Rangeland Management Techniques

A Landowners Guide to Habitat Manipulation

Prepared by: Mandy Scott, Natural Resource Specialist -BLM North Park Habitat Partnership Program Colorado Division of Wildlife ·

To: North Park Ranchers and Land Owners

From: North Park Habitat Partnership Program

Subject: Brochure on Rangeland Management Techniques

Attached please find our new landowner's guide to habitat manipulation. This brochure is a general description of different rangeland management techniques used to reduce shrub cover, remove short stature trees, create more herbaceous understory for livestock grazing and to improve wildlife habitat. Included are tips on methodology, advantages, disadvantages, limitations and season of use. Results may vary according to site and environmental conditions at the time of treatment.

The North Park Habitat Partnership Committee meetings are open to the public and anyone is welcome to attend. Meeting dates are announced in the Jackson County Star, our local newspaper, or you may call for the next meeting date by calling (970) 723- 0020.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

100 Main Street +PO Box 737 +Walden, Colorado 80480-0737 Phone 970-723-0020 + Fax 970-723-0021 Rangeland Management Techniques

Prepared by: Mandy Scott, Natural Resources Specialist-BLM

Multiple Plant Top Growth Removal

Bulldozing -Cutting/crushing brush -Operates on steep slopes -Soil disturbance ranges -Not suitable on Winter -Grubbing trees & stumps -Can stimulate aspen and from light to heavy and rocky areas; best on -Removing scattered willow growth can increase erosion uniform areas tree/brush stands -Expensive -Not effective on -Used on oak, aspen, young plants pinyon-juniper, willow Cabling -For thinning only; less harsh -Reduced kill of small -Need to add weight -Not effective on Spring, treatment trees/shrubs of desirable to achieve desired kill sagebrush fall species -Not effective in -Essentially no damage to areas with dense shrub understory in shrubs pinyon-juniper areas -Tractors travel faster with cable

Roller Chopping -For crushing brush & -Incorporates organic -Not suited for -Early compacting woody material residue into soil rocky areas; spring, prior to burning steep slopes late fall -Thinning non-sprouting shrubs Mowing -Used to control -Prostrate plants not -Does not kill -Not suited for rocky areas -Best in early spring to small non damaged perennial or steep slopes prevent the spread of sprouting brush -Little effect on soil her~aceous plants rabbitbrush and -Effectively controls -Spreads invasives upright annuals Rabbitbrush when -Can done in late fall to done in the fall prevent disturbing sage grouse

Multiple Plant Entire Plant Removal Wheatland -Used on gentle terrain & -Effective on sagebrus:h -Re-seeding must -Suitable on -Early spring or early Plowing rock free areas J follow treatment gentle terrain fall when soils are I and rock free moist areas

Offset disking -Used to control brush on -Effectively controls -Must be followed by -Early spring, late fall hard, dry, heavy soils light to moderate seeding -Used to break up soil stands of sprouting compaction on brush reclamation areas & -Heavy kill with one construction sites treatment -Good on lightly rocky ; soils I

Root -Uprooting small brush; -Requires re-seeding -Not effective on -Summer Raking/Stacking combing roots from soil; following treatment wet/heavy soils piling & stacking uprooted trees Spring Tooth -Used to work down -Provides a good -Must seed after -Spring, fall Harrow rough plowing; seedbed treatment (broadcast control of weed or drill) seedlings; and seedbed preparation

Dixie Harrow -Used for treating -Diversifies age class -Up-roots grass -May require two Fall brush & creating in brush species that are passes depending on diversity in cover and -Improves already present how thick the brush is age class herbaceous -Can spread invasives understory and rabbitbrush

Chemical -Can be used to -Effective in -Expensive -Depending on -Varies, generally late control undesirable controlling or -Possible hazards to chemical and target spring and summer species thinning brush humans, wildlife and species, application -Thins brush -Can improve livestock must be done at the herbaceous -Possible kill of non- proper time in the understory target species plant's growth cycle -Difficult to be to be effective selective Fire -Effective -Reduce plant -Possible grazing -Requires adequate -Spring, fall management tool for competition deferment/rest conditions to achieve depending on rejuvenating -Increase soil before burning (fuel desired effect objectives decadent vegetation nutrients loads) -Benefits for wildlife -Increase plant -Grazing and livestock nutrient value deferment/rest after -Increase burning (plant forage/browse establishment) production -Temporary -Higher yields forage/brows loss -Improves habitat -Damage to non- diversity target plants -Earlier spring green- -Possible increase in up undesirable plants -Rejuvenates (Cheatgrass, sprouting rabbitbrush) shrubs/trees

-Increase forb -,. production -Reduces litter/allelopathic residue /· I North Park Habitat Partnership Program ( POBox737 100 Main Street \ Walden, CO 80480 \, ."') ~,r / "" ...... -... -----~

US FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE

PO BOX457 WALDEN CO 80480

Funding for this document was funded by: North Park Habitat Partnership Program Phone: 970-723-0020 Fax: 970-723-0021