Managing for Objectives
by Eric Peterson
MANAGING A PIECE
OF LAND TO PROVIDE MANY BENEFITS REQUIRES CAREFUL THOUGHT ABOUT MANAGEMENT
OBJECTIVES. FACT IS, YOU REALLY DONT
MANAGE LAND, YOU MANAGE THE PLANT COMMUNITY.
WHEN YOU GIVE LAND
MANAGERS A GOOD PLANT COMMUNITY OBJECTIVE, THEY WILL QUICKLY
IDENTIFY THE TOOLS TO ACHIEVE THAT OBJECTIVE.
ONE IMPORTANT AND
VERY POWERFUL TOOL IS GRAZING. IT IS COST EFFECTIVE AND GOOD MANAGERS CAN
ACHIEVE NEARLY ANY PLANT COMMUNITY OBJECTIVE.
IT IS A
MULTI-PURPOSE TOOL WHICH YOU CAN APPLY AT DIFFERENT TIMES, AT DIFFERENT
INTENSITY, WITH DIFFERENT ANIMALS THAT HAVE DIFFERENT PREFERENCES AND HABITS.
BY MANIPULATING THESE GRAZING VARIABLES, YOU
CAN GUIDE A PLANT COMMUNITY TO BECOME WHAT IT IS THAT YOU WISH!
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU
MAY WANT GREAT SAGE GROUSE BROOD REARING AREAS.
AN IMPORTANT FOOD
SOURCE FOR CHICKS ARE
LITTLE SUCCULENT FORBS. LAND
MANAGERS WOULD HAVE THEIR AMIMALS
HEAVILY GRAZE THESE AREAS IN THE LATE SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER. AND THIS
WOULD OPEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE LITTLE WEEDS TO GROW.
WELL, THERE ISN'T
ANY FORMULA TO TELL YOU THIS.
IT'S AN ART AS MUCH AS A SCIENCE.
THE KEY IS IN KNOWING WHERE YOU WANT TO GO WITH THE PLANT COMMUNITY AND
UNDERSTANDING THAT PLANTS WILL RESPOND TO YOUR ATTENTION.
FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, I'M ERIC PETERSON.