Prof says those who argue rangeland is too fragile for livestock forget it supported millions of animals before settlement
Grass and grazing animals evolved together in North America, where bison, pronghorns and elk grazed the plains while elk, deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and Wood bison grazed more rugged and mountainous regions.
Given that natural history, a grazing expert with Utah State University says he is disappointed by those who think livestock grazing is harmful to rangelands.
Dr. Fred Provenza, professor emeritus in Utah State’s department of wildland resources, has observed and researched grazing for more than 50 years and consulted with land managers around the world.
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He thinks one reason for grazing misconceptions is that European ancestors and those from eastern North American came from areas that had more moisture. With too many animals grazing year-round, they overgrazed arid rangelands.
“When people came to the arid West, they didn’t understand that they needed to be more careful on these landscapes,” said Provenza.
These regions can’t withstand season-long grazing and don’t rebound as quickly after grazing. They need time to recover and regrow, just as the migrating bison and other grazers once allowed.
“In early days of settlement and range use, many people didn’t understand this and some ranges were overgrazed and abused. That’s where people got the negative idea about livestock grazing.
“When I was studying wildlife biology in the 1960s, that was certainly the case. Everything that happened during early years of grazing in the West influenced the way biologists thought about grazing.”
Though people began to believe prairie rangeland was too fragile for livestock, they forgot that it supported millions of grazing animals before settlers arrived.
“Talking with people, I’ve discovered how little the general public knows about the important relationships between plants and animals,” said Provenza. “Many educated professionals who are interested in health and what is happening with the planet are strongly against raising and eating meat.”
There are links between soil health and a diversity of plants that thrive on being eaten by animals. There are further links between livestock that graze these lands and the health of the humans who consume meat from those animals.
“The health of the land influences the health of the animals, which influences the health of the people. When we break our links with the landscape that nurtures us, we are in trouble, and we have been breaking them,” said Provenza.
“Many people have the idea that all grazing is bad. But grazing can be good or bad, depending on timing and management. How you graze influences the health of the landscape, the health of the plants, biodiversity, etc.”
Grass that is never grazed is not healthy or productive, he added.
“Overgrown pastures are stagnant. The Conservation Reserve Program was a perfect example; ground that wasn’t grazed or cropped and needed to have grazing as part of the cycle,” he said.
Elk preserves and refuges where livestock were removed to protect elk habitat are another example. Elk didn’t stay in areas where grass grew rank and overly mature. The same thing occurs in areas where people removed cattle to protect sage grouse because grouse prefer regions that are grazed.
Done properly, grazing promotes regrowth of forage plants, and hoof action can plant seeds and break up hard crusts to allow greater moisture penetration.
Scientists in Africa years ago discovered a substance in bovine saliva that stimulates plant growth.
“Their work suggested there are stimulatory effects when plants are grazed. The areas of Africa where the studies were done evolved under heavy grazing pressures by many species of animals. The plants were well-adapted to grazing,” said Provenza.
When a herd of bison, cattle or other grazers go over the landscape and don’t return until the plants regrow, the cycle stimulates more growth.
“Saliva on the grazed plant, urine and feces left behind as fertilizer aids the plant. The saliva is just one more factor that stimulates growth,” he said.
“When a plant is grazed, root growth halts temporarily, and exudates are released into the soil. About 30 percent of the carbon that plants fix goes into the soil and serves as an energy source for bacteria and other soil microbes. Bacteria are breaking down soil and decomposing it into minerals that can be utilized by plants.”
Provenza said today’s emphasis on soil can fail to note that healthy soil requires plants and without grazing, plants are less healthy.
Cattle producers have learned much in recent decades about grass management using cattle, with mob grazing and other methods that provide high animal impact and recovery time. This is similar to former bison activity.
Provenza said soil health in regions that were plowed, farmed and depleted of soil nutrients can be restored faster by using livestock and intensive grazing to add manure and organic matter to the profile.
“We’ve also learned how to handle livestock better, with low-stress methods, and how to place animals on the landscape. When you put these ideas together, you have the tools to manage the landscape with livestock and gain optimum potential from both the livestock and the land.”
