Factors Affecting Forage Consumption by Cattle in Arizona Ponderosa Pine Forests

Abstract

Highlight: Forage consumption was significantly correlated with forage production and tree density, but not with steepness of slope, rockiness of soil, or distance from water. This suggests that good range management practices can effectively distribute livestock use. Management practices designed to increase multiple use values of ponderosa pine forests are being tested in Arizona (Brown et al. 1974). Some of these practices will increase herbage production (Clary 1975), but there is a question as to what extent cattle will consume the additional forage. Factors related to forage consumption need to be identified in evaluating possible impacts of forest overstory manipulations on grazing values. An earlier study on the Coconino Plateau in north-central Arizona found that distance to water, steepness and length of slope, access routes, forest density, season of use, range condition, floristic composition, and possibly rockiness influenced the manner in which pine-bunchgrass ranges were grazed (Glendening 1944). Slope steepness and distance upslope were important variables on uniform terrains in Montana, but the amount of rockiness was not (Mueggler 1965). In a Utah study, Cook (1966) concluded that although factors such as slope, distance to water below, percent palatable plants, and thickness of brush were correlated with utilization, no single factor could be used as a reliable index for predicting use. Young et al. (1967) found that forest density and understory vegetation influenced the distribution of forage utilization in northeastern Oregon. This note summarizes the results of a study conducted to define factors related to forage consumption by cattle on the Beaver Creek Watershed in north-central Arizona, and to provide insight as to how timber management practices will likely affect utilization of the range resource. The Study The study was conducted on one-half of a summer-use cattle allotment (13,000 acres) on the Beaver Creek Watershed at the edge of the Coconino Plateau, near Flagstaff, Ariz. Yearling cattle grazed the

Cattle Grazing and Behavior on a Forested Range

“…This difference in use was reflected both by amount of vegetation consumed per ha (Table 2) and by number of animals observed in the type. Similar results were found by Clary et al (1978) in Northern Arizona. The Dougas fir-elk sedge type received more use near water, but use rapidly decreased with distance away from water.…”

Food Habits and Distribution of Cattle on a Forest and Pasture Range in Northern Idaho

“…Studies on cattle distribution and behavior have taken place in such places as Arizona (Clary et al 1978), Utah (Cook 1966), Oklahoma (Dwyer 1962), and Oregon (Roath and Krueger 1982). No comparable research has been conducted in conifer/ tall shrub ecosystems such as are commonly found in northern Idaho.…”

Effects of Wolf Presence on Daily Travel Distance of Range Cattle

“…Climate, soils, floristic composition, grazing management, and animal husbandry practices are all known to affect cattle mobility (Clary et al, 1978;Stuth, 1991;Bailey et al, 2008;Rubio et al, 2008) and thus potentially could have contributed to the treatment difference. However, as noted in the Methods section, considerable care and effort was applied when pairing Impact and Control study areas with the intent of controlling these potentially confounding factors.…”