Rangelands For All Of Us Poster Rangelands For All Of Us Poster Alberta's rangelands are grasslands and forests that ranchers and farmers use for grazing livestock like cattle, sheep and bison. These rangelands aren't suitable for growing grain crops because the land may be too rocky or too steep. Or the climate may be too cool or too dry. Grazing is healthier for this kind of land.
Rangelands are also important for wildlife, recreation and water.
Ranchers must harvest the grass carefully to keep it healthy, and treat the land like a renewable resource. Overgrazing hurts the plants, the soil, wildlife and water, and livestock don't do as well. To keep the range healthy, ranchers match the number of cattle to the amount of grass. They only let the cattle eat about half the grass. In rotational grazing, the cattle are then moved to a different field.