Treesearch
Home on the range: might the cattle peacefully graze?
| Authors: | Sally Duncan |
| Year: | 1999 |
| Type: | Science Findings |
| Station: | Pacific Northwest Research Station |
| Source: | Science Findings. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. August (17): 1-5 |
Download (PDF 291 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/4667.pdf
Abstract
Grazing and how it impacts the landscape is a concern for public and private land managers. This issue of "Science Findings" examines the issue of cattle and grazing and provides some background, perspective, and research results on various grazing systems. Researchers Jim McIver, of the Forest Service's Blue Mountains Natural Resources Institute, and Mike McInnis, of Oregon State University, share their findings.Work by collaborators at the University of Idaho and Oregon State University show that the presence of water, salt, and upland forage can attract cattle away from riparian areas and alter their distribution. Cattle being equitably distributed across a landscape can translate into weight gain in young cattle and help to pay for an installed watering system. But, McIver and McInnis found that there are still many unanswered questions regarding the ecological effects of moderate altered grazing.