Livestock grazing is also used as a weed management tool. Livestock are used to graze annual weeds for short periods of time on the newly reclaimed areas. The time of grazing is determined by the stages of growth of the annual weeds. Grazing on these sites controls the weeds. Grazing is also used on many reclamation sites where annual grain crops are seeded to provide stubble mulch before interseeding with a permanent seed mixture.
Grazing reduces excess growth of the grain plants.
Annual grain crops provide high quality forage for livestock and eliminates the expense of using a mower. Grazing areas later in the season also provides plant regrowth for wildlife use in the fall and winter . It may be difficult to believe, but cattle are even used in erosion control and repair. For example livestock grazing during wet periods can actually reduce erosion on steep hillsides. Each hoof print becomes a little pond that reduces the movement of water down the slopes.