Effect of stock density on ground cover on a southwest Montana foothills rangeland

Stock density was a factor in the grazing process under which many of our native grasslands evolved.As such, stock density is worthy of investigation.Stock density has been little researched until recently and information concerning this factor is limited.In 1986 a study was initiated at MSU's Red Bluff Research Ranch in southwest Montana to investigate the effect of stock density on ground cover of a native foothills grassland.Three levels of stock density were utilized: 0, 37, and 74 cow-calf pairs/ha, at two periods in the grazing season, spring and mid-summer.Grazing time per replicate pasture was 24 hours.Cover responses of total dense clubmoss, live dense clubmoss, and bare ground, as estimated by line intercept, did not change significantly in response to the treatments.Lack of change in these cover classes may be attributed to insufficient time for animal-site interaction.