– Kathy Smith, Extension Program Director–Forestry, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University
Livestock grazing along a wooded stream compacts the soil, eliminates regeneration, and destroys the streambank, causing soil to be eroded into the stream. Photo by Kathy Smith, The Ohio State University.
Ever since the early settlement of the United States, woodlands have been used as pasture and range land. Even with low forage values, eastern forests were grazed until early farmers could clear enough land to plant crops for their livestock.
Forested pastures make the job of locating livestock and protecting them against predatory animals much more difficult than does an open pasture. Open pastures supply livestock an increased quantity and quality of forage compared to that of forested pasture. In addition to supplying poor forage, Ohio woodlands can contain plants that are harmful or poisonous to livestock. Plants such as white snakeroot, black cherry, buckthorn, and Kentucky coffee tree all are poisonous to livestock in some manner, whether it comes from eating the fruit, leaves, or bark. However, despite the obvious advantages of grazing open pastures and the disadvantages of grazing woodlands, presently, thousands of Ohio’s woodland acres are still being grazed. This woodland grazing negatively impacts not only the forest ecosystem but also . . .
Continue reading Woodlands Make Poor Pastures
