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Range 415 Range Improvements and Grazing Management | ||||
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Course description Three credits. Management of rangelands with fire, herbicides, biocontrol agents, mechanical treatments, and livestock grazing. Plant-herbivore interactions in relation to vegetation management for weed control, wildlife habitat improvement, soil protection and watershed improvement. Course format Lecture - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 8:00 AM to 8:50 AM Lab - Friday 12:00 - 1:50 PM Course offering Fall semester |
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Texts
Range Development and Improvements by John Vallentine - optional.
Grazing Management by John Vallentine - optional.
Other useful texts
Range Management: Principles and Practices by Hollechek et al.
Ecological Implications of Livestock Herbivory in the West by Vavra et al.
The Ecology and Management of Grazing Systems by Hodgson and Illius.
Research and extension bulletins will be added to provide students with the latest technology and information.
| The success of any range improvement practice must be valued in terms of its economic benefits. Understanding how to evaluate range improvement decisions is crucial. This section focuses on the introduction to the course and how to evaluate the cost/benefit of range improvements. |
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| Range improvements taught in the context of succession is valuable because of our ability to predict the desired outcome and understand what tools will work. We are currently using the state-and-transition model to understand how manage succession through the use of range improvement tools or grazing management (Transitions) to achieve the desired plant community (State). |
 South Dakota western rangeland dominated by sagebrush Photo by A. Smart 2003 |
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Since water is a key resource in our ability to harvest the forage resource through grazing, emphasis is made on water development practices, water quality issues, and environmental sensitive water and fencing practices. |
 Water development in eastern South Dakota. Photo by A. Smart 2003. |
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Range improvements and grazing management practices that emphasize good stewardship activities to protect riparian zones and improve watershed function are discussed. |
Riparian zone in eastern South Dakota Photo by A. Smart 2003 |
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Strategies of plant survival in grazed systems are discussed. Intensity, timing and frequency of defoliation are evaluated in the context of grazing resistance mechanisms. Physiological responses of individual plants to defoliation are discussed. Implications of these mechanisms are illustrated through research on plant vigor and species composition shifts when pastures are grazed. |
 Western South Dakota, north of Murdo. Photo by A. Smart 2003 |
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Terminology of various grazing systems is reviewed. Management tactics that govern high production and high utilization strategies are viewed as the basis for developing any possible grazing system. Integrating management objectives and grazing strategies is evaluated in a decision support tool. |
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The concept of desirable and undesirable plants from a management perspective is discussed. Levels of plant control, successional causal factors, and the theory of plant invasion are explained through research and observation. A tour of western U.S. habitats and problem plant species is given. |
 Green needlegrass in the mixed-grass prairie. Photo by A. Smart 2003 |
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The principle is based on selective grazing. This section covers biological control by grazing animals and insects. Discussed are cattle, sheep, goats, and various insects and their ability to control weedy forbs and shrubs. |
 Goat browsing. Photo by A. Smart 2003 |
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Mechanical plant control is an alternative to chemical, biological, or burning methods. However it is sometimes done in combination with the other methods for enhanced control. Discussed are various methods and equipment to accomplish plant control. |
 Root plowing in southwestern U.S. Photo by Marshall Haferkamp |
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Useful herbicides and their mode of action are discussed in range plant control. Examples and price comparison are given for controlling various shrub and weedy forb species. |
 Spraying herbicide on leafy spurge infested pasture in eastern South Dakota. Photo by A. Smart 2003 |
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The Great Plains prairie rangeland has evolved with the existence of fire. In this section, the practice of prescribed burning and the response it has on targeted and non-targeted species will be discussed. Examples from the northern tallgrass prairie and the southern mixed-grass prairie will be given. Target species frequently include invasive cool-season grasses, undesirable shrubs and trees, and cactus. |
 Burning in eastern Nebraska. Photo by A. Smart 2000 |
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Planning range seeding involves evaluating the site potential, climate, and species desired to accomplish management objectives. |
 Tour of Ted Turner's ranch north of Murdo, SD. Photo by A. Smart 2003 |
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Often the question is asked, why range seedings fail? In this unit, factors affecting the establishment of grasses will be evaluated. Factors such as seedling vigor, competition, seedbed preparation, seeding methods, time of planting, and planting rate will be discussed. |
 Establishment of big bluestem in eastern Nebraska. Photo by A. Smart 1999 |
Special range seeding techniques
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Various techniques that are used when complete seedbed preparation is not feasible are discussed. Examples of interseeding legumes and grasses along with various mechanical treatments such as ripping, contour furrowing, pitting, and imprinting are given. Costs of various treatments are evaluated. |
 Construction ripper. Photo by Bob Gartner |
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Fertilization of rangeland will be explored from a cost/benefit perspective. Nitrogen use efficiency and animal performance will be evaluated from several sources. |
 On the breaks of the Missouri River in western South Dakota. Photo by Barry Dunn 2003 |
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Various rodent and insect species will be highlighted as causing the most economic detriment to rangeland. Examples of successful and unsuccessful control measures will be given. |
 Prairie dog town in west central South Dakota. Photo by Matt Stoltenberg 2003 |
Grazing in fall, eastern South Dakota. Photo by A. Smart 2002