Effect of Grazing Horses Managed as Manipulators of Big Game Winter Range

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A sagebrush-grass range in northern Utah [USA], a critical, winter area for deer and elk, was grazed by domestic horses to evaluate their potential to selectively reduce herbaceous vegetation which competes with bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), an important big game winter forage. The diets of horses were recorded during spring and summer grazing under 2 stocking levels on small pastures. Horses largely consumed grass species throughout the study period in this high seral community. Forbs were important forage only under heavy stocking. No use of bitterbrush was recorded. Rate of forage disappearance, expressed on a peranimal-weight basis, was lower on heavily stocked pastures. All pastures grazed by horses responded with increased seasonal twig production of bitterbrush over the non-grazed state. Seasonal twig production was greatest in response to heavy stocking during early July.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: