Advantages of Grazing Cattle on Public Lands

Colorado, known for the Rocky Mountains, is a gorgeous place to be. The wildlife filled rectangular state covers 104,185 square miles. In the black timber, it is dark and silent, not a sound to be heard. The pine trees are so thick it blocks most of the sunlight from entering, only to see about seventy-five yards in front of myself. The terrain is rough and almost straight up and down, but the elk love it because it is a challenge for hunters to see them. As I walk my favorite ridgeline in the black timber, I watch for the slightest movement and listen for the smallest crack. Watching thirteen-lined ground squirrels run around and chase each other can be humorous sometimes to watch them fall down from the trees. I wait patiently for the chance

Iowa became a state in 1846 and by 1860 almost the entire state was settled and farmed by Euro-Americans. The settling led to the devastation of prairie in Iowa. The beautiful lush grasses, forbes, and sedges were being cultivated and planted with crops along with severe overgrazing and much more. Prairie is a habitat type that gets a lot of focus in Iowa today. It gets so much focus because it is such a huge part of Iowa’s ecological history. “Before the advent of white man, prairie covered approximately 84 percent of the area of Iowa”. (Aikman, 1959) “Tallgrass prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America (Sampson and Knoppf, 1996), with less less than one percent of its original extent remaining.” (Rowe, Fargione, Holland,

Feral horses are viewed as a symbol of freedom and power here in the United States. However, they are also a relatively unmanaged, non-native grazer. Information about their influence on vegetation

: CORRECT Agricultural practices improve wildlife habitats and lead to increased species populations in farming communities.

1 The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has stepped in to provide restorative practices upon 500,000 acres of heavily degraded public grasslands. This land is suffering from severe soil erosion as well as degradation due to overgrazing. The suppression of natural fires has caused shrubs and invasive weeds to encroach upon the grasslands. A full scale assessment will take place on this land before restoration efforts begin. The first thing that would need to be assessed is the soil, for it is eroding and holding little nutrient value. Samples would be taken of this soil from various parts of the grasslands including the eroded gullies. Each soil sample would be taken from at least 1 foot below the surface, to test for carbon richness below the topsoil. These would then be tested for texture, density, water retention, and chemical composition. Typically, powerful, healthy soil will contain amounts of both Nitrogen and Phosphorous, which are essential nutrients in sustainable plant growth. These samples would also be tested for any build-up of salts, something known as soil salinization. Unhealthy, salinized soil is created over years of over-hydrating and deep plowing. Excess water will suffocate root systems of once-healthy crops, and salinized soils will reduce crop output up to 20% (Withgott &Brennan, 2011). The next assessment would be in the shrubs and invasive weed species on the land. Knowing the volume and location of these plants gives way to a better understanding of

While there are millions of acres of public land for these wild horses to be kept on, there are also many other animals on the land too, leading to either fully removing the wild horses or introducing predators. Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, points out that the horses are not actually overpopulated, “Wild horses aren't overpopulated, just overcrowded by cattle which graze the same land” (Graslie). Roy also states in Serri Graslie’s article that there is a more natural way to take care of this problem of there being too many horses, “That can mean removing cattle and introducing more natural predators.” Others talk about how the horses are overcrowded due to other animals that should be removed too,

The restoration of grasslands and forests is extremely important when it comes to breeding grounds for ducks. Dabbling Ducks use the tall grass found around ponds or in marshes to build nest and raise their young. Diving Ducks will flock to flooded forest areas and build a nest inside the holes of a tree and they will raise their young from above the ground. In recent years these habitats have been reduced significantly for farming and other purposes. In order to restore these habitats Ducks Unlimited must first purchase the land from the landowner. After they have the rights to the property they will begin to make changes to the area so it can be a more suitable ecosystem for waterfowl. When restoring grasslands Ducks Unlimited will replant the local grasses and dig ponds in the area, these actions will help hatchlings survive to adulthood. After these properties have been restored Ducks Unlimited will donate the land to government agencies that

