Improve livestock distribution to avoid undue concentration of animals in riparian areas. Many tools for improving grazing distribution are available, including strategically locating salt and mineral sites, controlling access to water, providing water away from riparian areas, establishing new fences as needed, and occasionally herding livestock. Improved grazing distribution helps with more uniform forage utilization andbetter distribution of the nutrients returning to the soil n the form of animal waste. Avoid or minimize livestock access to sensitive areas and, if possible, avoid grazing when soils are too wet. Allow for an adequate period of rest for recovery after grazing.
Plants require time during the growing season to recover before grazing.
Adequate rest period is also necessary for soil recovery from compaction resulting from the hoof action. Remember that long-term improvement in your rangeland result from the cumulative and integrated effects of all practices employed over time and not from one particular practice. Monitoring is an essential component of management. Monitoring enables the assessment of the effectiveness of current management and guides future practices. Related Further Readings Grazing Systems for Rangelands of Southern Saskatchewan.