Cover crops are important for soil conservation efforts but can compete with cash limited water in dryland agricultural systems. Grazing cover may provide additional income to improve the profitability of cropped systems, effect grazing on health remains poorly understood semi-arid regions. We conducted on-farm research examine short-term effects grazed and un-grazed spring-planted compared ful...

it has often been stated or implied that grazing is an important factor in the land degradation process, a suggestion supported by various research projects, and this study investigated the effect of livestock grazing on stem height, crowncover, production, basal diameter, stem biomass, litter, leaf-stem index (leaf to stem weight) , root diameter and weight and seed production per individual o...

Heifer performance, diet composition, and forage composition were compared during rotational and continuous grazing of mixed pasture (alfalfa, tall fescue, orchardgrass). One hundred eighteen yearling heifers were used to compare the three grazing systems during 2 yr. Treatments included continuous (CONT), 6-paddock rotational (6-PADD), and 11-paddock rotational grazing (11-PADD). Rotational pa...

BACKGROUND To assess population persistence of species living in heterogeneous landscapes, the effects of habitat on reproduction and survival have to be investigated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We used a matrix population model to estimate habitat-specific population growth rates for a population of northern wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe breeding in farmland consisting of a mosaic of disti...

Totara-matai forests are an under-represented forest type in Westland, relative to their original extent, and require protection and enhancement where possible. This study examined the regeneration of totara on gorsecovered river terraces of the Whataroa and Waiho Rivers, on a site grazed by cattle at Whataroa, and ungrazed sites at both locations. Totara is regenerating prolifically at all sit...

Three trials were conducted to determine if low ingestion of some leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) by sheep is primarily due to differences in sheep or in leafy spurge. In the first trial, pastures in Idaho and North Dakota were grazed by sheep originating from both states. Generally, sheep from both states grazed the leafy spurge growing in the Idaho pastures reluctantly but grazed the leafy ...

We sought to assess impacts of fire and grazing by reindeer and caribou on lichen communities in northwestern Alaska. Macrolichen abundance was estimated from 45, 0.38-ha plots. Eighteen of those plots, scattered throughout the southern Seward Peninsula, represented two levels of grazing, heavy and light. We found lightly grazed areas had taller lichens and greater total lichen cover than heavi...