Prescribed grazing as a secondary impact in a western riparian floodplain
Journal of Range Management
By: J.A. Sedgwick and F.L. Knopf
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Abstract
The effect of late-autumn cattle grazing on plant biomass was examined in a western Great Plains cottonwood riparian zone prone to catastrophic flooding every 5-8 years. Following 1 year of pre-treatment data collection in 1982, five 16-ha pastures were grazed from 1982 to 1984 and compared to 5 control pastures within the South Platte River floodplain in northeastern Colorado. At a prescribed grazing level of 0.46 ha/AUM, riparian vegetation proved to be resilient to the impacts of grazing. We detected only a few significant treatment effects for above-ground biomass after succeeding growing seasons. Willows (Salix spp.) responded negatively to grazing whereas biomass of prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata Link) was greater on grazed plots. Yearly changes in above-ground biomass, especially dramatic following a severe flood in 1983, suggest that periodic, catastrophic flooding is a major perturbation to the ecosystem, and in conjunction with our results on grazing impacts, indicate that dormant-season grazing within Soil Conservation Service (SCS) guidelines is a comparatively minor impact within the floodplain. In addition, grazing impacts were probably further mitigated by a major forage supplement of cottonwood leaves which was available at the time of cattle introductions. This local forage supplement ultimately created a lighter grazing treatment than that originally prescribed.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Prescribed grazing as a secondary impact in a western riparian floodplain |
| Series title | Journal of Range Management |
| Volume | 44 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Year Published | 1991 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Society for Range Management |
| Publisher location | Denver, CO |
| Description | 5 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Journal of Range Management |
| First page | 369 |
| Last page | 373 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |