Adaptability and Managing for Rangeland Resilience Remain Key as Drought Covers Much of the State

By Sarah Fuller

“Much of the Cross Timbers, Concho Valley and Hill Country are in pretty good shape this year in terms of forage production,” said Jeff Goodwin, Ph.D., director of the Texas A&M Center for Grazinglands and Ranch Management and Texas A&M AgriLife Research assistant professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, Bryan-College Station. “This would be the year for those livestock producers to build in some recovery time for rangeland pastures that have been dealing with ongoing drought.”

Removing the stress of grazing while forages and plants are actively growing allows the plants to allocate their energy reserves into leaf growth and root development, said Morgan Treadwell, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service rangeland specialist and professor in the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management, San Angelo. 

This rest period is critical for the health and overall resilience of the state’s roughly 92 million acres of native rangelands that support ecosystem services, including forage and browse for livestock. Vegetation recovery and diversity are also critical for wildlife that rely on rangelands for food and habitat — especially during critical periods like rearing young.   

“At the end of the day, producers are in the business of stewarding rangeland resources,” Treadwell said. “Part of that is maintaining ground cover and building up organic material in the soil.”