MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS
LIVESTOCK SYSTEMS GUIDE
Abstract: This publication is designed to help farmers and ranchers identify and use locally appropriate grazing practices to protect riparian resources. Methods for protecting these environmentally fragile areas include keeping livestock from streambanks, properly resting pastures to restore degraded land, and determining the proper duration and season for grazing pastures. It examines adjusting general recommendations to fit your particular management objectives and environmental conditions.
By Barbara C. Bellows NCAT Agriculture Specialist June 2003 Introduction Most riparian areas in the U.S. evolved with animals feeding on the lush vegetation and trampling on the streambanks to get to water. Although the original grazers were bison, moose, and deer rather than cattle, sheep, and goats, this evolutionary pressure means that most native riparian plant species regrow following a period of grazing (Mosley et al., 1998; Ohmart, 1996). When farmers and ranchers displaced these oc- casional grazers with continuously graz- ©2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS ing livestock, riparian areas suffered. Provided with limited grazing area and little stimulus to move from one area Related ATTRA Publications to another, continuously grazed live- • Protecting Riparian Areas: Farmland Management stock trampled streambanks, congre- Strategies gated in the shade and cool breezes next • Sustainable Pasture Management to streams, and overgrazed the lush veg- • Rotational Grazing etation in these fertile areas. • Nutrient Cycling in Pastures • Assessing the Pasture Soil Resource • Matching Livestock and Forage Resources in Controlled Grazing • Grazing Networks for Livestock Producers
ATTRA is the national sustainable agriculture information service operated by the National Center for Appropriate Technology, through a grant from the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. These organizations do not recommend or endorse products, companies, or individuals. NCAT has offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas (P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702), Butte, Montana, and Davis, California. Table of Contents
Introduction ...... 1
Upland Land Management Practices and Riparian Area Protection ...... 3
Table 1. Comparison of Management Intensive and Extensive Grazing Practices ...... 4
Managed Grazing for Riparian Protection ...... 5
Table 2. Unmanaged Grazing Impacts on Riparian Structure and Function...... 6
Table 3. Riparian Management Guidelines ...... 9
Table 4. Managed Riparian Grazing Systems ...... 12
Table 5. Appropriate Times for Grazing as Affected by Local Environmental Conditions ...... 16
Summary ...... 17
Recommended References ...... 18
References ...... 24
Of the original riparian habitats in the western U.S., The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service have estimated that only 20% still exist. They further noted that 46% of the riparian areas managed by the BLM were “functioning at risk,” another 20% were “non-functioning,” and that “riparian areas continue to decline.” In large part, they attributed this decline in riparian health to the increased number of cattle on western rangelands (Belsky et al., 1999).
Nationwide, the National Research Council (NRC, 2002), with help from seven federal agencies, conducted a comprehensive study of riparian areas that found:
Traditional agriculture is probably the largest contributor to the decline of ripar- ian areas… The primary effects of live- stock grazing include the removal and trampling of vegetation, compaction of underlying soils, and dispersal of exotic plant species and pathogens. Grazing can also alter both hydrologic and fire dis- turbance regimes, accelerate erosion, and reduce plant or animal reproductive success and /or establishment of plants. Long-term cumulative effects of domes- tic livestock grazing involve changes in the structure, composition, and produc- ©2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS tivity of plants and animals at community, ecosystem, and landscape scales.
PAGE 2 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS Management intensive or rotational grazing • Sustainable Pasture Management seeks to protect land resources by mimicking the • Rotational Grazing activities of wildlife. Instead of a herd of ani- mals spreading out across a large pasture and • Matching Livestock and Forage Resources in grazing it throughout the season or year, live- Controlled Grazing stock are grouped together and forced to graze a • Nutrient Cycling in Pastures small pasture or paddock for a limited amount of time. When they have eaten about half the grass • Assessing the Pasture Soil Resource in the paddock, they are moved to another pad- Also, prior to reading this publication, you dock and not allowed to return to the first pad- may want to read the ATTRA publication Pro- dock until the forage has grown back. tecting Riparian Areas: Farmland Management Strat- Research studies show that managed graz- egies for background information on the struc- ing can simultaneously enhance farm productiv- ture and function of riparian areas and how they ity, decrease input expenses, and protect the en- provide environmental, social, and economic ben- vironmental conditions on the farm (Macon, 2002; efits. Herrick et al., 2002; Paine et al., 1999; Berton, 1998). Even government agencies and environ- Upland Land Management mentalists, who implicate continuous grazing as a primary cause of riparian degradation, now join with farmers and ranchers in promoting managed Practices and Riparian rotational grazing as a way to protect riparian areas (Lyons et al., 2000; Moseley et al., 1998; Area Protection Leonard et al., 1997; Elmore, 1992). As discussed in the ATTRA publication Pro- Brush and weed management is the greatest tecting Riparian Areas: Farmland Management Strat- potential environmental benefit that managed egies, good soil and water conservation practices grazing provides to riparian areas. In Wiscon- on upland areas represent the first, and perhaps sin, fisheries managers often contract with farm- the most critical step for the protection of ripar- ers to rotationally graze riparian areas. Brush ian areas. Healthy riparian areas are able to cap- removal by cattle maintains grassy buffers that ture runoff water, filter out sediments, recycle are more effective in protecting water quality and nutrients, decrease pathogen populations, and providing fish habitat than are some woody buff- degrade some toxic chemicals. However, upland ers (L. Paine, personal communication). In vari- areas with bare ground, eroded land, and com- ous locations goats are used to control noxious pacted soil limit the ability of riparian areas to weeds and non-native brush species in riparian perform these functions. Concentrated runoff areas, allowing for the growth of plants that pro- from degraded upland areas can flatten riparian vide healthy riparian conditions (Pittroff, 2001; vegetation and wash in seeds of invasive or up- Luginbuhl et al., 2000). land plants that compete with native riparian This publication provides guidelines for us- plant species, while eroded sediments can bury ing managed grazing to protect riparian areas. preferred, water-loving vegetation (Debano and These guidelines are based on the understand- Schmidt, 1989). Runoff water can also contami- ing that upland and riparian areas are not mutu- nate riparian areas and streams with nutrients ally exclusive systems but are interrelated parts and pathogens carried in from agricultural areas of the watershed. Thus, the riparian grazing prac- or septic systems. tices discussed here work together with manage- Unmanaged livestock grazing can degrade ment intensive grazing of upland areas to main- upland areas in three major ways: tain farm productivity, economic viability, and • Livestock compact soil by trampling it, mak- environmental health. If you are not already fa- ing paths, or repeately congregating in the miliar with rotational grazing, Table 1 provides a same areas. comparison of rotational and continuous grazing methods. I also recommend that you refer to the • Livestock without sufficient or good-quality following ATTRA publications prior to imple- forage will feed selectively on their preferred menting practices discussed here: forages, reducing the ability of those species
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 3 Table 1. Comparison of Management Intensive and Extensive Grazing Practices Management ______Practice Management Intensive Grazing Extensive Grazing
Number of • numerous small pastures or paddocks • livestock grazed in a large, un- paddocks • flexible in size divided pasture or range ______• delineated using electric fences Grazing • limited grazing time, then moved to another • livestock graze continually for an duration paddock entire season within the same • dairy animals—moved once or twice a day. area • meat animals—moved approximately every • animals graze on the same 3 to 7 days. pasture, during the same sea- son, year after year. ______Forage use • forage use by animals monitored • monitoring forage use is minimal monitoring • animals moved when they remove about one- • forage management focus is on third to one-half of the forage growth whether to cut, fertilize, or spray ______pasture Pasture • pastures rested and provided with sufficient • pastures are not usually rested forage time for forages to regrow before animals are regrowth allowed to graze again • height of forage used to determine when to ______permit grazing Alternative • water troughs or other water sources avail- • water troughs or other water water sources able systems usually not provided • water sources are located away from • livestock usually dependent on ______streambanks streams for drinking water Pasture • manager knowledgeable about the soil con- • animals have access to selection ditions in each paddock streambanks throughout the year based on soil • animals not allowed to graze in areas with • environmentally sensitive areas ______conditions wet soils or erodible land are not protected • paddocks are set up to optimize forage use • large pastures permit animals to Pasture shape by grazing animals move around large areas at will and layout • watering areas, shade, and minerals are lo- • animals are not discouraged cated in different areas of the paddock from congregating for long times • pasture arrangement encourages animals to in one location ______move rather than to congregate • continual monitoring of livestock and pasture • managers usually use “techno- resources logical fixes” to address prob- Management • management practices revised based on lems in pastures decision observations • production problems addressed making • managers look for solutions within the con- after problem is observed text of the agro-ecosystem • management methods focus on • land and animals are managed to keep prob- treatments such as spraying or lems from happening fertilizing
Sources: Angermeier, 1997; Elmore, 1992; Clary and Webster. 1989.
