Progress 10/01/05 to 10/01/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Findings have been disseminated during 3 international meetings of the Society for Range Management, 3 meetings of the Montana Woolgrowers Association, two field tours of rangeland scientists and ranchers, and one workshop for Montana State University Extension Service county agents. PARTICIPANTS: Participants at Montana State University included 2 research associates (Brent Roeder, Cindy Selensky), 2 research scientists (Tracy Brewer and Rachel Frost), and 3 faculty members (Jeff Mosley, Rodney Kott, and Duane Griffith). R. Kott assisted with field work and educational presentations in Study 1. D. Griffith assisted with the economic analyses in Study 2. C. Selensky assisted with field work and data analyses in Study 2. All other participants assisted with field work, data analyses, and educational presentations in both Studies 1 and 2. Collaborators included Sieben Ranch (Study 1) and the Bair Ranch Research Foundation (Study 2). TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences included rangeland scientists, rangeland managers, county extesnion educators, and livestock producers. Target audiences were reached through a combination of field tours, workshops, and presentations at meetings of professional scientific organizations. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Analyses of historical photographs confirm that conifers have encroached upon vast acreages of Montana rangeland. Conifer encroachment reduces forage production for livestock and wild ungulates, reduces grassland bird habitat, and decreases the flow of water from springs and creeks. Prescribed burning can be used to suppress conifer encroachment, but increasing concerns about financial liability and air quality limit the future use of this tool. Cutting trees with a chain saw is another option, but this method is expensive, labor-intensive, and time-consuming. New, cost-effective methods are needed for controlling conifer encroachment into rangelands. Study 1 evaluated prescribed goat browsing in winter. We determined that goats supplemented with low amounts of protein and energy will eat large amounts of ponderosa pine (> 40% of their winter diets). Results also indicated that goats fed a low-cost supplement (alfalfa pellets) consumed similar amounts of ponderosa pine as goats fed a high-cost supplement (Sheeplix). Finally, Study 1 indicated that goats supplemented with alfalfa hay inflicted more browsing damage to trees than goats given a grain-based supplement. Study 2 evaluated tree shearing, another alternative for controlling conifer encroachment. Tree shearing is a safe, fast method, however, tree-shearing treatment costs increase markedly with increased tree densities. Forage response to tree shearing needs quantified to determine which tree densities can be tree sheared economically. We evaluated 3 densities of Douglas-fir encroachment (low, moderate, high), plus un-invaded sites (control). Results indicate that tree shearing of high-density encroachment was not economically profitable, but tree shearing of either moderate- or low-density encroachment was economically profitable. Cumulative benefits equaled cumulative costs after 15-16 years, and the cumulative net benefit after 20 years was $7.44 per acre. Results suggest that tree shearing should be applied before encroaching Douglas-fir trees achieve high densities.
Publications
- Selensky, C.M., J.C. Mosley, B.L. Roeder, T.K. Brewer, and R.A. Frost. 2009. Tree shearing to control Douglas-fir encroachment on foothill grassland. Abstract. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting. Albuquerque, NM.
- Roeder, B.L., J.C. Mosley, and T.K. Brewer. 2007. Winter supplements for goats when browsing ponderosa pine. Abstract. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Reno, Nevada.
- Roeder, B.L., J.C. Mosley, T.K. Brewer, and R.W. Kott. 2005. Prescribed sheep and goat grazing for controlling conifer encroachment. Abstract. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Fort Worth, Texas.
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The second year of a winter grazing trial was completed on foothill rangeland in west-central Montana that had been invaded by ponderosa pine. This study is comparing goats supplemented with a grain-based pellet versus goats supplemented with alfalfa/grass hay. Six 0.5-ha paddocks were grazed at a high stock density with mature female goats. Goats in 3 of the paddocks were supplemented daily with a barley-based pellet, and goats in the remaining 3 paddocks were supplemented daily with alfalfa/grass hay. The purpose of the supplements was to help the goats detoxify secondary compounds (i.e., tannins and terpenes) found within ponderosa pine foliage. We hypothesized that the greater bulk provided by the hay might better buffer the toxins in the ponderosa pine and enable the goats to eat more ponderosa pine and less grass. PARTICIPANTS: Drs. Tracy Brewer and Rachel Frost, and Mr. Brent Roeder served as co-principal investigators, and Sieben Ranch provided the land and goats for the project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for this project include ranchers and other landowners; local, state and federal resource agency personnel; conservationsists; scientists; and educators. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Preliminary results from Year 2 of the winter grazing trial indicate that the goats supplemented with hay ate more ponderosa pine and inflicted more browsing damage than goats supplemented with the grain-based pellets.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The first year of a 2-year winter grazing trial was completed on foothill rangeland in west-central Montana that had been invaded by ponderosa pine. Six 0.5-ha paddocks were grazed at a high stock density with mature female goats. Goats in 3 of the paddocks were supplemented daily with a barley-based pellet, and goats in the remaining 3 paddocks were supplemented daily with alfalfa/grass hay. The purpose of the supplements was to help the goats detoxify secondary compounds (i.e., tannins and terpenes) found within ponderosa pine foliage.
PARTICIPANTS: Drs. Tracy Brewer and Rachel Frost, and Mr. Brent Roeder served as co-principal investigators, and Sieben Ranch provided the land and goats for the project.
TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences for this project include ranchers and other landowners; local, state and federal resource agency personnel; conservationsists; scientists; and educators.
PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A preliminary study indicated that Study 2 as originally proposed was not worth pursuing further. Although the tree shear efficiently thinned the ponderosa pine trees and although sheep and goats readily consumed the downed foliage, the debris was too dense to leave unpiled on the ground. The sheep and goats could not access much of the foliage and the debris made too much herbaceous forage unavailable to livestock and wildlife. Piling and burning the thinned material proved necessary. In response to the preliminary results from Study 1, we instead initiated a revised Study 2 of ponderosa pine browsing, comparing goats supplemented with a grain-based pellet versus goats supplemented with alfalfa/grass hay. We hypothesized that the greater bulk provided by the hay might better buffer the toxins in the ponderosa pine and enable the goats to eat more ponderosa pine and less grass.
Impacts
Preliminary results from Year 1 of the 2-year winter grazing trial indicate that the goats supplemented with hay ate more ponderosa pine and inflicted more browsing damage than goats supplemented with the grain-based pellets.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
A 2-year, winter grazing trial was completed on foothill rangeland in west-central Montana that had been invaded by ponderosa pine. Six, 1-ha pastures were grazed at a high stock density with mature female goats. Goats in 3 of the pastures were supplemented daily with alfalfa pellets to help the goats detoxify secondary compounds (i.e., tannins and terpenes) within ponderosa pine foliage. Goats in the remaining 3 pastures were provided a self-fed protein supplement (Sheeplix) ad libitum. Results indicate that the botanical composition of goat diets and the amount of browsing damage inflicted by the goats was similar between the 2 forms of supplement.
Impacts
This research project is examining cost-effective strategies for using prescribed sheep and goat browsing to suppress conifer encroachment onto foothill rangeland. This information will help refine browsing prescriptions and better enable range and livestock managers to use prescribed browsing as a tool for suppressing conifer encroachment.
Publications
- Roeder, B.L., J.C. Mosley, and T.K. Brewer. 2007. Winter supplements for goats when browsing ponderosa pine encroachment. Abstract. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting. Reno, NV.
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