Recovery of a high elevation plant community after packhorse grazing

We evaluated the impact of packstock grazing on a dry, upper timberline meadow. Horses were picketed on 15 m ropes for different durations, months, and frequencies over 3 summers. Before horse grazing, we estimated vegetal, bare soil, litter, rock, and moss cover, measured grass and forte plant heig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of range management 1996-11, Vol.49 (6), p.541-545
Main Authors: Olson-Rutz, K.M. (Montana State University, Bozeman.), Marlow, C.B, Hansen, K, Gagnon, L.C, Rossi, R.J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CABALLOS
CARACTERISTICAS DEL RODAL
CARACTERISTIQUE DU PEUPLEMENT
CHEVAL
COMMUNAUTE VEGETALE
COMUNIDADES VEGETALES
Defoliation
ESPACE DE NATURE SAUVAGE
EXPERIMENTACION
EXPERIMENTATION
Forbs
Grasses
Grazing
Grazing management
HERBAGE
IMPACT SUR L'ENVIRONNEMENT
IMPACTO AMBIENTAL
INTENSIDAD DE PASTOREO
INTENSITE DE PATURAGE
Meadows
MONTANA
PASTOREO
PATURAGE
Plant communities
PLANTAS DE COBERTURA
PLANTE DE COUVERTURE
Plants
PRADERAS
PRADOS DE SIEGA
PRAIRIE DE FAUCHE
REGION D'ALTITUDE
Stems
Vegetation cover
ZONA DE MONTANA
ZONAS SILVESTRES
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Summary:We evaluated the impact of packstock grazing on a dry, upper timberline meadow. Horses were picketed on 15 m ropes for different durations, months, and frequencies over 3 summers. Before horse grazing, we estimated vegetal, bare soil, litter, rock, and moss cover, measured grass and forte plant heights, counted grass and forte stems per area, and determined the percent of plants grazed. These measurements were repeated 1 growing season later. More bare ground and less litter and vegetal cover were recorded 1 year following single 8- or 18-hour grazing events. Single grazing events of 4-hour duration had no effect on cover. Decreases in vegetal cover were associated with reduced stem numbers. Eighteen hour picket durations reduced subsequent year production of grass and forte stems. We discuss the difficulties encountered in this study, including estimates of necessary sample sizes, to help in the design of future studies
ISSN:0022-409X
2162-2728
DOI:10.2307/4002296