Cattle feeding and resting patterns in a foothills riparian zone
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Authors: C. B. Marlow, and T. M. Pogacnik
Date: 1986
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 39
Number: 3
Pages: 212-217
Summary of Methods: Cattle feeding and resting patterns on upland and riparian areas were examined along the Cottonwood Creek drainage in southwestern Montana. Eight paddocks with similar riparian communities along the creek were selected. Four yearling heifers grazed each paddock for two weeks from mid-June to early October. Each paddock was grazed only once a year but at the same time over the two year study. Cattle-use patterns were based on 24-hour observation periods each week in 1982 and 1983 for total of 32 observation periods each year. Riparian and upland use patterns of areas surrounding the study site were monitored over the same period. To monitor cattle response to forage conditions the cattle were weighed each time they moved from one paddock to another. Air temperature and wind data were recorded hourly to supplement behavior data.
Article Summary / Main Points: Cattle use of uplands was greater early in the season, while riparian use increased later in the year. This pattern was more distinct in the year with more June moisture. The concentration of feeding activity in uplands was higher in early July of both years and higher in riparian areas during the last weeks of the grazing season. Overall, cattle spent less time feeding in uplands during the second year of the study that had limited rainfall in June than during the first year which had normal precipitation in the spring. The lack of spring rainfall in the second year limited the quality and quantity forage produced in the uplands causing a shift in grazing use. Also, when air temperatures declined to near 00 and wind speeds 2-4 ms-1 in September cattle spent more time feeding in riparian zones. Adverse rapidly fluctuating air temperatures and wind speeds caused an increase in the amount of feeding time in the riparian zone during late summer and early fall.
Vegetation Types: Riparian and Wetlands
MLRA Ecoregions: 43B Central Rocky Mountains 44A Northern Rocky Mountain Valleys
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Grazing
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: grazing, riparian areas, utilization, cattle behavior, upland areas, forage quality/production
Annotation: The results from this study are applicable to riparian areas across the west. Caution should be used when applying these results as there is a need for a long-term study is needed to determine the effects of climate on cattle use patterns.
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