Can we effectively limit wildfire risk or change the fire risk profile using deliberate grazing? Or is this just wishful, simplistic thinking: "Cows eat fine fuel so that stops fire, right?" These are questions that demand scientific answers, not just anecdotes or coffee shop opinions. Sergio Arispe has worked with other researchers in the Western U.S. to better understand numerous questions around grazing for fire control and to fine-tune the timing, duration, intensity, and frequency of grazing that is most effective in shifting the plant community toward fire resiliency. A current ranch-scale research project aims to understand winter grazing effects on cheatgrass populations and associated wildfire risk in the subsequent summer. This is a timely topic for most rangelands in North America and especially drier ecosystem types with any species of exotic annual grasses.
The Art of Range Podcast is supported by the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission; Vence, a subsidiary of Merck Animal Health; and the Western Extension Risk Management Education Center.
Transcript
Transcript coming soon . . .
Threat-Based Land Management in Sagebrush Ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest: Managing a complex world at feasible, relevant scales and other related resources by SageShare.
2021 paper in Rangeland Ecology & Management: Fall-Winter Grazing After Fire in Annual Grass-Invaded Sagebrush Steppe Reduced Annuals and Increased a Native Bunchgrass.
Life on the Range story on targeted grazing for cheatgrass control in Idaho