Streambank and vegetation response to simulated cattle grazing
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Authors: W. P. Clary, and J. W. Kinney
Date: 2002
Journal: Wetlands
Volume: 22
Number: 1
Pages: 139-148
Summary of Methods: A two year simulated grazing study looked at the effects of grazing and trampling of well-vegetated streambanks under four grazing regimes (no grazing, moderate early summer, moderate mid-summer and heavy season-long) on three different creeks. Selected creeks (Stanley, Park and Thatcher Creek) were located in central Idaho's Sawtooth Valley and were from 5.9 to 25 km from the town of Stanley, Idaho. Treatments were simulated by clipping, dropping a hoof imitator over the 1-m² area and application of urea and manure at predetermined rates. Changes in soil surface and bank profile, streambank elevation, soil strength, root biomass, plant height and biomass of the current year's growth were measured.
Article Summary / Main Points: Simulated, season long heavy grazing resulted in substantial decrease of forage production and stream characteristics over the two year period. Heavy, season-long grazing caused a 12 cm retreat of streambank (widening of the channel), change of bank angle (34°) resulting in flattening of bank face and a decrease in root biomass (32.5%). Moderate and heavy grazing depressed the streambank surface (3 cm and 11.5 cm, respectively), and reduced total above-ground biomass (43% and 87%, respectively) the following spring.
Vegetation Types: Riparian and Wetlands
MLRA Ecoregions: 43B Central Rocky Mountains
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Grazing Streams
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: riparian, mountain meadow, root biomass, stream channel, streambank deformation, simulated grazing, hoof imitator
Annotation: Additional factors that need to be considered when applying these findings are soil moisture (Marlow and Pogacnik 1985, Marlow et al. 1987), and seasonality of use (Clary 1999). While the study attempted to simulate the effects of hoof damage on the riparian ecosystem, more information about hoof density and impact is needed.
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