Bison and grazing America's Grasslands

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Interesting article: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2210433119

I got hit with a pay wall, but here is the abstract:

Abstract​

The widespread extirpation of megafauna may have destabilized ecosystems and altered biodiversity globally. Most megafauna extinctions occurred before the modern record, leaving it unclear how their loss impacts current biodiversity. We report the long-term effects of reintroducing plains bison (Bison bison) in a tallgrass prairie versus two land uses that commonly occur in many North American grasslands: 1) no grazing and 2) intensive growing-season grazing by domesticated cattle (Bos taurus). Compared to ungrazed areas, reintroducing bison increased native plant species richness by 103% at local scales (10 m2) and 86% at the catchment scale. Gains in richness continued for 29 y and were resilient to the most extreme drought in four decades. These gains are now among the largest recorded increases in species richness due to grazing in grasslands globally. Grazing by domestic cattle also increased native plant species richness, but by less than half as much as bison. This study indicates that some ecosystems maintain a latent potential for increased native plant species richness following the reintroduction of native herbivores, which was unmatched by domesticated grazers. Native-grazer gains in richness were resilient to an extreme drought, a pressure likely to become more common under future global environmental change.




What I'm reading here is that Bison are a critical part of the American ecosystem, cattle also help with richness but not to the same level as the Bison.

Now, let's not get into a debate about climate change, but this poses an interesting idea. Could bison reintroduction play a key part in combating future changes, specifically droughts that are becoming more common? Ranchers will never want to go that route for many reasons, but that's a pretty elegant part of a solution IMO.

 

[Wild Bill]

Pretty crazy how a single species and an ecosystem can mutually benefit so greatly when together. It's almost like they were tailor made for each other and evolved to meet the needs of each over an incredibly long period of time.... Then humans threw everything out of whack.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I would be curious to see the methods. Unless the bison and cattle were following the same grazing regime, it’s difficult to actually attribute any differences simply to the difference in species. I’ll have to track down the whole article at work.

But it is true that grasslands evolved with significant grazing pressure, and lack of grazing is terrible for native prairie.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

I would be curious to see the methods. Unless the bison and cattle were following the same grazing regime, it’s difficult to actually attribute any differences simply to the difference in species. I’ll have to track down the whole article at work.

But it is true that grasslands evolved with significant grazing pressure, and lack of grazing is terrible for native prairie.

That was my first thought as well. They say "native biodiversity", which on it's face sounds appealing, and might be. My first look when I see "increase in biodiversity" is usually to see what weedy early seral species have hit detectable levels. Not that some component of those are bad...depends what the management goal is. Presence and frequency are great for detecting changes in establishment, but of themselves not great in terms of assessing biologic impact and range health, IMO.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I would be curious to see the methods. Unless the bison and cattle were following the same grazing regime, it’s difficult to actually attribute any differences simply to the difference in species. I’ll have to track down the whole article at work.

But it is true that grasslands evolved with significant grazing pressure, and lack of grazing is terrible for native prairie.

If you end up getting access to it, pass it along friend?

Honestly tough to say without the whole paper being available, but they also throw out a pretty long duration of 29 years in the abstract so it is possible they took a long term view of cattle pasture vs bison pasture. Hard to say for sure without the whole article.

 

[OriginalOscar]

I would love to travel back in time to experience what Lewis & Clark witnessed with prairies covered by buffalo herds from horizon to horizon!

A couple great books which explore restoration of buffalo and the great plains ecosystem are below.
- Where the Buffalo Roam - Anne Matthews - 1993
- Bring Back the Buffalo - Ernest Gallenbach - 1996

Romantic idea for the great plains from Canada to Texas, but the reality is that region is bread, corn, soy and cattle basket for the world. In the last few decades buffalo restoration has occurred in many areas.
- InterTribal Buffalo Council has supported native communities with restoration efforts - https://itbcbuffalonation.org/
- Several large ranches have established or expanded herds of buffalo around the west.

The challenge and opportunity with increasing buffalo is disease transmission to cattle; specifically brucellosis. If states can establish and maintain disease free herds there can be opportunity to establish or expand wild herds. Utah has done a great job with establishing and growing our second wild herd in the Book Cliffs east of the Green River.

