Abstract Background Land uses such as crop production, livestock grazing, mining, and urban development have contributed to degradation of drylands worldwide. Loss of big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ) on disturbed drylands across the western U.S. has prompted massive efforts to re-establish this foundational species. There has been growing interest in avoiding the severe limitations experienced by plants at the seed and seedling stages by instead establishing plants from containerized greenhouse seedlings (“t…

Abstract Mineral supplementation in the intermountain west region of the US may be necessary for maintenance of healthy flocks since important trace minerals are deficient in this region. However, rough terrain can make mineral supplementation challenging. The objective of this study was to evaluate the trace mineral status of ewes on range. We hypothesized that ewes with access to a mineral supplement would have decreased risk of mineral deficiency. In this study, ewes (n = 59) grazed four summer pastures on Ceda…

Abstract Sheep and goats prefer forbs and browse, respectively, which make them ideal for targeted grazing of weeds. However, this grazing may negatively affect sheep and goat performance. The objectives of the study were to monitor the effects of intensive grazing on sheep and goat performance and forage selection, as well as reduce Convolvulus arvensis. To do this, sheep [n = 40; average body weight (BW) 74 kg ± 1.45 kg] and goats (n = 40; average BW 45 kg ± 1.45 kg) grazed six paddocks, each an acre in size, on…

In recent decades rangeland science has moved from a "command and control" framework to one that values heterogeneity, recognizes rangelands as social-ecological systems, and seeks to integrate complexity. This new framework recognizes management as fundamentally site-specific, but rangeland science has not provided clear principles for successful livestock grazing management for use by producers and other stakeholders. This reticence has created a void often filled by prescriptive solutions that contradict our be…

Abstract The grasslands, deserts, shrublands, savannas, woodlands, open forests, and alpine tundra of western North America where livestock grazed were collectively referred to as ‘range’ in the nineteenth century. Today these ecosystems are often referred to as rangelands. In the United States, rangelands comprise about 1/3rd of the total land area, mostly in the 17 western states. Large areas of rangeland also occur in Canada and Mexico. Rangelands provide numerous products, values, and ecosystem services includ…