Specialized grazing systems were first conceptualized in the United States at the turn of the 20th century and became a major focus of range researchers and managers by the 1950’s (Holechek et al., 1998). In the Intermountain West, deferred- rotation received considerable attention during the 1950’s, followed by restrotation during the 1970’s. More recently, rangeland managers have used short duration grazing to more intensively control when and where domestic animals graze rangelands
When properly applied, grazing systems are powerful tools that can help rangeland and livestock managers achieve management objectives related to rangeland and livestock production (e.g., forage production, average daily gain), as well as those related to ecosystem structure (e.g., wildlife habitat) and function (e.g., erosion control, water quantity and quality). However, selection of the proper grazing system is contingent upon the uniqueness of the setting in which it is applied (e.g., topography, soils, vegetation types, climate, etc.).
The objectives of this article are to provide an overview of the major grazing systems that have been used on rangelands in the western U. S. and Canada, to summarize the conditions under which they may be applicable (Table 1), and to highlight examples from the southwestern U. S. when relevant. Our discussion is largely a synopsis of Holechek et al’s (1998) recent review of grazing systems (chapter 9), and of Vallentine’s (1990) discussion of the same topic (chapters 13 and 14).