Before there were skyscrapers, before there were convenience stores, and before there were neighborhood developments, our plains and mountains were home to the American Wild Mustang. These magnificent animals are our past, our present, and with proper handling our future. It is imperative that we protect the American Wild Mustang to ensure that many generations to come can appreciate them as we do today. By supporting the gathering, training, auctions, and domestication that the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management conducts we can preserve this heritage. In doing so, we are securing the future of these horses and the happiness that they bring to many

Currently, the sagebrush ecosystem is rapidly declining across the Western United States, with over 350 associated plant and animal species at risk of being lost and imperiled. The main reason for the sagebrush decline is the steady encroachment of cheatgrass and pinyon-juniper. The invasion of these plants are fueling larger and more frequent fires that are out competing sagebrush as well as the associated grass species that are native components of the ecosystem, taking over much land that sagebrush once occupied. Cheatgrass was introduced to North America through contaminated grain seed, straw packing material, and soil used as ballast in ships sailing from Eurasia in the late 1890’s and is now the main culprit behind sagebrush decline.

As lack of water and a particularly dry climate out competes shrubs, trees, and grasslands across Colorado, erosion rates increase reducing the infiltration of moisture into the soil. Causation is believed to have come from heavy livestock grazing, fire suppression, and the introduction of exotic annual plants. Habitat problems for animals and communities that rely on ranching and hunting have been directly affected by these desertification effects. Desertification has had large ecological impacts on the state of Colorado. Vegetation and ecosystems are among the most crucially impacted by the effects of desertification. While Colorado continues its dry drought like climate, restoration of soil becomes one of the major solutions to fight off desertification. Because of the overuse of our land in past generations, we are continuing to see the harmful effects due to desertification. The overall impact on humans produced by desertification is best noticed by a diminishing food production as well as a wealth of water sources becoming dry. People in affected areas are likely to experience poor water quality, dust storms, and pollution. More importantly, as soil loses its nutrients, it no longer becomes farmable; thus, impacting local businesses, livestock, and the many people in that community. If desertification continues in Colorado, an increase of lost farmlands and livestock will pose an economic decease within agriculture markets, farmers will be forced to move to find better

The rangelands of the west are the legendary rolling hills and wide-open spaces of American history and folklore. Federal and nonfederal rangelands include grasslands, deserts, tundra, mountains, canyons, and riparian areas. Federal rangelands are primarily managed by the Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rangelands include wilderness areas and provide habitat for millions of plants, wild animals, and fish, including 74 threatened or endangered species (“Rangeland Health”). Rangeland is the base of forage for most of the livestock industry in America. They also provide recreational opportunities, wildlife habitat, and off-site

The history of white-tailed deer in Missouri shows positive and negative influences humans can have on wildlife. During presettlement times, the whitetail was abundant in Missouri, especially in the more fertile and diverse habitats of northern Missouri. The influx of European settlers to Missouri during the last half of the 19th century coincided with a rapid decline in the deer population. Unrestricted market hunting and habitat destruction, such as cutting, burning, farming and grazing forest lands, contributed most to this decline.

When many people approach a horse, they instantly feel cautious of their surroundings. These people tense up and become terrified because of the horse’s size, how they look, or just because they have heard of people being injured from horses. Many people are intimidated by how big some horses can be and they do not want to be around them. Horses are only thought to be a dangerous animal, but they have helped humans in many ways. For instance, they have helped with farm work that humans couldn’t have done by themselves, and they were a mode of human transportation for many years. The things horses have done for humans have helped in many ways, but horses have many other purposes that can help people out. Although many people agree

“Hunting and ecosystem-based management is the smartest and most cost-effective way to manage our wildlife. The basic idea of ecosystem-based management is that you manage ecosystems rather than specific species or disciplines.” For example “you do not mange pheasants as much as you manage the ecosystem in which the pheasants live. If the ecosystem is improved, it will produce more pheasants naturally.”(1)

Nevertheless, conservationists believe that the restriction is not enough and demands more. In May 2004, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that the process of studying whether the sages grouse should be classified under the protection of the Endangered Species Act.