Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of Livestock Grazing On The Ecology Of Sierra Meadows: A Review of The Current State of Scientific Knowledge To Inform Meadow Restoration And Management

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Wet montane meadows are an important component of the Sierra Nevada, CA ecosystem that provide diverse ecological services when in functional condition. Efforts are underway to restore meadows that have been degraded from past and historic land uses. Livestock grazing is a common land use in meadows with the potential to impact Sierra meadow ecology and may be a critical determinant of restoration success. We used a systematic literature review (SLR) method to identify, review, and synthesize scientific literature about the ecological effects of livestock grazing on Sierra meadow ecology resource areas, including hydrologic function, water quality, plants, soil, fens, and fish and wildlife species. We found 47 studies that matched our search criteria for inclusion in this SLR. Livestock grazing was associated with predominantly negative effects for each resource area reviewed, suggesting that achieving functional ecological condition in Sierra meadows that are currently used for livestock grazing may be challenging. Nevertheless, there was some evidence for compatibility with certain resource areas and certain management regimes. We discuss livestock management options, ecological objectives, and research questions that emerge from the literature to help inform meadow restoration and management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Stillwater Sciences (2012) A guide for restoring functionality to mountain meadows of the Sierra Nevada. Prepared by Stillwater Sciences, Berkeley. California for American Rivers, Nevada City, California

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen BH (1989) Ten years of change in Sierran stringer meadows: an evaluation of range condition models. Presented at the California Riparian Systems Conference, September 22–24, Davis, CA

  • Ammon EM, Stacey PB (1997) Avian nest success in relation to past grazing regimes in a montane riparian system. Condor 99:7–13. https://doi.org/10.2307/1370219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Aylward B, Merrill A (2012) An economic analysis of Sierra meadow restoration. A report for Environmental Defense Fund under the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Sierra Meadows Initiative

  • Baccei JS, McClaran MP, Kuhn TJ, Hart SC (2020) Multi-scale drivers of soil resistance predict vulnerability of seasonally wet meadows to trampling by pack stock animals in the Sierra Nevada, USA. Ecol Process 9:32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belsky AJ, Matzke A, Uselman S (1999) Survey of livestock influences on stream and riparian ecosystems of the western United States. J Soil Water Conserv 54:419–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Beschta RL, Donahue DL, DellaSalla DA, Rhodes JJ, Karr JR, O’Brien MH, Fleischner TL, Williams CD (2013) Adapting to climate change on western public lands: Addressing the ecological effects of domestic, wild, and feral ungulates. Environ Manag 51:474–491. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9964-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blank RR, Morgan T (2010) Influence of livestock grazing, floodplain position, and time on soil nutrient pools in a Sierra Nevada montane meadow. Soil Sci 175:293–302. https://doi.org/10.1097/SS.0b013e3181e73c0f

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blank RR, Svejcar T, Riegel G (2006) Soil attributes in a Sierra Nevada riparian meadow as influenced by grazing. Rangel Ecol Manag 59:321–329. https://doi.org/10.2111/04-144R2.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braccia A, Voshell JR (2006) Environmental factors accounting for benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage structure at the sample scale in streams subjected to a gradient of cattle grazing. Hydrobiologia 573:55–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0257-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castelli RM, Chambers JC, Tausch RJ (2000) Soil-plant relations along a soil-water gradient in Great Basin riparian meadows. Wetlands 20:251–266. https://doi.org/10.1672/0277-5212(2000)020[0251:SPRAAS]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cicero C (1997) Boggy meadows, livestock grazing, and interspecific interactions: Influences on the insular distribution of montane Lincoln’s Sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii alticola). Gt Basin Nat 57:104–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Cole EM, North MP (2014) Environmental influences on amphibian assemblages across subalpine wet meadows in the Klamath Mountains, California. Herpetologica 70:135–148. https://doi.org/10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-13-00016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cole EM, Hartman R, North M (2016) Hydroperiod and cattle use associated with lower recruitment in an r-selected amphibian with a declining population trend in the Klamath Mountains, California. J Herpetol 50:37–43. https://doi.org/10.1670/14-014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conroy SD, Svejcar TJ (1991) Willow planting success as influenced by site factors and cattle grazing in northeastern California. J Range Manag 44:59–63. https://doi.org/10.2307/4002640