Regarding cattle replicating buffalo to benefit the land, it can be done with good management. A few years back I was blessed to draw Utah LE Elk for Deseret CWMU which is 250K ranch northern Utah. The ranch presented their management program during our welcome and it was impressive. The ranch runs 8000 head Angus with intensive grazing designed to replicate buffalo. Sizeable herds are placed in sections for a short period and then moved. Much like a large herd of wild buffalo would as they grazed and moved across the land.

God gave man dominion and we have responsibility to honor that gift.

 

[BuzzH]

I would love to travel back in time to experience what Lewis & Clark witnessed with prairies covered by buffalo herds from horizon to horizon!

A couple great books which explore restoration of buffalo and the great plains ecosystem are below.
- Where the Buffalo Roam - Anne Matthews - 1993
- Bring Back the Buffalo - Ernest Gallenbach - 1996

Romantic idea for the great plains from Canada to Texas, but the reality is that region is bread, corn, soy and cattle basket for the world. In the last few decades buffalo restoration has occurred in many areas.
- InterTribal Buffalo Council has supported native communities with restoration efforts - https://itbcbuffalonation.org/
- Several large ranches have established or expanded herds of buffalo around the west.

The challenge and opportunity with increasing buffalo is disease transmission to cattle; specifically brucellosis. If states can establish and maintain disease free herds there can be opportunity to establish or expand wild herds. Utah has done a great job with establishing and growing our second wild herd in the Book Cliffs east of the Green River.

Regarding cattle replicating buffalo to benefit the land, it can be done with good management. A few years back I was blessed to draw Utah LE Elk for Deseret CWMU which is 250K ranch northern Utah. The ranch presented their management program during our welcome and it was impressive. The ranch runs 8000 head Angus with intensive grazing designed to replicate buffalo. Sizeable herds are placed in sections for a short period and then moved. Much like a large herd of wild buffalo would as they grazed and moved across the land.

God gave man dominion and we have responsibility to honor that gift.

Brucellosis is a cattle disease, let cattle ranchers deal with it.

Native prairies evolved with high intensity short duration grazing.

Having spent almost 3 years on the snowcrest and red rock ranches, the biggest difference between cattle and bison grazing is where and how they graze. Given a choice cattle park their gooey green asses in the nearest riparian area and have to be forced to graze uplands and ridges. Bison come down to riparian areas to water briefly and they're back up on the ridges. Bison also move around way more than cattle during the day, cattle are lazy and park in one spot.

 

[EKYHunter]

Pretty crazy how a single species and an ecosystem can mutually benefit so greatly when together. It's almost like they were tailor made for each other and evolved to meet the needs of each over an incredibly long period of time.... Then humans threw everything out of whack.

Maybe God put them where he wanted them so they’d do what he wanted them to do? Interesting subject.

 

[OriginalOscar]

Brucellosis is a cattle disease, let cattle ranchers deal with it.

Native prairies evolved with high intensity short duration grazing.

Having spent almost 3 years on the snowcrest and red rock ranches, the biggest difference between cattle and bison grazing is where and how they graze. Given a choice cattle park their gooey green asses in the nearest riparian area and have to be forced to graze uplands and ridges. Bison come down to riparian areas to water briefly and they're back up on the ridges. Bison also move around way more than cattle during the day, cattle are lazy and park in one spot.

Snowcrest and Red Rock Ranches should contact Deseret to learn how they manage their ranch to solve the problems you note. Were you in charge of their conservation programs?

 

[BuzzH]

Snowcrest and Red Rock Ranches should contact Deseret to learn how they manage their ranch to solve the problems you note. Were you in charge of their conservation programs?

They don't have problems they graze bison. Managed riparian/ wetland/fisheries

 

[hank4elk]

Way back in the 70's I talked with a MT rancher about his graizing rotation routine and he worked it with draft stock and had replaced cattle with bison again. Rotation on pastures, riparian exclusion where included. Lots of hard work and he stated how dangerous they were if you did not watch your back.

Wed . I drove thru the Isleta Pueblo and saw their bison herd stuck in a small pasture in the bosque. The larger pasture had damage to the pipe fence. A couple hundred acres for the bison and thousands around it still trying to green up or looked like a dump. These folks lost their way.