PAGE 4 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS to survive or reproduce. This creates bare • Construction, road maintenance, logging, or areas and promotes the growth of weeds. other activities that expose bare soil to the forces of erosion • Congregating livestock deposit manure and urine in concentrated areas. • Poorly constructed or maintained septic sys- Unmanaged grazing practices can damage the tems structure and function of riparian areas in simi- • Industrial or municipal activities that involve lar ways: disposal of toxic materials • Livestock transport seeds and vegetative • Runoff of lawn chemicals, road salt, oil and propagules of noxious weeds into riparian tar from roads, yard waste, and other urban areas. wastes • Most livestock selectively congregate in ri- Poor upstream land management practices parian areas, especially during hot weather. can also degrade riparian areas by increasing the • During hot, dry weather, livestock selectively potential for: graze on the more palatable species found in • Flooding of pasturelands moist riparian areas, in preference to woodier • Streambank erosion and the loss of or more mature plants found in upland ar- pastureland into the stream eas. • Transport of contaminated soil onto • Livestock trample on moist riparian soil, caus- pastureland ing soil compaction, hindering plant growth, and breaking down streambanks. • Water contamination that could affect the health and productivity of livestock • Congregating livestock deposit manure and urine in and near streams. • Loss of dependable quantities of water to meet the needs of livestock • Livestock trample or congregate in streams, loosening bottom sediments and damaging The ATTRA publication Protecting Riparian stream channel shape and structure. Areas: Farmland Management Strategies discusses strategies for developing effective watershed Table 2 provides more detailed information management programs that recognize that every- on the potential impacts of unmanaged grazing one living in a watershed contributes to water- in riparian areas on soil and water resources, shed problems and has a responsibility to find wildlife habitat, and human health and economic and implement solutions to these problems. This concerns. publication also provides a list of government While conservationists and other non-farm programs that may be able to provide you with community members often blame farmers and economic or technical assistance as you seek to ranchers for riparian degradation, these rural land implement riparian protection practices. managers may also be victims of poor upstream urban and suburban land management practices. Non-agricultural land use practices such as for- Managed Grazing for estry, home building, road construction, and ur- ban and suburban development can also decrease Riparian Protection water infiltration and increase runoff, erosion, and Farmers and ranchers use managed grazing contaminant transport into riparian areas (Wang practices in various areas of the country to im- et al., 1997). These non-agricultural activities that can degrade downstream grazed pastures or prove pasture productivity, increase livestock rangelands include: growth, and protect riparian areas (Lyons et al., 2000; Clark 1998; Skinner and Hiller, 1996). The • Replacement of forests and fields by houses, term “managed grazing” encompasses a range roads, and parking lots that do not permit of strategies and philosophies. But the most criti- water infiltration and encourage rapid, short- cal component is management. term or flash flooding in streams and ditches Most riparian grazing results suggest that the • Artificial stream widening or straightening specific grazing system used is not of dominant
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 5 ______Table 2 continued on page 7 ______and the Environment? ______What are the Effects on Society ______grow organisms tion place ______• Decrease in available oxygen • Formation of toxic compounds • Decreased ability of fish to spawn and • Change in aquatic species • Human health impacts • Increased water treatment costs • Impaired spawning and foraging by aquatic • Disruption of fish migration • Alteration in aquatic food web • Increased cost of water filtration • Increased flooding • Reduced groundwater recharge • Lowered water table • Removal of submerged vegetation • Reduced aquatic habitat diversity • of fish to flash floods Vulnerability • Increased streambank erosion • Lowered groundwater table • Narrowing of the riparian zone • Replacement of riparian by upland vegeta- • Decreased plant roots to hold banks in • Increased water turbidity • Fewer hiding spaces and pools for fish • Reduced spawning habitat • Suffocation of fish eggs ______from manure added to streams areas and streams areas and streams structure, and form stability _ _ _ _ _ How do Livestock Affect ______Soil and Water Resources? Soil and Water • Nutrients and pathogens • Sediment loading of riparian • Increased erosion • Sediment loading of riparian • Reduced water infiltration • Increased runoff • Increased water velocity • Change in channel shape, • Decreased streambank ______High Risk for Damage? ______When are Riparian Areas at ______streams during times of heavy rainfall or snowmelt during the dry season when water levels are low the same area for an extended period of time plant growth themselves in the shade of streamside trees in the stream available and livestock have unrestricted access to streams for drinking water ______• When manure is deposited near • When manure is deposited in streams • When soils are wet or saturated • When animals graze or congregate in • During plant emergence • When environmental conditions slow • When forages are overgrazed • When soil is wet or saturated • When there is little vegetation cover • When it is hot and livestock seek to cool • When livestock seek to cool themselves • When alternative water sources are not ______Activities _ Livestock Table 2. Unmanaged Grazing Impacts on Riparian Structure and Function Impacts on Riparian Structure Grazing 2. Unmanaged Table ______in and near streams and congregating by livestock livestock trampling by livestock tram- pling and grazing streambanks by trampling ______• Manure deposition • trampling In-stream • Soil compaction by • Loss of vegetation • Breakdown of _ _ _ _
PAGE 6 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS ______and the Environment? ______What are the Effects on Society ______isms tures tion habitat tures uptake by noxious species ______• Less food for stream and aquatic organ- • Less shade and higher stream tempera- • Decrease in streambank stability • Less sediment trapping • Decreased water infiltration • Replacement of riparian by upland vegeta- • Loss of sensitive bird species and wildlife • Decline in streambank stability • Less shade and higher stream tempera- • Loss of habitat for wildlife • Loss of food and habitat for wildlife table lowered because of high water • Water • Decreased amount of palatable forages ______Sources: Sovell et al., 2000; Belsky 1999; Leonard 1997; Beegle 1998 ______cover age diversity cover species by noxious weeds How do Livestock Affect _ _ _ _ Soil and Water Resources? Soil and Water _ _ • Decreased herbaceous • Decreased species and • Decreased tree and shrub • Displacement of native ______Risk for Damage? ______When are Riparian Areas at High _ plant growth animals congregate near streams other areas of the pasture degraded to favor propagation of noxious or invasive weed species _ _ _ • When soils are wet or saturated • During plant emergence • When environmental conditions slow • When forages are overgrazed • When forages are limited • During the hot, dry season when • When noxious plants are present in • When riparian areas are sufficiently ______Activities _ Livestock _ _ _ _ Table 2. Unmanaged Grazing Impacts on Riparian Structure and Function, cont’d. Impacts on Riparian Structure Grazing 2. Unmanaged Table _ and trampling by livestock on palatable species and shrubs of seeds and vegetative propagules of noxious weeds into riparian areas _ _ _ _ • Continuous grazing • Selective grazing • Browsing on trees • Livestock transport _ _