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dauwalter DC, Fesenmyer KA, Miller SW, Porter T (2018) Response of riparian vegetation, instream habitat, and aquatic biota to riparian grazing exclosures. N Am J Fish Manag 38:1187–1200. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeLaney TA (1995) Benefits to downstream flood attenuation and water quality as a result of constructed wetlands in agricultural landscapes. J Soil Water Conserv 50:620–626

    Google Scholar 

  • Derlet RW, Goldman CR, Connor MJ (2010) Reducing the impact of summer cattle grazing on water quality in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California: a proposal. J Water Health 8:326–333. https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2009.171

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Derlet RW, Richards JR, Goldman CR (2012b) Does above-normal precipitation reduce the impact of mountain cattle grazing on watershed algae and bacteria? Water Qual Expo Health 4:105–112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-012-0069-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derlet RW, Ali Ger K, Richards JR, Carlson JR (2008) Risk factors for coliform bacteria in backcountry lakes and streams in the Sierra Nevada mountains: a 5-year study. Wilderness Environ Med 19:82–90. https://doi.org/10.1580/07-weme-or-1511.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derlet RW, Richards JR, Tanaka LL, Hayden C, Ali Ger K., Goldman CR (2012a) Impact of summer cattle grazing on the Sierra Nevada watershed: aquatic algae and bacteria. J Environ Public Health 2012. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/76010

  • DeRose KL (2019) Balancing ecological and agricultural production outcomes provided by riparian areas in grazed landscapes. Master of Science Thesis. University of California, Davis

    Google Scholar 

  • DeRose KL, Roche LM, Lile DF, Eastburn DJ, Tate KW (2020) Microbial water quality conditions associated with livestock grazing, recreation, and rural residences in mixed-use landscapes. Sustainability 12:5207. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12125207

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dobkin DS, Rich AC, Pyle WH (1998) Habitat and avifaunal recovery from livestock grazing in a riparian meadow system of the northwestern Great Basin. Conserv Biol 12:209–221

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drew WM, Hemphill N, Keszey L, Merrill A, Hunt L et al. (2016) Sierra Meadows Strategy. Sierra Meadows Partnersh Pap 1:40

    Google Scholar 

  • Dull R (1999) Palynological evidence for 19th century grazing-induced vegetation change in the southern Sierra Nevada, California, USA. J Biogeogr 26:899–912

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dwire KA, Boone Kauffman J, Baham JE (2006) Plant species distribution in relation to water-table depth and soil redox potential in montane riparian meadows. Wetlands 26:131–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee SR, Berlow EL, Ostoja SM, Brooks ML, Genin A, Matchett JR, Hart SC (2017) A multi-scale evaluation of pack stock effects on subalpine meadow plant communities in the Sierra Nevada. PloS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178536

  • Earnst SL, Ballard JA, Dobkin DS (2005) Riparian songbird abundance a decade after cattle removal on Hart Mountain and Sheldon National Wildlife Refuges. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-GTR-191

  • Fleischner TL (1994) Ecological Costs of Livestock Grazing in Western North America. Conserv Biol 8:629–644

  • Flett MA, Sanders DS (1987) Ecology of a Sierra Nevada population of willow flycatchers. West Birds 18:37–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Flett DA (2018) The influence of hydrologic regime, vegetation, and land use on carbon fluxes of northern Sierra Nevada fens. Thesis, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

  • Fogg AM (2009) Effects of livestock grazing on foraging ecology of western wood-pewees in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. Thesis, Humboldt State University, Arcata

