Vegetation responses to long-term sheep grazing on mountain ranges
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Authors: J. E. Bowns, and C. F. Bagley
Date: 1986
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 39
Number: 5
Pages: 431-434
Summary of Methods: The effects of long-term summer sheep grazing in southwestern Utah were measured in this study by comparing a sheep-grazed pasture to an ungrazed pasture (occasionally grazed by horses/cattle). The ungrazed pasture had greater species richness, biomass, and density of desirable species and forbs, while the grazed pasture was dominated by grasses and intermediate to less desirable species. However, both pastures produced similar amounts of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), indicating that this grass species is not only an important forage resource for sheep, but also important in the natural plant community. This study produced overwhelming evidence that sheep grazing has significantly altered the plant community in this Utah mountain pasture.
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: forbs, grazing pressure, species composition, range condition, desirable species, relic site, natural plant community
Annotation: Study compares sheep grazed pastures with a semi-pristine neighboring pasture that is occasionally "lightly grazed by a few young cattle and horses".,Grazing intensity is not specified.
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