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Grazing
Riparian Areas - Determining Season(s)
of Use
Early
Season (Spring) Grazing
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Figure
3-5
The fine-textured soils in this wet meadow are susceptible
to trampling and compaction in spring. |
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Best
Situations. Early season use of pastures with riparian
areas may be best for those situations in which:
- Livestock
can be attracted to the uplands by succulent, herbaceous forage;
- Cool temperatures
may discourage livestock from loitering in the bottoms, or weather
in the uplands does not drive them into riparian areas;
- Soil in the
riparian area may be wet enough to discourage use;
- Coarse-textured
rather than fine-grained soils are present (the coarse-textured
soils reduce the possibility of compaction because they drain
more quickly).
Advantages.
The possible advantages of early season grazing include:
- Less streambank
trampling and soil compaction if livestock spend most of their
time in the uplands;
- The growing
points of many grasses may be low enough to be unaffected by grazing
animals;
- Time for
regrowth of riparian and possibly upland vegetation;
Less damage to woody species in the riparian area.
Disadvantages.
Possible drawbacks to early season grazing in riparian areas include:
- High potential
impact in terms of soil compaction, bank trampling, and subsequent
erosion because of high soil moisture levels;
- Grazing during
this period may affect plant vigor and lead to changes in plant
communities if use occurs regularly during critical periods of
plant development (for example, once the growing points are high
enough to be grazed off);
- Nutritional
value of upland forage early in the season may be low and may
require supplementation;
- Early season
grazing may adversely affect wildlife in the area by reducing
nesting cover and disturbing brooding females.
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