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 7 importance, but good management is—with con- water that is cleaner, resulting in fewer veteri- trol of use in riparian areas a key item (Clary and nary bills and more productive growth. The ap- Webster, 1989). propriate watering system for your farm or ranch Other critical components of riparian grazing depends on the source of water, terrain of the practices include (Leonard et al., 1997; Clary and land, and power availability for pumping (Burns Webster, 1989): and Buschermohle, 2000; Fyck, 2000). For large • Combining managed upland grazing prac- farms, solar or wind power may be an effective tices with good riparian grazing management source of energy for pumping water. Of the two, solar power is usually the more cost-effective • Installing alternative watering systems and since it is relatively easy to install, requires little controlling grazing to minimize deposition of maintenance, and remains reliable for a long time manure in or near streams (Morris et al., 2000; Buschermohle and Burns, • Adapting grazing management practices to 2000). Further information can be found in the local conditions and to the species being ATTRA publications Solar-powered Livestock Wa- grazed tering Systems and Freeze Protection for Solar-pow- ered Livestock Watering Systems. • Employing long-term rest from grazing when If livestock need to cross streams, provide riparian areas are highly degraded them with controlled stream crossings in the form • Employing short-term or seasonal rest to pro- of bridges, ramps, or designated fords. For des- tect wet streambanks and riparian vegetation ignated fords, cover the stream bottom with that is emerging, regenerating, or setting seed coarse gravel to provide the animals with firm footing, while discouraging them from congre- • Maintaining streambank structure and func- gating or wallowing in the stream (Undersander tion by maintaining a healthy cover of ripar- and Pillsbury, 1999). In areas where streambanks ian vegetation or riparian vegetation is degraded and livestock • Using a flexible approach that involves docu- exclusion is necessary to allow riparian areas to menting mistakes so that they are not re- recover, solar-powered electric fences can pro- peated vide a relatively inexpensive and low-mainte- Grazing management guidelines to accom- nance method for setting up paddocks and ex- plish these objectives are provided in Table 3. Use Practices that Keep Livestock from Streams and Streambanks. As with up- land grazing practices, livestock should be man- aged to ensure that they optimize forage use, graze evenly across paddocks, and do not congregate in any cer- tain area. Constructing small paddocks that are more square than rect- ©2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS angular and placing water and any supple- Controlled access points for ments at different cor- stream crossing ners of the paddocks en- courages livestock to clusion areas (Morris et al., move around pad- ©2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS 2000). Your local Natural Re- docks. Alternative wa- sources Conservation Service ter systems and con- can provide technical—and pos- trolled crossing areas are critical management sibly some economic—assistance in the installa- tools for riparian areas. Providing livestock with tion of stream crossings. water away from the stream keeps them from Pastures that include a combination of ripar- trampling and undercutting streambanks when ian and upland areas should be grazed only when they go to drink. It also can provide them with both areas have good-quality forages and tem-
PAGE 8 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS Table 3. Riparian Management Guidelines
______Management Objectives Management Practices Allow degraded riparian areas to • Fence livestock out of heavily damaged riparian areas recover • Monitor area to identify regeneration of healthy riparian struc- tures and functions • If necessary, revegetate riparian areas using native grasses and annuals and proper land preparation practices • Allow new plants to become well established before allowing livestock to graze in the revegetated area.
Minimize livestock dependency on • Limit grazing to times when the palatability of upland vegeta- riparian vegetation tion is relatively similar to that of the riparian vegetation • Install fences to enclose “special use” riparian paddocks which should be both relatively small to allow for careful manage- ment and include a combination of ecologically similar upland and riparian areas
Allow riparian vegetation to grow • Allow grazed plants to reestablish leaf area and build up stored and reproduce reserves in their roots before regrazing the area • Do not graze vegetatively reproducing plants while they are spreading • Do not graze seed producing plants while they are setting seed • Do not graze when environmental conditions, such as cold weather or drought, restrict plant growth • Control noxious weed growth in upland pastures to minimize movement of seeds and vegetative propagules into riparian areas
• Do not allow grazing while the soil is wet or saturated Reduce soil compaction • Do not graze compacted areas during spring thaws, during periods in winter before the land freezes, or when thaw condi- tions are likely • Do not graze riparian areas when banks are sloughing or break- ing down • Minimize prolonged grazing or congregation around water, un- der shade, or in other favored areas • Discourage the formation of pathways
• Provide livestock with alternative sources of water Minimize stream bank degradation • Provide livestock with designated stream crossing areas • Do not allow livestock to congregate in riparian areas for ex- tended periods
• Place mineral supplements and watering tanks away from Reduce concentration of manure streambanks in or near streams • Place sharp stones in any water crossing areas to discourage lounging in streams • Construct ramps or bridges to provide stream crossings that are not within the stream bed
Sources: Undersander and Pillsbury, 1999; Fitch and Adams, 1998; Moseley et al., 1998; Elmore, 1992
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 9 peratures are moderate. In arid areas, this usually occurs in late spring, while in more humid areas it occurs in late spring to late summer. If forage availability in upland areas is limited, livestock will selectively graze the riparian areas. They will also congregate in riparian areas during hot weather since the riparian areas are cooler. Unless grazing times are limited, animals will congregate along streambanks, causing soil compaction, vegetation loss by trampling and overgrazing, and water qual- ity problems by depositing manure close to streams.
