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.