N RANCHING
atural Resources
regrow and the pasture will be healthier than before. “From an ecological standpoint, fi re is not a bad
thing,” says Goodwin. “It’s not a negative thing for the landscape and we need to start thinking about fi re as a tool and ecological process to manage rangelands.”
Pre-planning determines post-fi re management Prior to a prescribed burn, landowners need to con-
sider the exact goals and expectations for the pasture post-burn. Prescribed burns can be used as a tool to mitigate the negative effects of wildfi res, increase wild- life habitat, rejuvenate a grass stand or control woody brush encroachment. A prescription is then written to meet a specifi c objective. “We burn to meet a specifi c goal and then we write
prescriptions to meet that purpose,” says Goodwin. “So proper planning is a key. Gather your thoughts around what you actually want to do with that piece of property.” Long before a burn can begin, grazing rotations need
to be adjusted to ensure that there is at least 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of continuous fi ne fuel in the pasture. Without a large fuel load, the pasture will be unable
to carry a fi re and the prescribed fi re will be ineffec- tive. Once a proper stand has grown, soil moisture must be tested. To test for soil moisture before a prescribed fi re, a
landowner can insert a spade shovel 6 to 8 inches into the ground, pull out a soil sample and examine the soil for moisture. If the soil is cool and damp in the rhizo- sphere (where most of the roots are located), then the moisture level is suitable for a prescribed burn. “I want to be able to feel dampness, moistness in
that soil,” Goodwin says. “It certainly doesn’t have to be dripping, but you can tell if that soil is saturated or if it is completely dry and breaks apart and turns to dust. We don’t want to see that situation.”
Soil moisture — the regrowth key Goodwin explains that the top contributor to im-
mediate greenup following a prescribed burn is the presence of adequate soil moisture before the burn. After a fi re, the roots of perennial grass and forages im- mediately begin to grow towards the surface, absorbing the moisture within the soil to repopulate the pasture. These plants will begin to add a splash of green to an otherwise black pasture within 5 to 7 days if proper
T e ORIGINAL Poly Hay Feeder!
100 The Cattleman October 2016
thecattlemanmagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172