Livestock: biological control in brush/weed management programs
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Authors: J. H. Brock
Date: 1988
Journal: Rangelands
Volume: 10
Number: 1
Pages: 32-34
Summary of Methods: This is a paper that highlights the use of livestock grazing as way to control unwanted brush and other weeds.
Article Summary / Main Points:
• For livestock to be successfully used as a biological control 4 conditions have to be met: 1) target plant has to be susceptible to grazing, 2) target plant has to be a acceptable forage source to the grazer, 3) desirable plants have to be present to replace target plants in the community and 4) effective control of where livestock go has be accomplished.
• Matching the dietary preferences each class of livestock has been beneficial such as using cattle to control grasses such as Johnson grass, sheep to control forbs and some shrubs such as leafy spruge, and goats to control shrubs such as gamble oak and the Arizona chaparral.
• Potential for additional research using livestock grazing as a biological control method for weeds is wide open.Vegetation Types: All Vegetation Types
MLRA Ecoregions: Not Applicable
Agrovoc Control Words: Shrubs Grazing Weed control
Article Review Type: Peer Reviewed
Article Type: Professional Resource Knowledge
Keywords: livestock grazing, integrated weed control, sheep, goats, cattle, brush management, weeds, targeted grazing
Annotation: This is a good scientific synthesis paper presenting the emerging idea of integrating many control methods to control shrubs. There is more current research and scientific syntheses examining the use of different classes of livestock to graze weeds included in the RSIS database such as but not limited to Frost and Launchbaugh 2006, Rangelands 25(6):43-47, Germano et al. 2001, Wildlife Society Bulletin 29(2):551-559, Lym 1998, Weed Technology 12(2):367-373, Harker et al. 2000, Weed Science 48(2):231-238, and Olson and Lacey 1994, Sheep Research Journal. Special:105-112.
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