Grazing and grassland management

The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration and the Canadian Wildlife Service have entered into a partnership agreement to reduce the presence of non-native prairie plant species throught the use of carefully planned grazing. Cattle from the PFRA Wreford Community Pasture have been used as a management tool at the Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area since 1995.

Good grazing management increases the number of different plant species on rangeland and creates patchy habitats which enhance biodiversity.

Grasslands need grazing

The Northern Great Plains grasslands evolved under natural disturbances such as fire, drought and grazing. Since European settlement, fire has been minimized or eliminated, and bison have been replaced by domestic livestock.

Without grazing, several competitive plant species can dominate. An example of this is Smooth Brome, an aggressive non-native plant species. As it spreads from adjacent road allowances and other sites, it replaces the many native plants that exist in the area.

Wildlife habitat and grazing

Many native grassland wildlife species have evolved with grazing. A prime example of this is the endangered Burrowing owl which prefers shorter vegetation so it can see predators.

For more information, please contact
Rolfe Antonowitsch
Telephone: 306-780-3260
Facsimile: 306-780-8229
E-mail: antonowitschr@agr.gc.ca