage.
  • Find out which shrubland or grassland bird species need the most help in your area, and make sure that your grazing practices take into account the habitat needs of these species.
  • Create a management plan that considers range improvement, feasible herd size according to parcel size, the needs of wildlife, increased native plant diversity, balanced use of land for foraging and regrowth, down times of as much as 75 percent annually for grazing lands, and endangered, threatened, or at risk species.
  • Implement the plan and monitor results.
  • Limit the use of fencing. Impervious or dangerous barriers restrict the range of native wildlife.
  • Keep dogs close to home and cats indoors. Free-ranging pets kill birds and other animals.
  • Avoid planting exotic cultivars that can escape into nearby natural areas and become invasive.
  • Do not allow domestic livestock such as sheep, goats, horses, and cattle to graze on adjacent natural lands.
  • Prevent disease transfer from domestic livestock to wildlife. Check with your wildlife agency to learn about diseases that can threaten wildlife.

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