Calves grazing meadows gained 20 more pounds in May than those on hay. Cows that started on meadow grazing scored better for body condition and kept that good condition through the summer. It gives them an early advantage and they maintain that advantage. The left part of this picture taken in 1996 shows unburned area, the right part burned area almost one year after a fire. That year an IANR researcher saw a 25 percent increase in the amount of annual, weedy-type forbs, especially annual sunflower, in burned areas.
Wildfires leave ranchers with blackened acres and management questions.
Volesky teamed with the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service for a three-year study of how wildfires affect Sandhills vegetation. Their interest was sparked by 1995's numerous Sandhills range fires. The fires created ideal research areas. Volesky set up studies on three ranches, where burns ranged from 200 to 10,000 acres. Each site contained adjacent burned and unburned areas.