Research and Publications

Open book with lines simulating text on left and right pages

Conditions favoring cheatgrass dominance of endangered sagebrush steppe ecosystems

View paper.

Grazing exacerbates Bromus tectorum dominance in one of North America’s most endangered ecosystems by adversely impacting key mechanisms mediating resistance to invasion. If the goal is to conserve and restore resistance of these systems, managers should consider maintaining or restoring: (i) high bunchgrass cover and structure characterized by spatially dispersed bunchgrasses and small gaps between them; (ii) a diverse assemblage of bunchgrass species to maximize competitive interactions with B. tectorum in time and space; and (iii) biological soil crusts to limit B. tectorum establishment. Passive restoration by reducing cumulative cattle grazing may be one of the most effective means of achieving these three goals.

Open book with lines simulating text on left and right pages

Targeted grazing: Applying the research to the land

View article.

This article highlights the experiences and observations of the contributing contract graziers and agency land managers. The contract graziers share their personal knowledge of providing land services in a diverse array of situations, from small, rigorously managed parcels to watershed-scale projects. They expound on the immense planning, preparation, and oversight necessary to successfully conduct a vegetation management contract, as well as the challenges of surviving economically in the industry. Public land managers reveal the challenges of employing targeted grazing on public lands and provide insight on what must be done to make targeted grazing a widely accepted management practice.

Open book with lines simulating text on left and right pages

The art and science of targeted grazing – A producer’s perspective

View article.

Flying Mule Farm has provided targeted grazing services for small- to medium-sized (under 250 acres) projects in the Sierra foothills since 2008. We have also worked with several large targeted grazing contractors to manage large scale projects in the foothills and the Sacramento Valley. We have found that combining the scientific underpinnings of range science with the art of managing livestock, ecological processes, and human beings makes the business of targeted grazing uniquely challenging.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Limiting medusahead invasion and impacts in the Great Basin

View fact sheet, pg. 9.

This fact sheet provides managers with strategies to reduce the spread and impact of medusahead.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Establishing big sagebrush and other shrubs from planting stock

View fact sheet, pg. 37.

Bareroot or container seedlings can be used to quickly re-establish big sagebrush and other native shrubs in situations where direct seeding is not feasible or unlikely to succeed. Guidelines are provided for developing a planting plan and timeline, arranging for seedling production, and installing and managing outplantings.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Post-fire grazing management in the Great Basin

View fact sheet, pg. 33.

This fact sheet provides guidelines for maintaining productive sagebrush steppe communities in grazed areas after fire. The focus is on plant communities that, prior to fire, were largely intact and had an understory of native perennial herbaceous species or introduced bunchgrass, rather than invasive annual grass.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Fuel breaks that work

View fact sheet, pg. 22.

This fact sheet provides a framework for the placement, use, and effectiveness of established fuel breaks for protecting sagebrush ecosystems.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Conifer removal in the sagebrush steppe: The why, when, where, and how

View fact sheet, pg. 16.

This fact sheet provides land managers with a brief summary of the effects of conifer expansion and infill in sagebrush ecosystems and of potential management strategies.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Reestablishing perennial-dominated plant communities in medusahead-invaded sagebrush rangeland

View fact sheet, pg. 12.

This fact sheet provides managers with tools and strategies to reestablish perennial-dominated plant communities in medusahead-invaded sagebrush rangelands.

View all topics reviewed in the Fact Sheet series.

Single sheet of paper with bullet points

Putting resilience and resistance into practice

View fact sheet.

Land managers are increasingly interested in improving resilience to disturbances,such as wildfire, and resistance to invasive species,such as cheatgrass and medusahead. This fact sheet is designed to assist land managers in resilience and resistance concepts to assess risks, prioritize management activities, and select treatments.

This is the first of many topics reviewed in the Great Basin Fact Sheet series.

Narrow your search

Stay Connected