REP50142 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

1/ Prairie dogs observed on the property with few active holes represented less than 10 dogs and/or holes. V. MANAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES A. Planned Grazing: Many techniques can be used to improve range land ecosystems and pasture production. However, techniques such as plowing and reseeding would not be practical or probably feasible in fields #7 and Y9 which are in need of improvement. Reclamation of these fields, using conventional tillage prac- tices is very limited because of past soil erosion, potential soil erosion and limited precipitation. Tillage of these fields beyond spot treatment could be disastrous. The present plant communities in fields ~7 and i:9 for the most part, provide good ground cover and should not be disturbed by massive tillage practices. However, that is not to say that they do not need improvement. They could be dramatically improved by developing a long range management program that includes grazing impacts, fertilization and deferment from use as management tools. A well-designed grazing system that addresses the specific ecological management needs .of afield is needed on Dowe Flats. The grazing system selected needs to include prescribed grazing for each specific pasture and/or rangeland ecosystem and should incorporate appropriate livestock distribution practices that will serve to improve the stability of the plant communities. (See figure 4.) A good system allows forage plants to recover from past close grazing, regain vigor, and build up food reserves. Therefore, greater forage production can be obtained from most plants by grazing them, rather than by allowing them complete rest. Grazing can either be continuous throughout the growing season or by periodically moving livestock from pasture to pasture or range land. However, no matter what type of system is se- lected, the degree and kind of specialization implemented must be designed specifically for the goals and objectives of each area grazed. Some major factors to consider in select- ing a grazing system include management objectives to be achieved, ecological stability of the area, phenology of the plants, and environmental quality impacts. The present grazing program does not appear to maximize grazing potential nor minimize overuse. Several fields are grazed when plants are the least palatable, grazed too early in the growing season, which has caused overuse of certain species p _,D _