Livestock & Wildlife Interaction

1. Livestock & Wildlife Interaction

2. Interactions It Depends on….? Negative Positive

3. Potential Positive Impacts • Proper management • Maintain water quality • Improve forage quality for wildlife • Manage habitat and cover for wildlife • Increased wildlife populations NRCS photo NRCS photo http://forestandrange.org/modules/livestockwildlife/edu/Presentation6.ppt

4. Potential Positive Impacts • Water quality • Riparian and meadow communities considered critical habitat in temperate zones • Available drinking water • High quality forages • Livestock grazing can maintain water quality • Light or moderate grazing = no impact

5. Potential Positive Impacts • Improved Forage Quality • Small mammal & upland game birds • Energy-rich seeds • Vegetation • Cover • Forbs • Grasshoppers http://forestandrange.org/modules/livestockwildlife/edu/Presentation6.ppt

6. Potential Positive Impacts • Improved Habitat • Grazing – patchy, mosaic pattern • Feeding, nesting, and hiding sites • Encouraged establishment of shrubs • Ground squirrels and small rodents • Birds of prey • Selective grazing • Create travel corridors • Remove rank grass NRCS photo http://forestandrange.org/modules/livestockwildlife/edu/Presentation6.ppt

7. Potential Negative Impacts • Improper Grazing • Reduced nest sites for upland game and waterfowl • Decreased water quality • Trampled nests for waterfowl • Disturbed big game during fawning • Reduced cover that permits wildlife to hide from predators • Reduced native fish populations http://forestandrange.org/modules/livestockwildlife/edu/Presentation6.ppt

8. Potential Negative Impacts • Disease transmission • Animal health is important to agricultural industry and wildlife conservation

9. Properly Managed Grazing • Create patchy habitat with high structural diversity. • Open up dense vegetation canopies • Reduce coarse grass & improve quality • Stimulate browse production by reducing grass biomass • Use livestock to manage weeds and fire risk • Create bare ground for feeding, dusting, and display areas

10. “Irresponsible Grazing” • Reduce nest sites for upland game birds & wildlife • Trample nests • Disturb big game during fawning • Reduce wildlife hiding cover • Reduce forage for ungulates • Reduce floral diversity • Attract predators, parasites, or disease

11. Effects of Ranches on Wildlife • Water • Water sources for cattle provide water for wildlife. • Fences • Can provide perches for birds, but also barriers of ungulates and low-flying birds. • Large blocks of land • Areas without roads and development is generally good for wildlife. • Weed control • Ranchers control weeds and benefit habitat. • Disturbance • Ranching activities can disturb wildlife.

12. Grazing systems can: • Use strategic rest or deferment to improve nesting cover • Remove livestock from fawning areas to reduce disturbance • Heavy stock in some pasture to create “weedy” patches • Stocking other pastures with moderate rates to create high quality regrowth

13. Example: Ranching and Wildlife