Study FSRM 1706-15 - Using Drinking Water to Distribute Livestock

Study FSRM 1706-15: A Demonstration to Determine the Feasibility of Achieving Rotation-Deferred Grazing within a Single Pasture by Controlling Access to Water

S. Clark Martin designed this study to determine the degree to which the availability of drinking water will control the spatial distribution of livestock grazing use. This work was pursued because controlling the distribution of livestock use through the availability of drinking water could be less expensive than building fences.

Permanently established study transects were arranged at five increasing distances from water developments, approximately 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 m from the water (see Study Plan ASCII text file below). Two replications of this series of five plots were established at five water sources in Pasture 6A and one in Pasture 6B, for a total of 60 permanent transects. The water in Pasture 6B was made available to livestock throughout the year. In contrast, availability in Pasture 6A was limited to only one of five water locations at any time, and those locations were switched every 3 months. This spatial arrangement of plots radiating from the water source enabled one to assess changes in the magnitude of grazing use and impact relative to the proximity to water. The degree of livestock use around the continuously available water source provided a control group to assess the patterns around the rotated water locations. Finally, comparisons among the rotated waters enabled an assessment of the degree to which water availability can influence livestock use patterns. The application of these experimental treatments continued from 1959 through 1966.
Estimates of cover by species were made along 100-foot transects by stretching a graduated tape between permanently placed rebar stakes in the ground at either end of the transect. Basal intercept for perennial grasses and canopy intercept for shrubs and trees were measured to the nearest 0.01 foot.
Estimates of grass biomass production for each species were made at the end of each summer growing season using a double-sampling method. Biomass was estimated to the nearest gram on six 9.6 foot by 1-foot plots along each of the 100-foot transects. Clipped 9.6 square foot plots used for the double-sampling estimates for each grass species were not located on the permanent transects.
Based on the transect locations marked on aerial photographs, estimates of these locations were placed on mylar overlays of USGS 7.5' (1:24000) topographic quad maps of the SRER, and then digitized from the overlays. The UTM coordinates represent the digitized points reprojected to the NAD83 datum using the GRS1980 spheroid.

The results of the study are described in one publication. Cover and production measurements were continued on 35 of these study transects in “Forest Service Study FSRM 1706-25: Benefits of rest March-October two years out of three” (See the FSRM 1706-25 section below). All 35 of those study transects are included in the Ongoing Vegetation Transects measured on the SRER since 1991.

This page provides the following contents related to the Study FSRM 1706-15.