Prescribed fire and cattle grazing on an elk winter range in Montana
-
-
Authors: C. S. Jourdonnais, and D. J. Bedunah
Date: 1990
Journal: Wildlife Society Bulletin
Volume: 18
Number: 3
Pages: 232-240
Summary of Methods: The effects of fall cattle grazing and seasonal burning on standing crop and elk utilization (caged and uncaged plots) of rough fescue grassland in western Montana were studied for three winters. Six treatments (control, fall cattle grazing, fall back-fire, fall head-fire, spring back-fire and spring head-fire) were applied. Heading and backing fires occurred the previous fall of the study and the first spring of the study. Vegetation biomass was clipped in late September of each year. Forb composition and standing crop were measured in June of the second year. Densities of rough fescue, Idaho fescue, and percentage of bare ground were recorded during the third spring.
Article Summary / Main Points: Slight differences in utilization of rough fescue occurred between burn treatments and cattle grazing. Initially elk utilized burn treatments which had low amounts of litter. As the season progressed elk began to graze on rough fescue clumps that had greater amounts of litter. Elk use was concentrated on the burn and grazed treatments compared to the control treatment, which had greater accumulation of litter over the seasons and was therefore less desirable.
Vegetation Types: Intermountain Grasslands (includes Palouse Prairie and Canyon Grasslands)
MLRA Ecoregions: 46 Northern Rocky Mountain Foothills
Agrovoc Control Words: Grazing Rangelands Ungulates
Article Review Type: Peer Reviewed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: prescribed fire, cattle grazing, elk utilization, winter range, festuca scabrella, festuca idahoensis
Annotation: This replicated study conducted over three years and the associated results are applicable to rangelands that provide winter and early spring elk habitat. While burn and control treatments were replicated three times, more replication of cattle grazing treatments with various levels of grazing intensity would strength the research. Different grazing intensities could potentially affect elk use and vegetation attributes differently. These results like all grazing research are most applicable to regions of similar topography, climate, season of use, and ungulate-plant relationships.
-
Direct link not available.
-