Protect and Enhance the Nation’s Resource Base and Environment

Using Sheep for Controlling Weeds and Planting Perennial Plant Species

Issue (Who cares and why?)
      Large areas of Nevada rangelands are now dominated by cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), an introduced annual. The negative impacts of cheatgrass are many. It has been shown to displace native perennial grasses on undisturbed sites. It is poor quality forage for most wildlife species and livestock. It grows prolifically in the normally sparse interspaces between native shrubs and grasses. This growth habit creates a continuous fuel load which dries rapidly in early summer. The result is a significant increase in the number of fires and a subsequent decrease in the fire return interval which eliminates many desirable perennial plants.
      Rehabilitation of these rangelands requires a combination of cheatgrass control followed by reseeding with adapted plant species. Mechanical control of cheatgrass by mowing, disking, or burning has been shown to be relatively ineffective. The most successful controls currently in use involve spraying the cheatgrass with herbicides. While this method has shown good success, herbicide use is controversial and expensive.

What has been done?
      A study was conducted on a cheatgrass dominated site within the Bureau of Land Management’s Elko district, located in eastern Nevada. The different planting strategies (disk and drill vs. sheep grazing and trampling in the seeds) were compared using various seed mixtures in spring and fall plantings. Sheep grazed sites were grazed at least two seasons to control cheatgrass re-growth.

Impact
      Sheep grazing of cheatgrass plots for 2 growing seasons following broadcast seeding of native grasses and shrubs was effective in controlling competition from cheatgrass, with the restored plant community being approximately, 90% native plants and 10% cheatgrass. When conventional disking and drilling of natives seeds was used, more native seeds germinated, but the plant community was approx. 90% cheatgrass and wild mustard.
      Producers with sheep or goats are now being contracted to control weeds in 3 of the 5 Nevada BLM districts, with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and on a number of private ranches by the end of 2004. Nevada's Natrual Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has approved sheep and goat grazing as an appropriate weed control method for Environmental Quality Incentives Program funding.

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