Having the right information is the most important part of making sound management decisions.
involved process. The technical assistance that the agency provides requires the work of many conserva- tionists for a ranch of this size,” Bradbury says. “This presented us with a great training opportunity, pairing employees based on level of experience.” For 2 weeks, 24 conservation planners with varied
backgrounds gathered at the ranch to conduct the in- ventory. Using utility task vehicles and handheld GPS units, the conservationists dispersed from the ranch headquarters each day to work in predetermined areas.
Weighing the options Hodges has developed a grazing management sys-
tem that provides quality and quantity of forages for livestock and wildlife. With normal rainfall, the system ensures survival of forage stands, promoting healthy plant growth and a diversifi ed plant community. Other objectives are to develop and manage wildlife
habitat, reduce soil loss from wind and water erosion and protect water quality and quantity to conserve natural resources. The landscape of the ranch is rolling hills with red
bluff breaks. The ranch is watered by creeks and tribu- taries from the Wichita River, as well as windmills, solar pumps, electric pumps and dirt tanks. Annual average rainfall for the region is 20 inches, with the majority of the rainfall typically coming in the spring. The ecosystem on the ranch is composed of vast
grassland, brush and invasive species. Predominant cool season grasses are western wheatgrass and Texas wintergrass, with sideoats grama, blue grama and little bluestem providing quality warm-season grazing. The grazeable forage production varies from 350 pounds per acre on the rough break sites to 3,000 pounds per acre on the loamy prairie upland sites. Hodges worked with NRCS to integrate information
about livestock use, plant communities, soils, wildlife species and other land use within the watershed to conserve and restore the ecosystems. “The technical assistance we are providing the
ranch will serve as a basis for decision making in the future,” says Bradbury.
Conducting inventories Several factors were assessed during the inventory
82 The Cattleman February 2016
of the resources. First, the land was evaluated by soil type, vegetation and topography, and classifi ed into ecological sites to develop forage inventories and iden- tify resource concerns. “The NRCS develops ecological site descriptions that
are used as components to classify land types,” says Goodwin. “Range management specialists defi ne the ecological sites as distinctive land types with specifi c soil and physical characteristics. The results determine characteristics and the ability to produce the kind and amount of vegetation, as well as its ability to respond to management actions and disturbances.” The existing plants available for grazing livestock
and wildlife were identifi ed and recorded, as well as the frequency of each species occurring on the site. Approximately 200 forage samples were clipped, air- dried and weighed. This information would later be used to estimate the number of grazing livestock that each ecological site can sustainably support. The second major task of the inventory process was
the identifi cation of encroaching brush species, primar- ily mesquite and redberry juniper, in each management unit. Treatment methods included chemical, mechani- cal and prescribed fi re recommendations — each de- pendent on the species, age and location of the brush. The fi nal stage of the resource inventory was locat-
ing and documenting water and infrastructure. All reliable livestock water sources were recorded with a GPS unit. The water source (windmill, solar pump, etc.) and watering facility size were documented and this data was placed on a map. Then, depending on the surrounding topography, a travel distance was as- signed to each watering point. Travel distance is the average distance from drink-
ing water an animal will venture to graze. If an area does not have adequate drinking water distribution, then the chances of severe overgrazing are more likely to occur near the watering points. Livestock water pipelines, fences and working pens
were documented and mapped as well. This helps the manager maintain a record of the existing infrastruc- ture, assessing needs and making improvements. Hodges complimented the work of the NRCS staff.
“The work we’ve been doing out here is in progress and coming together,” he states. “It will help us increase
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