Range Management

Rangelands are a type of land on which the natural vegetation is dominated by grasses and shrubs and the land is managed as a natural ecosystem.

Prairie rangeland supports agricultural activity through the grazing of livestock. These grasslands also provide habitat for native plants and animals, and support a broad range of economic benefits including recreational activity related to hunting and eco-tourism, and provision of genetic stock for biological research and the development of neutraceuticals.

AAFC-PFRA manages 915,000 hectares of rangeland within 87 community pastures in Western Canada. Approximately 85% of this land base is native rangeland. PFRA's goal is to preserve both the productivity and biodiversity of this native grassland by maintaining it in "good" range condition. Good native range condition is classified as having 50-75% of the biomass made up of the original vegetation.

As a method of documenting and monitoring the resource use on the pastures, data on range condition, range condition trends, species composition, and a general inventory of rangeland resources is collected. This information is used in combination with pasture developments, historic livestock utilization, soil type and associated moisture conditions to calculate the carrying capacity of each pasture. Annual adjustments are made to stocking rates depending on local pasture conditions. During periods of drought, stocking rates are reduced to levels that will ensure the rangeland does not become overgrazed.

Most of the native grassland on the Prairies has been cultivated or re-seeded to tame forage species but not all of these lands have shown long-term productivity increases. It is estimated that more than half of Prairie rangelnad is in less than "good" condition. Good condition is the goal of many rangeland managers. The benefits of improved range management include: conservation of biodiversity, reduced soil degradation and potential for increased carbon sequestration. Research has shown that improvements in range condition by one class can increase livestock carrying capacity of native rangeland by as much as 25%.

For more information about rangeland management practices which are beneficial to livestock, wildlife and the land, contact our rangeland staff

Related information

Forage selection
Forage establishment
Forage management
Animal unit months, stocking rate and carrying capacity
Rangeland management during drought
Graph showing condition of native range on PFRA pastures
Improving survival of sod-seeded alfalfa
Livestock grazing and biodiversity
Managing livestock in a riparian zone
Rotational grazing: the rest and recovery method of pasture management
Selecting alfalfa and grass varieties
A survey of pasture management practices on the Canadian Prairies with emphasis on rotational grazing and managed riparian areas
Report on water quality and cattle weight gain.