Browsing by Subject "Range management -- Texas"
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Item Deer movement and habitat response to short duration grazing(Texas Tech University, 1985-05) Cohen, William EmoryRecently a relatively new form of grazing management, short duration grazing (SDG), has been introduced to Texas. Since white-tailed deer are of major economic importance to ranchers, the objectives were to determine the effect SDG has on deer movement and habitat. The study was conducted on the Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife refuge, near Sinton, Texas. The study site was a 10-pasture cell-type SDG treatment and a continuously grazed treatment (COT) with identical stocking rates of 2.8 ha/au/yr. Cattle grazed each cell pasture 2 to 8 days and cell pastures were rested 32 to 47 days. White-tailed deer traveled in SDG more than COT in their daily routines during the late spring and summer months. Home range size did not differ between treatments. Also, deer showed greater fidelity to the SDG system in the spring and responded to cattle rotation by clearly avoiding areas of cattle presence. There was no difference in vegetation standing crop biomass or cover between SDG and COT. However, key forage species important to deer were more common in the COT than in the SDG. Visual obstruction in the SDG and COT was similar between ground level and deer height, except during fall when SDG was higher.Item The Effect of Three Grazing Management Systems on Cattle Diets on the Welder Wildlife Refuge(Texas Tech University, 1979-05) Frasure, James RobertNot Available.Item The effects of fertilizers on some factors of two semi-arid range sites(Texas Tech University, 1976-08) Salih, Mohamed Sid Ahmed,Not availableItem Trampling effect on seedling production and soil strength under short-duration and continuous grazing(Texas Tech University, 1983-12) Graff, Paul StephenSeeds of six grasses and four legumes were broadcast into low-density (IX) short-duration (SDG), high-density (2X) SDG, and continuously-grazed pastures in the Coastal Prairies of Texas to test the effect of different levels of trampling on seedling production. Seeding was also done on similar areas that had been sprayed with herbicide to reduce competition. Seeds of weeping lovegrass and Caucasian bluestem were broadcast in similar grazing treatments in the Rolling Plains of Texas, but competition reduction was not done. The Sinton loam soil on the coastal study area was monitored for changes in bulk density and crust strength using a bulk density core sampler and a proving-ring penetrometer. The penetrometer was also used to measure changes in surface strength of the Brownfield fine sand soil on the Rolling Plains area. Only seeds of Bell rhodesgrass, medio bluestem, Nueces buffelgrass, and meechie arrowleaf clover showed appreciable seedling production by broadcasting and trampling in the Coastal Prairies. Seedlings of medio bluestem and buffelgrass were increased by heavier trampling of SDG compared with the CONT, but only where competition was reduced. Medio bluestem produced many seedlings with or without reduced competition. Seedling production was extremely low on the Rolling Plains despite excellent rainfall conditions. Almost all seedlings were found within sand-shinnery oak canopies where little trampling occurred. Here, seedling production was not increased by trampling under SDG, apparently because competition was not reduced. Soil surface characteristic was not improved on the Sinton loam soil during 5 months of grazing under SDG, compared to CONT. Crust strength of the Brownfield fine sand soil was reduced by trampling under SDG compared to the CONT.