Rangeland research at Manitou

Abstract

Seventeen years of cattle grazing on ponderosa pine-bunchgrass ranges show that a moderate grazing rate of 30-40 percent use of the dominant grasses and sedges was best for sustained forage and livestock production. Plant vigor of the principal bunchgrasses, Festuca arizonica and Muhlengergia montana was somewhat comparable on lightly (10-20 percent use) and moderately grazed ranges but decreased appreciably on heavily grazed ranges (over 50 percent use). Perennial grass and sedge production under moderate, light, and heavy grazing was 335, 446 and 148 pounds of air-day herbage per acre, respectively. Under light and moderate use, the better forage species were maintained. With heavy use, low value forage plants increased.

Citation

Currie, P. O. 1963. Rangeland research at Manitou. In: Proceedings of the Society of American Foresters Meeting; 1962 October 21-24; Atlanta, GA. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. p 73.