Grazing and Land Management Strategies for Hardwood

Abstract: Annual rangelands produce 84 percent of California's range forage which are used all year by sedentary ranching operations and seasonally by migratory operations. Environ mental policy, energy and water costs may reduce traditional summer forage sources, resulting in increased grazing pressure on hardwood and annual rangelands. However, the landowner's production goals and society's environmental quality goals can still be attained by subdividing the ranch into management units based on the land's productive potential and resource value and by intensifying grazing management. Pasture subdivision and increased control over grazing time and space has the potential to increase ranch productivity and profitability while facilitating protection of critical areas such as oak regeneration sites, ripar ian areas, and wildlife habitat. Most hardwood rangelands and associated annual grass