I would love to plant a few hundred on the Plains of San Augustine to go with the antelope and elk I see. Sorry cattle folks,they are dumb lazy animals that impact the land if not worked. Moved. Give the range a chance with regrowth part of the deal.

My place has not had cattle in 5 years and no horses in 13, except 2 months I had 2 on here 8 years ago. The horses were the worst on the range.
Now all the areas that elk travel through and feed , rut and water heavily has regrown twice what the rest has. Intensive activity with smaller feet that turn the soil.

 

[YukonGold]

Pretty crazy how a single species and an ecosystem can mutually benefit so greatly when together. It's almost like they were tailor made for each other and evolved to meet the needs of each over an incredibly long period of time.... Then European settlers threw everything out of whack.

FIFY. Humans have lived in North America for at least 12,000 years. Got along just fine with the bison and the grasslands for most of that time.

 

[R.K.]

FIFY. Humans have lived in North America for at least 12,000 years. Got along just fine with the bison and the grasslands for most of that time.

The mammoths and giant ground sloths don’t seem to have faired as well, though.

 

[shb]

FIFY. A handful of Humans have lived in North America for at least 12,000 years. Got along just fine with the bison and the grasslands for most of that time.

Fify


Things get a little more complicated when you flip the humans to bison ratio 180°

 

[YukonGold]

The mammoths and giant ground sloths don’t seem to have faired as well, though.

Humans did not cause woolly mammoths to go extinct -- climate change did: New DNA research shows the world got too wet for the giant animals to survive

Humans did not cause woolly mammoths to go extinct -- climate change did. For five million years, woolly mammoths roamed the earth until they vanished for good nearly 4,000 years ago -- and scientists have finally proved why. The hairy cousins of today's elephants lived alongside early humans...

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[Straight Arrow]

The large grasslands foothills basin bumping up against the north face of the Spanish Peaks Wilderness is a beautiful example of bison ranch rotation on the famous Montana Flying D Ranch. IMO, it is one of the most gorgeous and natural looking landscapes in the world, replete with wildlife of many species indigenous to the west. Regardless of one's opinion of Ted Turner, you must feel gratitude for his conservation easement on that land. Otherwise, as so close to Bozeman it would likely be filled with Mcmansions, condos, boutiques, and neon signs!

Plus you can drive through the private ranch property on a public road to access the Spanish Peaks trailhead and trails which skirt some of the ranch property, but are open for access to the public lands.

 

[R.K.]

Plus you can drive through the private ranch property on a public road to access the Spanish Peaks trailhead and trails which skirt some of the ranch property, but are open for access to the public lands.

Is that the county road he tore out to eliminate public land access, then got sued to repair, but put in something far inferior to what he destroyed?

 

[Straight Arrow]

Is that the county road he tore out to eliminate public land access, then got sued to repair, but put in something far inferior to what he destroyed?

No, that county road has never been "tore out", nor has public land access been eliminated by Turner Properties to my knowledge (at least in Montana). You may have misunderstood what you heard or read, or you have listened to a faulty source of information.

You may be confusing the story of a proposal by Gallatin County to "pave" the public road to Spanish Peaks trailhead with the millings (salvaged Highway 191 grindings from highway repair). Flying D Ranch did not want the road paved through the ranch due to traffic speed concerns and other issues typically resulting from paving rural roads. (Residing nearby and using that road often myself, I agree with the ranch's concerns.)

Of interest to note is that the last four miles of the road to the trailhead is paved, which has always seemed odd. Also, be aware that the settlement of negotiations between the county and the Flying D resulted in a requirement for the ranch to pay for the annual gravel road grading of that road through the ranch.

 

[OriginalOscar]

Fify


Things get a little more complicated when you flip the humans to bison ratio 180°

The book Uprising - Jake Page tells story of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico and how it changed history of the west. Probably most dramatic was large herds of horses to Native Peoples. Horses were essential for the rise of the nomadic tribes who were able to travel great distances in search of buffalo. Pre horse most tribes lived along the edges of the Great Plains or along the rivers.

 

[bullbugle307]

Empire of the Summer Moon talks about this too. Pretty amazing how quickly the Comanche went from being a part of the Eastern Shoshone in Wyoming on the edge of the Winds to dominating a huge swath of land and being amazing horsemen, warriors, and buffalo hunters.