The LTAR Grazing Land Common Experiment at the Great Basin

Area of Science:

• Rangeland ecology
• Sustainable agriculture
• Invasive species management

Background:

• Great Basin agroecosystems face threats from invasive species, wildfire, and climate change.
• Degraded rangelands require effective restoration strategies.
• Prescribed grazing is a potential tool for rangeland restoration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To contrast prevailing (PRV) and alternative (ALT) grazing practices for agroecosystem sustainability.
• To evaluate high-intensity, low-frequency (HILF) grazing's efficacy in suppressing invasive annual grasses.
• To promote the recovery of rangelands degraded by invasive grasses and wildfire.

Main Methods:

• The Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) network's Common Experiment (CE) framework was utilized.
• A prevailing cattle grazing practice (fixed moderate stocking and duration) was compared to HILF grazing.
• Experiments were conducted at the Great Basin (GB) LTAR site.

Main Results:

• Preliminary results show reduced cheatgrass density in ALT-treated paddocks compared to PRV.
• Fuel height was also reduced in ALT-treated paddocks.
• The research involved collaboration between ranchers, land managers, and researchers.

Conclusions:

• High-intensity, low-frequency grazing shows promise for suppressing invasive annual grasses.
• This grazing strategy can aid in the restoration of degraded Great Basin rangelands.
• Future research will expand to multiple study areas to address the widespread issue.