Brush Management: Past, Present, Future

4. The Future of Mechanical Treatments for Brush Management

4 The Future of Mechanical Treatments for Brush Management What is Next? Mechanical methods for brush management have been in use for over 60 years; however, there have not been many new procedures developed within the last 30 years. With the exception of improvements to heavy equipment and basic design modifications to implements, the mode of action remains the same for various mechanical treatments. Practices such as rootplowing, chaining, and disking are time tested and proven methods for treating brush and the use of these and other mechanical applications will certainly continue and perhaps increase in the future. There are three major reasons why the use of mechanical treatments will continue to be popular. The first relates to the increased value that has been placed on the recreational use of rangelands. While multiple use values are a major consideration, in many areas of the state wildlife has become the single most important income-producing operation on ranches. Mechanical treatments are compatible with this wildlife management emphasis. They allow for precise location of treatments while leaving untreated areas that have a high utility value for wildlife species. Even broadcast practices, such as rootplowing, can be applied along contours or to delineate specific polygons on the landscape that are important for wildlife habitat. Mechanical treatments also avoid problems with damages caused by chemical applications when nontarget areas are in close proximity to target areas, and they are viewed as more environmentally friendly by many landowners. Mechanical practices can provide soil disturbance and seedbed preparation for wildlife food plants. Because of soil disturbance, most mechanical practices tend to increase the forb components on rangelands. Many forbs are of great value to wildlife species because of their seeds, relatively high protein content, and digestibility. However, other plants that are undesirable , such as common goldenweed (Isocoma coronopifolia), may be stimulated by mechanical soil disturbance and require that care be taken in planning the appropriate control technology. A second reason for continued use of mechanical practices in the future involves a change in the trend of land ownership. A growing number of Rory Burroughs, Mike Gibbs, Robert K. Lyons, and Colin McGahey 47 rural landowners today do not live on the ranch. Most of these owners have income produced from areas other than ranch operations and do not have to make a living from the land. The disposable income generated away from the ranch is often used to improve the ranch, a luxury that was not commonly available to traditional ranch owners. The availability of income to invest in land treatments and the desire to implement fast changes on range landscapes tend to favor mechanical practices among these landowners. Mechanical treatments can provide fast and dramatic changes in vegetation, including woody plant presence, density, and structure. Increased information and technology are the third reason closely related to future use of mechanical methods of brush management. With a better understanding of ecological principles and the ability to accurately measure and plan brush management projects using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS), landowners can effectively utilize a variety of available mechanical options. These technologies (GIS and GPS) facilitate “sculpting” of landscapes to optimize the soils, topography, and vegetation to meet very specific habitat management objectives. Recreational Uses of Rangelands People with a wide variety of interests are using rangelands for recreation. These users enjoy activities such as hiking, camping, mountain biking, birding and wildlife viewing, rock or artifact hunting, and game hunting. Optimization of such multiple uses of rangelands requires landowners to consider a variety of vegetation management options. Owners who emphasize game hunting, or a combination of hunting, livestock production, and recreation , rely heavily on mechanical brush management to meet spatial and structural landscape design requirements. Hunting has many economic impacts on rural areas. It is often the driving force in rural land real estate markets. Leasing rangelands for hunting generates from six to twelve dollars per acre depending on location in the state. Many rural landowners are encouraged to manage for wildlife because of the economic incentives derived from hunting and the major consideration in managing wildlife is creating and maintaining the appropriate habitat. With this emphasis on wildlife, and thus on habitat, brush management on many ranches is focusing on brush sculpting, or the selective removal of woody vegetation in a design that favors both wildlife and livestock. Mechanical treatments are very compatible with brush sculpting because the high degree of selectivity they offer allows land managers to create...