Management of Canadian Prairie Rangeland Management of Canadian Prairie Rangeland Arthur W. Bailey, Ph.D., P.Ag. Professor Emeritus Rangeland Ecology and Management University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Email: [email protected] Duane McCartney, M.Sc. Retired Research Scientist Forage Beef Systems Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe, Alberta Michael P. Schellenberg, Ph.D., P.Ag., CPRM Range Plant Ecologist Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current, Saskatchewan Email: [email protected] © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010 AAFC No. 10144 Print Cat. No. A52-178/2010E ISBN 978-1-100-16646-9 Graphics: Science Publishing and Creative Services (E.C.) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada www.agr.gc.ca/scienceandinnovation Table of Contents Summary.............................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgements................................................................................................................. v Highlights............................................................................................................................... v Chapter.1:.Introduction............................................................................................................1 Prehistory.........................................................................................................................................2 Remnant.Natural.Grasslands.Today....................................................................................................2 References.......................................................................................................................................3 Chapter.2:.Climate,.Soils,.Ecological.Services,.and.Climate.Change...........................................4 Highlights.........................................................................................................................................4 Prairie.Landscape.............................................................................................................................4 Climate............................................................................................................................................4 Soils................................................................................................................................................5 Climate.Change:.Overview.................................................................................................................6 Ecological.Goods.and.Services..........................................................................................................8 References.......................................................................................................................................9 Chapter.3:.Rangeland.Ecoregions.and.Plant.Communities.......................................................11 Highlights.......................................................................................................................................11 Introduction....................................................................................................................................11 Dry.Mixed.Grass.Prairie.Ecoregion...................................................................................................12 Mixed.Grass.Prairie.Ecoregion.........................................................................................................13 Foothills.Fescue.Prairie.Ecoregion....................................................................................................14 Riparian.Ecosystems.in.Foothills.Fescue.Prairie................................................................................15 Parkland-Northern.Fescue.Prairie.Ecoregion.....................................................................................15 Southeastern.Canadian.Prairies.......................................................................................................16 Tall.Grass.Prairie.Ecoregion.............................................................................................................16 References.....................................................................................................................................17 Chapter.4:.Land.Use.History.of.Natural.Grass.Rangelands.......................................................18 Highlights.......................................................................................................................................18 Grazing.Managers.in.Pre-history......................................................................................................18 Historical.Managers........................................................................................................................18 Settling.of.the.Prairies.....................................................................................................................19 History.of.Grazing.Practices.............................................................................................................21 Absence.of.Grazing.Management....................................................................................................22 References.....................................................................................................................................22 Chapter.5:.Managing.Natural.Grass.Rangelands.....................................................................23 Highlights.......................................................................................................................................23 Introduction....................................................................................................................................23 Principles.of.Grazing.Management...................................................................................................23 How.are.Grazing.Animals.Attracted.to.Preferred.Range.and.Preferred.Plants?.....................................23 Preferred.Rangeland....................................................................................................................23 Preferred.Plants..........................................................................................................................24 - ii - Management of Canadian Prairie Rangeland Key.Range.Management.Principles..................................................................................................24 Balance.Livestock.Demand.With.Forage.Supply.(Proper.Stocking.Rates).........................................24 Distribute.Livestock.Evenly...........................................................................................................24 Provide.Effective.Rest..................................................................................................................25 What.happens.if.these.principles.are.inadequately.applied.and.create.overgrazing?........................25 Season.of.Grazing:.Managed.Grazing.During.Vulnerable.Periods........................................................25 Grazing.Intensity..........................................................................................................................25 . Grazing.Too.Often.is.Detrimental..................................................................................................27 Effect.of.Winter.versus.Summer.Grazing.on.Native.Grasslands.......................................................27 Management.of.Riparian.Natural.Grasslands:.Grazing.Strategies........................................................28 Grazing.Systems.Suitable.for.Management.of.Natural.Grasslands......................................................29 Highlights.of.Grazing.Management.Systems.Presented..................................................................30 Selection.of.Grazing.Systems.for.Natural.Grasslands.....................................................................30 Natural.Grazing.Systems.of.Prehistory..........................................................................................30 Issues.Relevant.to.Management.of.Natural.Grassland.Ranges...........................................................30 What.Should.Contemporary.Grazing.Management.Systems.Accomplish?...........................................31 Key.Principles.for.Use.of.a.Grazing.System.in.Natural.Grasslands...................................................31 Matching.Range.Management.Principles.with.Grazing.Practices.....................................................31 Methods.to.Improve.Livestock.Distribution.within.a.Grazing.Management.Unit.................................32 The.Relationship.of.Animal.Health.to.Grazing.Systems.......................................................................32 Grazing.Systems.............................................................................................................................33 Continuous.Grazing.System..........................................................................................................33 Seasonal.Grazing.System.............................................................................................................33 Rotation.Grazing.Systems............................................................................................................34 Switchback.Grazing.System.........................................................................................................34