Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications » Publications at this Location
Research Project: Disturbance Mitigation and Adaptive Restoration of Sagebrush-Steppe Ecosystems

Location: Northwest Watershed Research Center

Title: The LTAR Grazing Land Common Experiment at the Great Basin

Author
item Clark, Pat
item Woodruff, Craig
item Hedrick, Andrew
item Hardegree, Stuart
item Flerchinger, Gerald

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/2024
Publication Date: 8/10/2024
Citation: Clark, P., Woodruff, C.D., Hedrick, A., Hardegree, S.P., Flerchinger, G.N. 2024. The LTAR Grazing Land Common Experiment at the Great Basin. Journal of Environmental Quality. 53(6):861-868. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20617.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20617

Interpretive Summary: Invasive species, wildfire, and climate changes are principal disturbance threats to Great Basin agroecosystems. Prescribed grazing may be a tool for restoring lands degraded by these disturbances. Our common experiment contrasts a prevailing, cattle grazing practice of fixed moderate stocking and duration with an alternative practice of high intensity grazing of flexible duration tailored to suppress invasive annual grass competition in native or desirable species restorations. Since its inception this has been a research co-production effort among ranchers, public land managers, and researchers. Future directions center on expanding the scope of the experiment to multiple study areas.

Technical Abstract: Invasive species, wildfire, and climate changes are principal disturbance threats to Great Basin agroecosystems. Prescribed grazing may be a tool for restoring lands degraded by these disturbances. Our common experiment contrasts a prevailing, cattle grazing practice of fixed moderate stocking and duration with an alternative practice of high intensity grazing of flexible duration tailored to suppress invasive annual grass competition in native or desirable species restorations. Since its inception this has been a research co-production effort among ranchers, public land managers, and researchers. Future directions center on expanding the scope of the experiment to multiple study areas.