Some vegetation responses to selected livestock grazing strategies, Edwards Plateau, Texas
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Authors: T. L. Thurow, W. H. Blackburn, and C. A. Taylor, Jr.
Date: 1988
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 41
Number: 2
Pages: 108-114
Summary of Methods: Changes in vegetation were measured over six years in pastures exposed to different grazing systems and stocking rates on the Edwards Plateau of Texas. In general the moderate continuously grazed pasture had greater total cover and a higher percentage of midgrass species compared to the pastures that became dominated by shortgrass species under heavy continuous or rotational grazing management. Midgrass species also increased in a livestock exclosure that was created during the study, indicating that grazing pressure was causing the changes in species composition among treatments. Based on these results the authors do not recommend the use of continuous heavy grazing or short-duration grazing in the Edwards Plateau area because the intense utilization reduces vegetative cover and the percentage of desirable midgrass species.
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: vegetation cover, aboveground biomass, bunchgrass, sodgrass, grazing system, stocking rate, vegetation community structure, species composition
Annotation: Pastures were grazed under heavy continuous (4.6ha/AU per year), moderate continuous (8.1 ha/AU per year), and a combination of high intensity low frequency (8.1 ha/AU) and short duration grazing (4.6 ha/AU) during this 6 year study.
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