Methods for attracting livestock away from riparian areas (Leonard et al., 1997) • Provide alternative watering systems. • Plant palatable forage species on adjacent upland areas. • Graze riparian areas when upland vegetation is abundant and riparian vegetation is in peak growth. Do not graze riparian areas when they are wet or scorched by drought. • Use prescribed burning on upland areas to enhance forage production and palatability. • Place feed supplements such as salt, grain, hay, or molasses in upland areas of paddocks away from the riparian areas. • Place brush or boulders along streambanks to discourage livestock from grazing and congregating in riparian areas .
gaining beef animals feeding on more sparse veg- Funded by a Southern Sustainable Agricul- etation. ture Research and Education (SARE) grant, Similarly, guidelines for well-managed ripar- researchers at Virginia Tech worked with a ian grazing systems cannot be “one size fits all.” grazier to determine when “alternative water- Instead: ing systems could attract grazing cattle— The effectiveness of a given system depends on which naturally seek cool streams during sum- how well it fits both the ecological conditions of mer—away from the river. The impact was the grazing area and the management require- dramatic. The cattle clearly preferred to go to ments of the livestock enterprise. Too often a the water troughs. This resulted in decreased grazing system developed for a specific applica- nutrient loading and sedimentation in the tion has been used elsewhere without adequate stream” (Berton, 1998). consideration of local site conditions (Elmore, 1992). Adapt Grazing Management Practices to Local Conditions. Upland managed graz- ing seeks to integrate forage and live- stock production. This requires pro- ducers to adapt grazing practices to the type of livestock being raised, local en- vironmental conditions, and seasonal climate changes. Thus, dairy farmers in Wisconsin or New York use very intensive rotational schedules for their milking herds, while beef farmers in Colorado or New Mexico use a much more extensive longer-duration rota- tion schedule. The difference in the grazing practices of these two situa- tions reflects differences between high- production dairy herds feeding on lush, rapidly growing forages and slower- ©2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS
PAGE 10 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS Adaptation to local conditions involves understanding the following characteristics of the riparian areas being managed: • What is (or was) the native vegetation: forests, shrubs and brush; or grasses, sedges, and reeds? • What is the stream order: a first-order headwaters or a higher order tributary? • What is the stream channel geology: is it rocky, gravelly, or composed of sediments? • Is it a cold (trout) stream or a warm-water stream? • What are the climatic conditions: is it humid or arid? Are winters cold throughout the season, or do freeze–thaw conditions occur? • During which season do the heaviest rains usually fall: when vegetation is actively growing or during times when vegetation is dormant or emerging? You need to take these issues into consideration when you develop and implement riparian graz- ing practices. If, instead, you follow “to the letter” practices developed in an environment different from your own, your well-intentioned management efforts may prove to be ineffective or even detri- mental to riparian protection. See Table 4 for guidelines in selecting managed riparian grazing sys- tems appropriate to your locality and to the management objectives of your farm or ranch.
Sovell et al. (2000), working in southeastern Minnesota, demonstrated that streams with grassy buffers were able to catch and filter eroded sediments better than woody buffers, which had little understory vegetation. They also found that when grassy riparian areas were continuously grazed, streams had high coliform counts and turbidity. But when grassy riparian areas were rotationally grazed, water quality was not significantly different from that measured in ungrazed grassy buffer strips.
They noted that rotational grazing did cause coliform counts to rise briefly while the cattle were grazing on streambanks. However, these counts decreased within two weeks after taking animals out of the riparian paddocks.
Based on these results, the researchers concluded that for streams that move slowly through the plains and rolling hills of Minnesota, rotationally grazing riparian areas can protect water quality as well as, if not better than, some woody buffers. They also found that short-duration rotational grazing of streambanks had only limited and short-term impacts on water quality.
Employ Long-term Rest from Livestock areas (Shock, 2000; Moseley et al., 1998; Whitaker- Hoagland et al., 1998; Platts and Raleigh, 1984): when Riparian Areas are Highly Degraded. While grazing and riparian restoration can coex- • A low water table and decreased water stor- age capacity ist in many areas, in highly degraded areas live- stock exclusion is necessary to initiate the recov- • Slow vegetative growth and poor forage pro- ery process. The duration of the necessary rest duction period depends on the amount of degradation, • Limited vegetation and roots to help protect the local environmental conditions, and whether and stabilize banks active restoration practices are being implemented in addition to providing the area with rest from • Change in vegetation species and types, re- livestock. Ultimately, the objective of providing placement of native vegetation by exotic veg- rest is the recovery of the streambank and its func- etation, or replacement of water-loving veg- tional riparian plant community (Clary and etation by upland vegetation Webster, 1989). • In areas with woody riparian areas, reduced Before discussing methods for resting and numbers and health of trees, combined with restoring riparian areas, let’s examine some typi- limited shade and higher temperatures of cal characteristics of severely damaged riparian stream water
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 11 Comments for special use such as reserve forage or dormant season grazing ing selected to favor growth of desired vegetation and to de- ter propagation of undesired species ten hesitant to install corridor fences address management needs of the broader landscape • Designate riparian paddocks • Season and duration of graz- • Farmers and ranchers are of- • Corridor fencing alone does not Table 4 continued on page 13 land forages are still plenti- ful store favorable riparian con- ditions and may exclude use of ri- parian areas that have be- come revegetated and en- vironmentally functional nent fences allow more man- agement flexibilty at a lower cost Management Guidelines • Remove livestock while up- • Monitor and manage to re- • Permanent fences are costly • Electric or other non-perma- Pasture Layout available in upland areas so livestock do not depend on ri- parian vegetation for their for- aging needs that livestock impact on soil and vegetation can be care- fully monitored and managed management objectives, such as weed management dant on condition of upland vegetation graded riparian areas When to Use This Practice • Enough good quality forage • Paddocks relatively small so • Useful for obtaining specific • of grazing not depen- Timing • Provides rapid recovery of de- Table 4. Managed Riparian Grazing Systems Riparian Grazing 4. Managed Table System Description of Grazing paddocks containing both upland and riparian vegeta- tion separately from uplands stock from stream-bank ar- eas by fences • Relatively small rangeland • Riparian areas managed • Permanent exclusion of live- Practice Management Pasture Riparian-Upland Riparian Pasture Corridor Fencing ______
