1 / 26

Grazing Management for Healthy Riparian Areas

Grazing Management for Healthy Riparian Areas. Authors: Gene Surber, MSU Extension Natural Resources Specialist Bob Ehrhart, Research Specialist, RWRP, Univ. of Montana. Introduction. Addresses principles and techniques for grazing your riparian areas Each ranch operation is unique.

mandar
Download Presentation

Grazing Management for Healthy Riparian Areas

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Grazing Management for Healthy Riparian Areas Authors: Gene Surber, MSU Extension Natural Resources Specialist Bob Ehrhart, Research Specialist, RWRP, Univ. of Montana

  2. Introduction • Addresses principles and techniques for grazing your riparian areas • Each ranch operation is unique

  3. General Principles for Grazing Livestock in Riparian Areas • Taylor your grazing approach • Incorporate into overall plan • Select a season of use • Limit livestock time • Influence livestock time • Ensure adequate vegetation cover • Provide adequate regrowth time & rest • Take an active management role

  4. 1. Taylor your grazing approach • No “cookbook” solutions • Specific riparian objectives • Inventory • Monitoring program

  5. 2. Incorporate into overall plan • Don’t neglect the majority of the ranch • Consider impact of actions on riparian areas • What you do in riparian areas my affect your uplands – vice versa

  6. 3. Select a season of use • No one season is “best” • Dependent upon • Physical characteristics • Condition • Plant stage development • Weather • Types of animals

  7. 4. Limit livestock time • Cow/Calf pairs spend a disproportionate amount of time near the creek • Reduce time in riparian pastures

  8. 5. Influence livestock distribution • Encourage cattle to move away from the stream • Season of use • Off-stream water

  9. 6. Ensure adequate vegetation cover • How much • Type • “Adequate” – depends upon • Location • Spring runoff • Wildlife use

  10. 7. Provide adequate regrowth time & rest • Plants need rest for: • Growth • Seed development • Storage of carbohydrates

  11. 8. Active management role • On-the-ground observation • Flexibility to changing conditions

  12. Variety of techniques • Appropriate season of use for grazing riparian areas • Reducing intensity of use – distribution of livestock

  13. Determining Season of Use • The predicted response of different plant species; • The grazing impact on plant communities; and • The percent of soil moisture on the site.

  14. Early season (spring) grazing • Livestock attracted to uplands • Cool temperatures • Wet soils – may discourage use • Coarse-textured, fine-grained soils

  15. Hot-season (mid-summer) • Closely monitor – limited duration • Encourage livestock to move out • Provide opportunity for regrowth • Warm season species

  16. Late Season (fall) grazing • Herbaceous versus tree or shrub • Cool season plant communities • Off-stream water available

  17. Winter Use • Large pasture • Drainages colder than uplands • Frozen soil – to reduce compaction

  18. Techniques: reduce intensity • Influence distribution • Alternate water

  19. Influence livestock distribution • Troughs dug into hillsides – covered with dirt • Stable access points to water

  20. Influence livestock distribution • Side bars • Gravel • Simple bridge

  21. Influence livestock distribution • Placement of salt and minerals • Improve upland forage

  22. Influence livestock distribution • Extended plant rest • Riding

  23. Influence livestock distribution • Drift fences or other obstacles

  24. Influence livestock distribution • Turn-in location • Small pastures • Closer management control

  25. Influence livestock distribution • Fencing • Restoration • Protect streambanks • Rehabilitation

  26. Influence livestock distribution • Permanent fencing • No fence options • Water gaps

More Related