Vegetational traits of patch-grazed rangeland in west-central Kansas
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Authors: C. B. Ring, R. A. Nicholson, and J. L. Launchbaugh
Date: 1985
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 38
Number: 1
Pages: 51-55
Summary of Methods: In two Kansas pastures, authors monitored indices of vegetation abundance, composition, and grazing from 1980-1981. At the beginning of the grazing season, some areas were grazed lightly to moderately, while others were ignored. This results in differentially grazed patches. Because grazing animals prefer fresh growth more than mature forage, previously grazed patches are repeatedly grazed. In this study, some areas were grazed repeatedly and resulted in overgrazed patches, which increased in number as seasons progressed. By the end of each grazing period, more than 70% of each pasture was grazed, but only 23-56% of the areas consisted of overgrazed patches depending on the year and treatment. Species composition of overgrazed patches was different from the surrounding vegetation, but soil properties were not.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: patch-grazed, species composition, soil properties, cattle, biomass
Annotation: One pasture was moderately grazed with yearling steers season-long at 1.42 ha per head for approximately 150 days. The other pasture was intensive-early stocking for only the first half of the season at 3 times the normal rate (0.47 ha per head).
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