The following account is not a thorough review of all the links between livestock and other resources in the Sierra Nevada. There are issues, published reports, and unpublished materials that were impossible do deal with in the short time provided for this project. Therefore it should not be seen as a comprehensive discussion of the topic, but a contribution towards such an effort. We also included other research-based information related to those statements where it existed. Grazing is the process whereby herbivores remove vegetation.
Grazing is composed of intensity, frequency, kind and class of animal, and season of use.
Frequency of use is how many times animals are allowed to graze in the same area in one season. Kind and class of animal refers to the species and age class of animal. Season of use is the time of year grazing is allowed. Grazing studies have rarely defined grazing in these terms, yet ecosystem response will likely vary depending on the kind of grazing conducted.