PAGE 12 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS Comments and Webster, 1989; Elmore, 1992. and Webster, stocking can produce hoof ac- tion that helps incorporate ma- nure and seeds into soil while increasing pathways for water infiltration tal in arid areas where micro- biotic crusts are critical for soil health ian areas if brush or less pal- atable weeds need to be cleared out limit grazing time during the late summer rotation to when herbaceous crops are only half used. This will limit livestock feeding on woody plants. crease the amount of time land is rested and will further pro- tect woody species • Short-duration, intensive • Hoof action can be detrimen- • Goats can be grazed in ripar- • If used in woody riparian areas, • Adding more pastures will in- stock should be moved when 4 to 6 inches of for- ages remain sity of grazing can be used to control weed growth watering systems and other practices that encourage animals to congregate away from streambanks practice that rests each pas- ture area once every 3 years protect against streambank degradation in spring and forage depletion in the fall Management Guidelines • In most riparian areas, live- • Specialized timing and inten- • Implement with alternative • A semi-extensive grazing • Needs to be managed Guidelines for Rotating Animals for protection of critical ripar- ian resources production livestock opera- tions erations healthy condition prior to us- ing this system cal needs of herbaceous plants shrub-dominated riparian ar- eas since young woody plants do not have sufficient rest time to become established When to Use This Practice • Intensive management allows • Useful for dairy and other high • Good for beef production op- • Riparian areas should be in • Designed to meet physiologi- • Not appropriate for use in System Sources: Undersander and Pillsbury 1999; Fitch Adams, 1998; Mosley et al., Leonard 1997; Clark, Clary Table 4. Managed Riparian Grazing Systems, cont’d. Systems, Riparian Grazing 4. Managed Table grazing and rest among sev- eral paddocks the rate of plant growth taining ecological and pro- duction objectives ing times when risks to the environment are limited riods used but not managed as intensively time-con- trolled grazing year tures - year 1: spring graz- ing; year 2: late summer and fall grazing; year 3: complete rest Description of Grazing • Uses recurring periods of • Rate of rotation varies with • Management focuses on ob- • Livestock grazed only dur- • Relatively short grazing pe- Three pasture rotation system • Only 2 pastures grazed each • Rotation schedule for pas- Practice Management grazing Time-controlled Seasonal rotation Three pasture rest rotation system ______
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 13 • Excessive sediment in the channel from bank planted through this matting. In less de- and upland erosion graded areas, grazing once or twice in the late summer can control weeds. • Reduced or eliminated late-summer stream flows • Using the natural regeneration of plants to guide your choice of plants to use for assisted • Poor fish habitat because of poor water qual- revegetation. ity and/or poor channel morphology • Planting native grasses and forbs if riparian • Poor wildlife habitat quality vegetation is not able to regenerate naturally. • High coliform bacteria counts from upland • Stabilizing streambanks with rip-rap or fast- waters or adjacent land growing plants before revegetating other por- Areas that are badly degraded or have been tions of the riparian area. abused for many years will take a long time to recover. Similarly, riparian areas in more fragile • Allowing new plants to become well estab- environments, such as arid regions or areas with lished before allowing livestock to graze in long winters, will take a longer time to recover the revegetated area. This establishment pe- than areas with more moderate climates or more riod may last several years, especially in arid humid conditions. In western ranges, degraded or severely degraded areas. areas should be rested until vegetation provides Grazing Duration. You can rotationally a complete cover over the soil surface and at least graze riparian areas that have established a high half of the vegetation is composed of natural spe- water table and a diverse cover of water-loving cies (Winward, 1989). For riparian areas across vegetation while not harming, and in some cases the country, the rest period should also allow for even benefiting, riparian conditions. However, the establishment of suffi- the length of time that cient vegetation to stabi- an area can be grazed lize the streambank, filter and the duration of sediments, and allow nu- rest periods between trient recycling. Manage- grazing cycles de- ment practices that favor pends on the plant riparian area revegetation species growing in the include (Askey-Doran, riparian area, the type 2002; Oversby and Smith, of livestock you are 2001; Undersander and grazing, the amount Pillsbury, 1999; Briggs, of prior degradation, 1993): local environmental • Checking to see conditions, and your whether seed sources ©2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS production objectives. for native plants are Providing riparian ar- still present in the area. If they are, allow eas with sufficient rest for critical plant species these plants to reestablish naturally for one to regrow and reproduce is central to maintain- year. ing riparian health. In fact, several leading re- searchers and practitioners stress that timing rest • Being aware that weed growth will surge for periods appropriately and providing a sufficient a time after livestock are excluded from the duration of rest are more important than the spe- riparian area. If seed sources for native plants cific grazing practice used (Leonard et al., 1997; are present, these plants will be able to com- Elmore, 1992). pete with upland plant species as soil condi- Graziers often use stubble height to monitor tions improve and the water table rises. upland pasture conditions and to help them make • Providing weed control, especially if invasive decisions regarding when to rotate livestock. or noxious weeds are present. If you prefer Stubble height can also be used as a management not to use herbicides, you can smother weeds tool in riparian areas. The recommended height with organic matting. Desired plants can be of forage residues following grazing differs ac-
PAGE 14 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS cording to environmental conditions (Clary and growth before winter or grazed later in the fall, Leininger, 2000). For example: but only on a limited and well-monitored basis. • Four-inch (10 cm) stubble will usually main- Timed grazing can also be used to protect tain plant vigor, trap sediment, and protect healthy vegetative growth in riparian areas. Pe- soils from compaction when trampled. riodic grazing can be used to remove the apical meristems or top portions of grasses and sedges. • In woody streambanks, moving livestock af- This promotes vegetative reproduction by stimu- ter they have grazed the forage to 6–8 inches lating the sprouting of additional stalks or tillers (15–20 cm) may be necessary to ensure that (Mosley et al., 1998). However, in areas where they are not feeding on willows or other ri- annual plants are critical components of the ri- parian trees because of a lack of non-woody parian ecosystem, grazing should not occur when forages. these species are setting seed. • Stubble height is not a useful guide in areas Table 5 provides a summary of environmen- where streambanks are rocky or where tal conditions to consider when deciding which woody vegetation dominates in the riparian seasons are most appropriate for riparian graz- zone. ing in your area. Seasonality of rotational grazing prac- A report from the Saskatchewan Riparian tices in healthy riparian areas. Besides du- Project (Huel, 1998) describes how careful tim- ration of grazing, the time of year when livestock ing and reduced duration of grazing in ripar- are allowed access to riparian areas is also criti- ian areas improved environmental conditions cal to maintaining and restoring riparian health. and productivity on a ranch in the east-cen- Factors that determine the appropriate time to tral part of the province: graze animals in riparian areas include: • Riparian soil moisture following snowmelt, The 3700 acre pasture had previously been rainfall, and heavy streamflows divided into two very large paddocks which • Dominant type of riparian vegetation and its were grazed continuously throughout the sum- periods of peak growth and dormancy mer by two herds of cattle. The cattle spent most of their time close to the creek, over- • Reproductive characteristics of critical ripar- grazing this area while areas farther away ian plants: do they reproduce vegetatively or were hardly grazed at all. This resulted in by seed? If by seed, when does it set? poor riparian condition, productivity and se- • Freeze and thaw cycles during the winter vere damage to the streambanks. In 1993, a grazing management plan divided the two Riparian areas should not be grazed when large paddocks into eleven smaller units and they are wet and most vulnerable to compaction. created additional water sources. The ripar- In the northern U.S., this means excluding ani- ian area was divided into three paddocks, one mals from riparian areas during late winter snow- or two of which are rested each year. When melts and spring rains and not allowing animals these paddocks are grazed, gazing is deferred in until the soil dries. Similarly, in areas with until the end of summer. These practices heavy late-season rains, livestock should be have improved the condition and productivity moved out of riparian areas in the fall. Timing of riparian grazing is important for of the riparian area considerably as indicated preventing erosion and the degradation of soil by plants returning to the areas of bare soil and water quality. In the spring, grazing should on the streambanks. These environmental be delayed until vegetation completely covers the benefits have been achieved with no overall riparian soil. This ensures that animals do not reduction in livestock numbers. dislodge bare soils and cause erosion. Fall graz- ing can be used in some areas if it is carefully monitored, leaving enough vegetation at the end Understand How Different Livestock of the season to protect against spring runoff and Species Graze. Grazing managers should un- erosion. Thus, riparian areas should either be derstand the grazing patterns of the animals they grazed in the early fall to allow for forage re- manage (Stuth, 1991). Different species prefer
