Volume 5, Number 9

May 2006

The
There has been much debate on livestock and grazing over the past years. The issues regarding grazing vary widely and solutions to these concerns are equally diverse. Using grazing as a conservation tool on the north coast of San Luis Obispo County is the focus of this article. California coastal prairie grasslands are a unique ecosystem occupying a narrow strip of land on the California coast. When not under conservation protection many of these grasslands are being converted to other uses that are typically development oriented. On the North Coast of San Luis Obispo County we are fortunate to have protected some of these prairies but setting these grasslands aside from development pressures is only part of the solution in protecting these unique areas. These grasslands require active land management to stimulate native grasses and to deter loss of native grasses from invasive species and from conversion to shrubs and other woody species. When grasslands are not grazed or managed in other ways, residual dry matter (RDM) accumulates over time. RDM is a measure of grazing intensity that involves measuring the amount of residual biomass on the ground at the end of the season. The amount of RDM can skyrocket to thousands of pounds per acre. For example, at least 500 lbs/acre is thought to be needed for soil protection, but that, in some California grasslands, very high levels of biomass have been associated with undesired changes in plant communities. (The amount of RDM per acre can easily be determined by cutting and weighing the matter within standardized protocols and multiplying by 100). From the perspective of this article two conditions are triggered without managing the RDM. The first is the loss of native bunch grasses and the second is fuel loads.

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a fuel management option. Knowing the correct time to place livestock on grasslands and for what duration of time is critical when considering reproduction regimes of native grasses and with introduced grasses. Rotating livestock on and off grasslands is key to enhancing and reducing certain grasses. The desired result, of course, is the correct amount of RDM in managed areas. This managed effort is additionally advantageous to native grasses. The critical timing of placing livestock on grassland is after native seed has dispersed and before invasive grass seed has dispersed. Many times this event overlaps so balancing the two often involves close monitoring. Taking livestock off the landscape is equally as important. Reducing the vegetation can stimulate native grass growth and affect the amount and quality of forage in ensuing years. Livestock waste is yet another part of the puzzle. Any seed that is not digested, whether native or invasive, can pass through and germinate beginning the cycle of unwanted grasses but conversely seeding wanted grasses. Waste from livestock can act as a fertilizer but also can cause issues with higher then wanted nutrient loads that find their way into waterways. While grazing can be a tool to achieve some desired outcomes, it also can cause some problems that should be taken into consideration. The benefits of grazing are clear to us with coastal prairies. With proper monitoring and livestock rotation native grasses can be increased and unwanted grasses can be minimized. While waste from animals can be beneficial it can have detrimental effects if not monitored properly. This is a function of how many animals a given area can sustain based on the quality of the grazing area. There are some research and some experience and common sense knowledge that determine all these aspects of grazing but to successfully graze a conservation landscape monitoring and measuring is the key to keeping native grasses thriving, reducing unwanted grasses and reducing fire danger.

Why Grazing May be a Good Conservation Tool on California Coastal Prairies

Conservation property abutting urban areas require active vegetation fuel management. Protecting the managed resource from fire beginning on adjacent property and spreading to conservation property is part of land management strategy. Conversely, protecting adjacent properties from fire originating elsewhere is equally important. With the absence of fire as a tool to manage fuels land managers and conservationists have studied the effects of controlled cattle grazing as

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GREENSPACE
6TH ANNUAL CAMBRIA WALK IN THE WOODS
DATES: MAY 6 & 7 MAY 13 & 14 MAY 20 & 21 MAY 27 & 28
THIS EDUCATIONAL WALK WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE COVELL RANCH AND THE WILLIAMS RANCH AND WILL LAST APPROX. 2 1/2 HOURS. THE TERRAIN IS GENTLE WITH ONE MINOR INCLINE. SURPRISE SPEAKERS ON MANY OF THE WALKS. THE WILLIAMS RANCH IS OWNED BY THE NATURE CONSERVANCY AND MANAGED BY GREENSPACE. THE COVELL RANCH IS UNDER A CONSERVATION EASEMENT HELD AND MANAGED BY THE NATURE CONSERVANCY. EACH WALK IS LIMITED TO TWENTY PEOPLE SO PLEASE RSVP. CALL 805-927-2866 FOR MORE INFORMATION

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