Rangeland Risk Management for Texans: Patch Grazing and Sustainable Rangeland Production

Grazing distribution is a major concern to livestock producers because uneven grazing reduces grazeable acres and carrying capacity.Patch grazing is the close and repeated grazing of small patches and/or individual plants, while adjacent patches or individual plants (often the same species) are left ungrazed or lightly grazed.Patch grazing causes tall perennial grasses to be replaced by shorter perennial grasses, then with annual grasses until bare ground is finally exposed.More productive species are progressively replaced by less productive and less palatable species, causing a decrease in water infiltration and an increase in runoff and erosion.Livestock do not graze randomly.Site preference or grazing distribution is influenced by living and non-living factors.Living factors include plant types (grasses, forbs, cacti and woody plants), species and maturity; forage quantity, quality and palatability; animal behavior; and insect pests, predators and human activity.Non-living factors include weather, soil/topography, shade and shelter, water, salt and fencing.The greater the variation among landscape areas (vegetation, topography, etc.), the more likely animals are to graze some areas and avoid others.