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 15 Comments from year to that loaf in riparian areas can mix seeds and litter with the soil how dry soils need to be before livestock can trample on streambanks without causing compaction herbaceous plants woody species • grazing locations Vary • Cull or exclude animals • Hoof action in the spring • Soil texture determines • Promotes the growth of • Decreases the growth of Management Guidelines fore ground thaws the capture of spring runoff tion to ensure that livestock are not forced to depend on trees for forage ian areas growth and root production plete cover remains to protect soil against winter and spring runoff erosion ensure protection of these plants • Remove livestock from riparian areas be- • Maintain sufficient vegetation cover for • Monitor stands of herbaceous vegeta- • Place salt and minerals away from ripar- • Manage grazing to ensure adequate seed • Monitor vegetation cover to ensure a com- • Monitor browsing on woody species to Sources: Undersander and Pillsbury 1999; Mosley et al., 1998; Leonard 1997; Elmore, 1992. Is This Practice Appropriate for your Area? freeze-thaw conditions young or becoming established with times when the palatability of up- land forage is similar to that of riparian forages streambanks have dried out, but remove livestock before vegetation growth slows down because of late summer dry con- ditions cies have become productive on adja- cent upland areas seeds have ripened and been dispersed streambank temperatures discourage animals from congregating in riparian areas • Requires cold winters that do not have • Should not be used when trees are • In arid areas, time grazing to coincide • In humid climates, graze after • Initiate grazing when cool-season spe- • Defer grazing until grass and sedge • Effective in areas where cool Table 5. Appropriate Times for Grazing for Times 5. Appropriate Table as Affected by Local Environmental Conditions as Affected Local Environmental by riparian areas during winter after the ground has frozen riparian areas during spring is deferred until fall Description of Grazing System • Livestock graze • Livestock graze • Livestock grazing Practice Fall grazing Spring grazing Winter grazing Management ______
PAGE 16 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS different forages and graze them to different for weed control, see the ATTRA publication, heights. Species that forage on shrubs and trees Multispecies Grazing. may do so at different stages in the plants’ growth. Different livestock species also have dif- ferent herding and camping characteristics. Graz- A ranching family in the Diablo Canyon area ing management practices should be designed to of California has restored native perennial work with an animal’s natural preferences and grasses by using high-density short-duration instincts (Leonard et al., 1997). grazing with cattle and browsing of coastal Grazing livestock in riparian areas on hot days scrub by goats. They rotate Spanish meat should be avoided since animals tend to congre- goats through brushy areas two to three times gate on streambanks where they find shade and per year. This practice has allowed them to cooling breezes. Conversely, on cool days, cold “demonstrate effective and environmentally air pockets found in riparian areas will discour- sensitive vegetation management within the age livestock from grazing or congregating in scope of an economically viable meat goat these areas (Moseley et al., 1998). Sheep tend to business” (Macon, 2002). cause less damage to ripar- ian areas than cattle be- cause they do not like to congregate in low-lying ar- Summary eas where they feel vulner- able to predation (Glimp Management intensive rota- and Swanson, 1994). In tional grazing provides farmers contrast, large herbivores, and ranchers with a method for such as cattle, are “central productively managing their place foragers,” with their livestock while protecting eco- central place being near logically important riparian eco- water (Stuth, 1991). systems. To be effective, these Specialized grazing management practices must be management practices can flexibly implemented based on also successfully control knowledge of local climate, na- weeds and non-native tive riparian vegetation, current woody species. By under- riparian health, and livestock be- standing the growth habits havior. and reproductive cycles of Rotational grazing can also noxious and non-native be installed incrementally to plants in relation to those ©2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS obtain the most benefit from of desired riparian plants, each change. For example: the timing and duration of livestock grazing can • First, install alternative watering systems be managed to favor their feeding on weeds or away from streambanks. This will increase unwanted brush (Paine and Ribic, 2001). Chang- animal productivity by ensuring access to ing or combining livestock species can also help clean water while protecting riparian areas control weeds. For example, goats can be used by encouraging animal congregation around to control blackberries, multiflora rose, honey- the troughs rather than on streambanks or in suckle, and many other troublesome plants streambeds. (Luginbuhl et al., 2000). In California, goats are used to control yellow star thistle (Pittroff, 2001), • Alternatively, install controlled stream access and in Wisconsin, a research study is using Scot- points. Encouraging animals to drink or cross tish Highland cattle in rotational grazing to help streams in specific, managed locations will control prickly ash, multiflora rose, wild pars- cut down on random trampling of nip, and box elder (Shepard, 2001). For more streambanks, and will also decrease the risk information on the use of multispecies grazing of animal injury.
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 17 • Secondly, improve upland forage quality through a combination of rotational grazing, overseeding, and fertility management. As upland forage quality improves, animals will be less likely to selec- tively feed on riparian plants. • As you install fences for rotational grazing, set up sufficient paddocks to keep livestock out of riparian areas during times when these areas are most vulnerable to degradation. High-risk times include when the soil is wet or partially frozen, when plants are emerging or setting seed, or when plant cover is limited because of dry conditions. While the guidelines provided in this publication can assist you in the design and initial implemen- tation of productive and environmentally beneficial riparian grazing practices, locally appropriate management requires ongoing monitoring of livestock and riparian health. It also requires the flexibil- ity to revise management practices based on your observations and management objectives. Coop- erative Extension Educators, Natural Resource Conservation Service grazing specialists, and other experienced graziers can help you monitor and adjust your grazing practices. Grazing groups pro- vide an excellent opportunity to learn from the experience of others, while providing you with the opportunity to ask questions about practices you are trying out on your farm. For a list of grazing groups in the U.S. and suggestions for starting a group, see the ATTRA publication Grazing Networks for Livestock Producers. Recommended References Citation Annotation Pasture management in moist climates Clark, E.A. 1998. Landscape variables affecting live- Provides an overview of grazing impacts on water stock impacts on water quality in the humid temperate quality in humid climates. This paper argues that the zone. Canadian Journal of Plant Sciences. Vol. 78. potential impact of grazing on water quality is affected p. 181–190. by climate, landforms, and biophysical characteris- tics of the watershed. Managed grazing practices can minimize impacts of livestock on water quality. ______Huel, D. 1998. Streambank Stewardship: A A well-illustrated guide to riparian area ecology, res- Saskatchewan Riparian Project. Saskatchewan Wet- toration, and agricultural use. Contains several ripar- land Conservation Corporation. Regina, ian health checklists and case studies of farmers and Saskatchewan. Accessed at:
Recommended References continued on page 19
