Grazing Management

Introduction to Grazing:The Role of Grazing Management.Kinds of Grazing Lands.Grazing Management Applications.Grazing as an Ecosystem Component.The Importance of Grazing.Grazing and Land Use Planning.Grazing Herbivore Nutrition:Ruminants vs. Cecal Herbivores.Nutrient Requirements.Nutrient Levels in Forages and Ingesta.Anti-quality Agents in Plants.Animal Nutritional Balance:Forage-Animal Plans.Monitoring Grazing Animal Nutrition.Supplementation Practices.Grazing Seasons and Seasonal Balance:The Forage Growth Cycle.Determinants of the Grazing Season.Seasonal Tolerance of Defoliation.Balancing Seasonal Supply and Demand.Complementary Grazing Programs.Grazing Effects on Plants and Soil:Grazing Effects in Perspective.Defoliation and Plant Morphology.Defoliation and Plant Physiology.Physical Effects on Plants.Grazing Effects on Soil.Grazing Activities/Behavior:Ingestive Behavior.Daily Activities: Time Spent.Daily Activities: Time of Day.Spatial Patterns in Grazing:Spatial Foraging Decisions.Memory, Past Experience, and Training.Determinants of Grazing Distribution.Forage Factors in Site Selection.Non-forage Vegetation Factors.Slope and Related Physical Factors.Distance from Water.Outside Disruption.Manipulating Grazing Distribution:The Tools of Distribution.Drinking Water Requirements.Locating Drinking Water.Fencing.Herding and Handling.Salting and Supplementation.Other Site Attractants.Special Problem: Riparian Zones.Plant Selection in Grazing:Selectivity.Palatability (Plant).Preference (Animal).Patch Grazing: Problem or Benefit.Kind and Mix of Grazing Animals:Choice of Animal Species.Kind of Animal.Mixed Species Grazing.Alternative Large Herbivores.Interspecific Sociality.Competition under Mixed Grazing.Grazing Animal Intake and Equivalence:Forage Dry Matter Intake.Animal Equivalence and the Animal Unit Month.Forage Allocation.Grazing Capacity Inventory:Relationships Among Stocking Variables.Utilization Guidelines.Setting Initial Stocking Rates.Dynamics of Grazing Capacity.Grazing Intensity:Overgrazing vs. Overstocking.Grazing Intensity Effects on Vegetation and Site.Grazing Intensity Effects on Animals and Economics.Managing Forage Production Fluctuations.Grazing Methods:Introduction to Special Grazing Techniques.Role of Special Grazing Techniques.Adapting Special Grazing Techniques.Continuous Grazing Methods.Seasonal Suitability Grazing Methods.Deferred/Rested Grazing Methods.High-Intensity Grazing Methods.Grazing Systems:Development of Grazing Systems.Rotation Grazing.Deferred Grazing Systems.Rest Grazing Systems.High-Intensity/Low Frequency (HILF) Grazing Systems.Short-Duration Grazing System.Grazing System Effects on Game Animals.Grazing as an Environmental Tool:Manipulative Benefits of Animal Grazing.Biological Plant Control by Grazing.Manipulating Animal Habitat by Grazing.Grazing to Aid Forage Plant Seeding.Grazing and Forest Regeneration.Appendix.Glossary.Literature Cited.Index.