• Introduction
• Evaluating the potential for natural recovery
  • Burn severity & plant survival
  • Noxious weed cover & survival
• Revegetating with competitive plants
  • When revegetation is necessary
  • Formulating a Seed Mix
  • Things to consider
• Establishing competitive plants
• Managing competitive plants
• Integrated Weed Management
• Preventing noxious weeds
• Eradicating small weed patches
• Managing large weed infestations
  • Mechanical control
  • Chemical control
    • Timing & placement
  • Cultural control
  • Biological control
• Monitoring & Evaluation
• Developing a burned-area IWM plan
• Summary
• Sources and Credits
• Additional Resources
• Interactive Exercises

Rangeland Weed Management - Managing competitive plants

Devising a Grazing Program

Devising a grazing program
A grazing management program also includes methods that encourage competitive plant growth, directly enhancing and promoting a healthy rangeland system. Among such methods are:

• Defer grazing in burned areas until seedlings are well established
• Avoid heavy grazing by determining and implementing proper stocking rates
• Alter the season of use: Avoid grazing the same plants at the same time year after year
• Rotate livestock between pastures to allow plant recovery before being regrazed
• Outline the movement of livestock throughout the year, and
• Minimize bare ground by promoting the accumulation of plant litter.
• Monitor your rangeland to see whether the grazing program is encouraging competitive plant growth and limiting weed invasion, establishment and growth. A good range monitoring program keeps track of grazing patterns, detects changes in the mix of weeds and desired plants, and ascertains such soil surface conditions as litter accumulation and exposed soil. An annual evaluation allows for timely adjustments to the grazing program.