PAGE 18 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS ______Annotation Recommended References continued on page 20 A Power Point slide presentation that provides guidelines for management of riparian areas in Indiana grazing systems. Focus is primarily on alternative water systems and stream crossing areas used to minimize the time animals spend in and near streams. A short but clearly written pamphlet focusing on intensive managed grazing of grassy streamside pastures. Practical advice on paddock layout, installing alternative watering systems, reseeding streambanks, and managing trees in riparian areas is provided. Provides recommendations for grazing methods appropriate to riparian areas at different levels of functional health or degradation. Focuses on the use of grazing practices to achieve environ- mental objectives including streambank stabilization and habitat restoration. Describes the role of riparian areas in protecting water quality and storing for recharge subsurface aquifers and how poorly managed grazing practices have degraded these functional capabilities of riparian areas. Several types rotational and seasonal grazing practices are described, with their application to specific environmental conditions emphasized. A concise overview of riparian management objectives is followed by a detailed discussion livestock interactions with the riparian environment and how grazing practices that protect ripar- ian areas take both animal behavior and plant growth characteristics into account. Particular emphasis is placed on grazing management strategies and their impact riparian areas. Guide- lines are provided to help producers determine the appropriateness of strategies for their loca- tion. A very detailed Web page developed by a multi-agency program in Alberta, Canada. Includes highly illustrated, easy-to-use checklists for monitoring streambank health, water quality in ripar- and grazing practices. Also provides agency personnel with guidelines ian areas, biodiversity, for implementing community-based riparian protection programs. Case studies of communities and producers are available through this Web site. http:// Recommended References, cont’d. References, Recommended >. http://www.cowsandfish.org/ Citation >. Range management in arid environments Pasture management in moist climates, cont’d. Clary, W.P., and B.F. Webster. 1989. Managing grazing of Webster. and B.F. W.P., Clary, Rep. riparian areas in the Intermountain Region. Gen. Tech. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest INT-263. Ogden, UT: Service, Intermountain Research Station. 1992. Riparian responses to grazing practices. Elmore, W. Management: Balancing In: R.J. Naiman (ed.) Watershed Sustainability and Environmental Change. Springer-Verlag. New York. Elsbernd, M.Borman, and S. Leonard, S., G. Kinch, V. Swanson. 1997. Riparian Area Management: Grazing Man- Reference Areas. Technical agement for Riparian-Wetland Bureau of Land 1737-14. U.S. Department of the Interior. Management. National Applied Resource Sciences Center. CO. Denver, Cows and Fish. Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Pro- gram. 2002. Accessed at: < index.html Shelton, V. No date. Streamside Grazing in Indiana. Natural Shelton, V. Resources Conservation Service. Accessed at: < www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/glti/presentations.html 1999. Grazing Streamside D., and B. Pillsbury. Undersander, Pastures. University of Wisconsin Extension, Madison, WI. 16 p. ______
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 19 ______Annotation Recommended References continued on page 21 Profiles of nine ranches in California and how land owners managers have implemented changes to enhance the productivity of their operation while meeting stewardship goals. Each profile compares the historic management of land with current practices with emphasis placed on tools and innovations used to obtain management objectives. Ranchers also discuss how they modify practices based on on-going monitoring of their animals and land. This project is dedicated to research develop sustainable ranching techniques, increase rancher awareness of sustainable alternatives to conventional practices, and help ranchers increase the sustainability of their business. Besides written material, they also sell an audio tape series is based on information from the California Grazing Academy. An excellent list of annotated links to projects involved in riparian protection and management on western rangelands. A comprehensive survey of the scientific literature on livestock impacts riparian areas in arid, stream tables summarize livestock impacts on water quality, western rangelands. Well-referenced soils in riparian zones, instream vegetation, streambank vegeta- hydrology, channel morphology, tion, and aquatic riparian wildlife. While authors acknowledge differences between exten- sive and more managed grazing practices on riparian degradation the potential for most articles cited address impacts of extensive grazing. Authors note that a review recovery, the literature on managed grazing practices in West indicates that these afford but state that in all protection of riparian areas and allow these fragile ecosystems to recover, cases reviewed, exclusion provided better protection than riparian grazing. Developed as the basic policy handbook for NRCS to assist farmers and ranchers in planning applying resource conservation practices on rangelands, this document also serves as a detailed guide to the management and ecological assessment of rangelands. Chapters cover inventoring and behavior, grazing land resources, management of land, livestock nutrition, husbandry, rangeland and pastureland hydrology erosion, wildlife management on grazing land. Evalu- ation documents include detailed checklists of resource indicators including for riparian health and a decision support guide for considering riparians grazing. http:// Recommended References, cont’d. References, Recommended www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/ http://www.foothill.net/~ringram. Citation >. Range management in arid environments, cont’d. Riparian ecology and buffer management Belsky, A.J., A. Matzke, and S. Uselman. 1999. Survey of Belsky, livestock influences on stream and riparian ecosystems in the Conserva- western United States. Journal of Soil and Water 54, No. 1. p. 419–431. tion. Vol. R. H. Johnson, A.J. Norman, and L.D., J.B. Cropper, Butler, 2002. National Range and Pasture Handbook. Shaver. P.L. United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Institute, Conservation Service. Grazing Lands Technology TX 472 p. Accessed at: < Fort Worth, pdf/NRPH.PDF Macon, D. 2002. Grazing for Change: Range and Water- shed Management Success Stories in California. California Cattlemen’s Association, Sacramento, CA. Sustainable Ranching Research and Education Project: Ranching With Nature. University of California Cooperative Extension. 1998. Accessed at: Rangelands. and Riparian Area Issues of Western Water Rangelands West. Policy Issues. 2002. Accessed at: rangelandswest.org/policy/water.html ______
PAGE 20 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS ______Annotation Recommended References continued on page 22 A succinct review of the literature on buffer zones and water quality protection, focusing biochemical reactions in the reduced soil environment of stream buffers. Interrelationships be- tween denitrification, vegetative growth, and nutrient retention by buffers are clearly described. Seven pages of references. Provides an overview of stream corridors, steps in restoration plan development, and guidelines for implementing restoration of riparian areas. Part I describes stream corridor structure, pro- cesses, functions, and impacts of disturbances. Part II examines restoration plan development, and Part III describes how information in the first two parts can be used to create a riparian restoration initiative. impact of grazing and other land use manage- Chapters in this book address watershed ecology, ment practices on watershed structure and function, methods for organizing diverse groups of people to discuss watershed concerns and implement management practices policies. A comprehensive and clearly written overview of the ecology riparian areas. Issues ad- wildlife habitat, plant cover and diversity, dressed include nutrient cycling, channel morphology, and riparian restoration management. human impacts on riparian ecology, Describes structures, functions, and environmental services of riparian areas the impacts local environmental conditions and human activities on these characteristics. Detrimental im- pacts of human activities on riparian areas are subdivided into hydrological (stream) alteration, agricultural, industrial, urban, and recreational impacts. After reviewing the current status of riparian lands in the U.S., authors provide recommendations for land management practices, legal ordinances, and monitoring tools for riparian area protection. http:/ >. Recommended References, cont’d. References, Recommended http://books.nap.edu/ >. Citation http://www.riparianbuffers.umd.edu/manuals/ >. Riparian ecology and buffer management, cont’d. /www.usda.gov/stream_restoration/newtofc.htm Management: Balancing R.J. Naiman (ed.) Watershed Sustainability and Environmental Change. Springer-Verlag. New York. Naiman, R.J., and H. Decamps. 1997. The ecology of inter- faces: Riparian zones. Annual Review of Ecology and Sys- 28. p. 621–658. tematics. Vol. National Research Council. 2002. Riparian Areas: Func- tions and Strategies for Management. National Academy D.C. Accessed at: < Press. Washington, books/0309082951/html/index.html Correll, D.L. 1997. Buffer zones and water quality protection: Burt, K.W.T. general principles. In: N.E. Haycock, T.P. Goulding, and G. Pinay (eds.) Buffer Zones: Their Processes Protection. The Proceedings of the and Potential in Water International Conference on Buffer Zones September 1996. Quest Environmental. Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK. p. 7–20. Accessed at: < correll.html Federal Interagency Stream Restoration Working Group. 2001. Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes, and Prac- tices. Part 653 of the National Engineering Handbook. USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service. Accessed at: < ______
