Overgrazing - The Ultimate Sin of Ranching
Grazing and ranching go hand-in-hand. After all, a 'ranch' by definition is a parcel of land that is predominantly used for grazing livestock for the primary purpose of obtaining a monetary profit. That said,
Overgrazing, the act of excessively grazing an area to the point of vegetation and land damage, is the "sin of all sins" when it comes to proper ranch management.
In an article featured in Hay & Forage Grower, Emi Kimura, an agronomist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, states,
"There are no benefits to overgrazing... Overgrazing results in lower forage production and persistence, as well as causing more water runoff, which allows pollution of streams, rivers, and other bodies of water with fertilizer and sediment. Due to insufficient forage, animal performance is depressed. It also raises the chances of water or wind erosion, weed and brush invasions, and creation of an unusable pasture during drought events.”
In another article called Lasting Effects of Overgrazing on Rangeland Ecosystems, Krista Ehlert, Associate Professor & SDSU Extension Range Specialist, emphasizes,
"Overgrazing upsets rangeland systems by causing problems with soil, forage, water and livestock interactions... When the same palatable grasses that livestock select for are continuously grazed, they will eventually be replaced with unpalatable, or invasive plant species."
