View Point: Stocking Density Affects Diet Selection

On the Ground • Stocking density is a powerful tool to manage grazing land resources, as demonstrated on prairie and pasture in Missouri. • Utilizing different stock densities, we can achieve different goals, including affecting diet selection, weed and brush control, improving utilization and manure distribution, and even improving seed-tosoil contact. • We allow sufficient recovery periods between grazing events to increase plant diversity and develop as much above- and below-ground biomass as possible. • During grazing periods we use stocking density to manipulate the amount of forage trampling that occurs. • Trampling can have a very positive impact on water and mineral cycles, building soil and increasing fertility in our perennial grasslands.The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information.Migrated from OJS platform March 202