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 21 ______Annotation Recommended References continued on page 23 The form and function of riparian areas are described with particular emphasis on monitoring tools for assessing the condition of riparian areas. Scientific evidence is provided each indicator explaining potential causes for degradation and how changes in riparian structure affect environmental functions, such as water quality protection and provision of wildlife habitat. While this publication was developed to provide local governments in Georgia with guidelines developing riparian buffer protection plans, information contained in this document is relevant to most areas of the United States. Sections this publication examine structure and size buffers required to trap sediments, absorb phosphorus, and treat nitrogen flowing into riparian areas. It also discusses buffer conditions required to provide habitat for various terrestrial, bird, and aquatic species. The final section provides guidence to communities other localities involved in developing and implementing buffer management legislation. Contains 28 chapters from 52 recognized scientists and practitioners of watershed-scale resto- ration work. The book stresses the need for long-term approaches that emphasize community involvement and sound ecological principles. Includes case studies from around the country that address ecological principles, range management practices, and community action components of watershed management and restoration. Describes the importance of riparian areas as wildlife habitat and how grazing practices can impact on the quality and characteristics of this critical habitat. Recommeds removing grazing animals from areas inhabited by grassland birds while these are nesting. Also lists the amount of riparian buffer area required to provide protection for various wildlife species. Provides a detailed discription of vegetation community types as related to environmental condtions. Methods are provided for encouraging regeneration of desired riparian species and monitoring the progress of riparian revegetation. Species lists focus on vegetation native to western intermountain region. http:// http:// >. Recommended References, cont’d. References, Recommended >. Citation Riparian ecology and buffer management, cont’d. outreach.ecology.uga.edu/tools/buffers/lit_review.pdf outreach.ecology.uga.edu/tools/buffers/lit_review.pdf Dombeck (eds.) 1997. and M.P. J.E. Williams, C.A. Wood, Restoration Principles and Practices. American Watershed Bethesda, MD. Fisheries Society, R. Smith, S. A. Stacey, Whitaker-Hoagland, J., M. Howery, 1998. Man- and S. Stoodley. R. Masters, D. Leslie, Jr., Tully, aging riparian areas for wildlife. p. 55–61. In: M.S. Cooper (ed.) Riparian Area Management Handbook. Oklahoma Co- operative Extension Service. Division of Agricultural Services and Natural Resources. Oklahoma State University Okla- homa Conservation Commission. Accessed at: < Prichard, D. 1998. Riparian Area Management: A User’s Guide to Assessing Proper Functioning Condition and the Sup- Reference 1737- porting Science for Lotic Areas. Technical Bureau of Land Manage- 15. U.S. Department of the Interior, Denver, ment, National Applied Resource Sciences Center. CO. S. 1999. A Review of the Scientific Literature on Wenger, of Pub- Office Width, Extent and Vegetation. Riparian Buffer University of lic Service and Outreach. Institute of Ecology. Georgia. Athens, GA. Accessed at: < pearl.agcomm.okstate.edu/e952/e-952.pdf Reources in Winward, A.H. 2000. Monitoring the Vegetation Report RMRS-GTR-47. Riparian Areas. General Technical United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service. Rocky Mountain Research Station. Ogden, UT. ______
PAGE 22 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS ______Annotation Recommended References continued on page 24 Acessed at:
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 23 ______Annotation > >. A very comprehensive listing of literature relevant to riparian grazing, particularly in the eastern U.S. Contains both technical research studies on ecological interactions associated with riparian grazing and practical pasture–management guides. Document lists are sub-divided into 1) Prac- tical, on-the-ground information, 2) The stream bank, 3) riparian area, 4) upland and 5) Western United States Riparian Area Issues. 179 citations that can be organized by author or subject. Some contain abstracts, others only management, riparian grazing, buffer descriptive terms. Includes citations on riparian ecology, crop management and riparian areas, role of buffers in the control nutrient pesticide movement into streams. Lists 20 books and selected journal articles with particular emphasis on riparian ecology restoration. http:/ >. >. http://uvalde.tamu.edu/jrm/jrmhome.htm Recommended References, cont’d. References, Recommended >. Citation http://www.landstewardshipproject . or available from Land Stewardship http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/ http://www.swcs.org/f_pubs_journal.htm http://www.awra.org/jawra/index.html http://afs.allenpress.com/afsonline/?request=search-simple >. Journals with frequent articles on riparian protection, restoration, and managed grazing Bibliographies, cont’d. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 7515 N.E. Ankeny Road, Ankeny, Iowa 50021 Conservation. 7515 N.E. Ankeny Road, Ankeny, Journal of Soil and Water page: < Web Journal of Range Management. Web page: < Fisheries. American Fisheries Society 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Fisheries. American Fisheries Society 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110, Web page: < Journal of the American Water Resources Association. AWRA. Box 1626. Middleburg, VA 20118-1626. Box 1626. Middleburg, VA Resources Association. AWRA. Journal of the American Water page: < Web Driscoll, Melissa, and Bruce Vondracek. 2002. Water, Grass 2002. Water, Driscoll, Melissa, and Bruce Vondracek. & Livestock: An Annotated Bibliography of Riparian Grazing Publications. Land Stewardship Project. White Bear Lake, MN. 36 pp. Accessed at: .org/resources-pubs.html Project for $5.00. telephone: 651-653-0618 Makuch, Joe. 1995. Riparian Zones and Filter Strips in Agri- cultural Operations. January 1988–January 1995. Quick Bib- liographic Series no. QB 95–09. National Agricultural Library. Accessed at: < qb95-09.htm Williams, Jack. 2002. Annotated Bibliography of Riparian Ecosystems: Primary Literature Sources. Accessed at: < /www.mtnvisions.com/Aurora/biblio.html ______
PAGE 24 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS Buschermohle, M.J., and R. T. Burns. 2000. References Solar-powered livestock watering systems. University of Tennessee, Agricultural Angermeier, P.L. 1997. Conceptual roles of Extension Service. Accessed at: biological integrity and diversity. In: J.E.
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 25 Huel, D. 1998. Streambank Stewardship: A Mosley, J.C., P.S. Cook, A.J. Griffis, and J. Saskatchewan Riparian Project. O’Laughlin. 1998. Guidelines for Manag- Saskatchewan Wetland Conservation ing Cattle Grazing in Riparian Areas to Corporation. Regina, Saskatchewan. Protect Water Quality: Review of Research Accessed at:
PAGE 26 //MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS Shepard, R. 2001. Highland Cattle in Oak Whitaker-Hoagland, J., M. Howery, A. Stacey, Savanah Restoration. 2001 Report on the R. Smith, S. Tully, R. Masters, D. Leslie, Multi-Agency Land and Water Education Jr., and S. Stoodley. 1998. Managing Grant Program, University of Wisconsin- riparian areas for wildlife. p. 55–61. In: Extension. Accessed at:
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Caroline van Schaik of the Land Stewardship Project for providing me with a draft version of the excellent bibliography, Water, Grass, and Livestock. Special thanks to Laura Paine with University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension in Columbia County for her detailed review of this publication. ATTRA specialists Nancy Matheson, Tim Johnson, and Ron Morrow also provided excellent reviews and resource recommendations.
//MANAGED GRAZING IN RIPARIAN AREAS PAGE 27 ©2003 Photo by USDA-NRCS
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The electronic version of Managed Grazing in Riparian Areas is located at: HTML http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/managedgraze.html PDF http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/managedgraze.pdf
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