Livestock Grazing and Wildlife: Developing Compatibilities
Abstract
Livestock grazing has been considered detrimental to wildlife habitat. Managed grazing programs, however, have the potentialto maintain habitat diversity and quality. In cases in which single-species management predominates (sage-grouse [Centrocercus urophasianus] or elk [ Cervus elaphus nelsoni ] winter range), grazing systems specific to species’ needs can be implemented.Managed livestock grazing can have 4 general impacts on vegetation: 1) alter the composition of the plant community,2) increase the productivity of selected species, 3) increase the nutritive quality of the forage, and 4) increase the diversity ofthe habitat by altering its structure. Implementing a grazing management plan to enhance wildlife habitat requires aninterdisciplinary approach. Knowledge of plant community dynamics, habitat requirements of affected wildlife species, andpotential effects on the livestock used are basic to successful system design. However, any habitat change made for a featuredspecies may create adverse, neutral, or beneficial changes for other species. Management actions, other than development ofa grazing system, are often required for habitat manipulations to be successful. More research efforts are needed to understandcomplementary grazing systems on a landscape scale.