Cattle use of riparian meadows in the Blue Mountains of northeastern Oregon
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Authors: R. L. Gillen, W. C. Krueger, and R. F. Miller
Date: 1985
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 38
Number: 3
Pages: 205-209
Summary of Methods: A two year grazing study compared season long grazing (early June to mid-October) with a two-pasture deferred [early season (early June to early August), late season (early August to mid-October)] rotation on the Upper Middle Fork Grazing Allotment of the Malheur National Forest in north-central Oregon. Cattle use patterns, grazing intensity, temperature and temperature-heat index of riparian and upland areas were examined. Battery powered movie cameras were used to estimate frequency and total time of cattle occupancy. Biomass was measured every two weeks during the grazing period and weather stations were setup to record temperature, relative humidity, and temperature-humidity index.
Article Summary / Main Points: Dry meadow utilization rates were similar between grazing systems with estimated utilization levels of 77% and 86% in 1980 and 1981. Early season grazing resulted in less animal unit days (AUD) per hectare than continuous grazing, while there was no difference between late season and continuous grazing. Across both grazing systems, cattle preferred riparian meadows during the afternoon hours with 78% occupancy occurring after 12:00 noon. Cattle activities varied between upland and riparian areas, with animals spending 74% of riparian occupancy time grazing compared with an average of 63% grazing time over all communities(riparian and upland). The seasonal pattern of cattle occupancy in both grazing systems was influenced by the location where cattle entered a pasture and not by seasonal temperatures. Temperature and the temperature-humidity index did not differ between riparian and upland plant communities in either grazing system between 12:00 noon and 6:00 pm.
Vegetation Types: Riparian and Wetlands
MLRA Ecoregions: 43C Blue and Seven Devils Mountains
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Grazing Systems
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: riparian meadows, continuous grazing, deferred-rotation grazing, cattle use, temperature, relative humidity
Annotation: This was a short term study which compared two years of data from a continuous grazing system to one year of early season and one year of late season deferred-rotation grazing system data. Further research needs to be conducted to examine variation amongst years. No regrowth was seen after July resulting in cattle grazing all growing season long on the deferred treatment. Wind and radiation were not accounted for in this study. Change in the location of the turn in point for cattle into a pasture is a management tool to be examined and further tested. Turn in point could be used to potentially change utilization patterns, or as a tool to avoid critical areas at key times.
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