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Grazing systems are established on private or public lands currently being over- grazed or poorly managed by grazing. These are primarily twice-over, deferred, and short-term grazing systems. This practice provides increased nesting cover, erosion control, and improved water quality for wetland complexes within the grazed area. In many instances, by initiating a profitable grazing system, a landowner may avoid breaking the prairie to make a go at cropping. Since 1987, grazing systems for 41,821 acres of primarily native pasture have been prescribed.

QUALIFIERS:

1. 2-4 weeks duration in May.
2. Purpose is to promote taller native grasses and reduce cool-season invaders such as Poa.
3. Some of the species mentioned will be affected only if wet-lands are present.
4. Impacts will vary depending upon geographic location and excess vegetation, e.g., east to west changes in amount of prairie, growing potential, and litter build-up.
5. The practice may result in an immediate "short-term" decrease for some species, however, in the "long term" the practice may be beneficial to all the negatively impacted species and detrimental to the positively affected species.
6. Frequency practice used 1 to 5 years (but variable; may be annual for a few years, than stop for 10-15 years).

Beneficial: [+] Ferruginous hawk, killdeer, willet, marbled godwit, common nighthawk, horned lark, Sprague's pipit, Baird's sparrow, chestnut-collared longspur, Brewer's blackbird, brown-headed cowbird.

Negative: [-] dabbling ducks, American bittern, northern harrier, ring- necked pheasant, prairie chicken (nesting habitat), Virginia rail, sora, upland sandpiper, short-eared owl, mourning dove, dickcissel, grasshopper sparrow, LeConte's sparrow, sharp-tailed sparrow, bobolink

Very negative: [--]

Unknown: [?] gray partridge, Wilson's phalarope, clay-colored sparrow, western meadowlark, lark bunting, savannah sparrow

COMMENTS: Pattern of use is inconsistent with regard to frequency. Also reduced cool-season natives. Doubtful that it reduces Poas (according to Kruse, among others).