  • Freitas MR, Roche LM, Weixelman D, Tate KW (2014) Montane meadow plant community response to livestock grazing. Environ Manag 54:301–308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0294-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • George MR, Jackson RD, Boyd CS, Tate KW (2011) A scientific assessment of the effectiveness of riparian management practices. In: Briske DD (ed) Conservation Benefits of Rangeland Practices. United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, D.C., p 213–252

  • Gough D, Oliver S, Thomas J (2017) An introduction to systematic reviews. Sage, Los Angeles, CA

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross S, Coppoletta M (2013) Historic range of variability for meadows in the Sierra Nevada and South Cascades. U.S. Forest Service Report. U.S. Forest Service, South Lake Tahoe

  • Hammersmark CT, Rains MC, Mount JF (2008) Quantifying the hydrological effects of stream restoration in a montane meadow, northern California, USA. River Res Appl 24:735–753. https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.1077

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herbst DB, Bogan MT, Roll SK, Safford HD (2012) Effects of livestock exclusion on in-stream habitat and benthic invertebrate assemblages in montane streams. Freshw Biol 57:204–217. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2427.2011.02706.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herbst DB, Silldorf EL (2006) Comparisons of the performance of different bioassessment methods: similar evaluations of biotic integrity from separate programs and procedures. J North Am Benthol Soc 25:513−530

  • Hunsaker C, Swanson S, McMahon A, Viers JH, Hill B (2015) Effects of meadow restoration on groundwater storage and baseflow in National Forests in the Sierra Nevada. USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region, California. Vallejo, California

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones BE, Lile DF, Tate KW (2011) Cattle selection for aspen and meadow vegetation: implications for restoration. Rangel Ecol Manag 64:625–632. https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-10-00089.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones CS, Duncan DH, Rumpff L, Robinson D, Vesk PA (2022) Permanent removal of livestock grazing in riparian systems benefits native vegetation. Glob Ecol Conserv 23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01959

  • Kalinowski RS, Johnson MD, Rich AC (2014) Habitat relationships of Great Gray Owl prey in meadows of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Wildl Soc 38:547–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kattelmann R, Embury M (1996) Riparian areas and wetlands. Final report to Congress, vol. III, Assessments and scientific basis for management options. University of California, Centers for Water and Wildland Resources, Davis

    Google Scholar 

  • Kauffman JB, Krueger WC, Vavra M (1983) Effects of late season cattle grazing on riparian plant communities. J Range Manag 36:685–691. https://doi.org/10.2307/3898185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kie JG, Evans CJ, Loft ER, Menke JW (1991) Foraging behavior by mule deer: the influence of cattle grazing. J Wildl Manag 55:665–674. https://doi.org/10.2307/3809516

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knapp RA, Matthews KR (1996) Livestock grazing, golden trout, and streams in the Golden Trout Wilderness, California: Impacts and management implications. N Am J Fish Manag 16:805–820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knapp RA, Vredenburg VT, Matthews KR (1998) Effects of stream channel morphology on Golden Trout spawning habitat and recruitment. Ecol Appl 8:1104–1117

  • Li G, Zhang Z, Shi L, Zhou Y, Yang M, Cao J et al. (2018) Effects of different grazing intensities on soil C, N, and P in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 15:2584. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15112584

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loft ER, Menke JW, Kie JG (1991) Habitat shifts by mule deer: the influence of cattle grazing. J Wildl Manag 55:16–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loft ER, Kie JG, Menke JW (1993) Grazing in the Sierra Nevada: home range and space use patterns of mule deer as influenced by cattle. Calif Fish Game 79:145–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Loft ER, Menke JW, Kie JG, Bertram RC (1987) Influence of cattle stocking rate on the structural profile of deer hiding cover. J Wildl Manag 51:655–664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loheide SP, Deitchman RS, Cooper DJ, Wolf EC, Hammersmark CT, Lundquist JD (2009) A framework for understanding the hydroecology of impacted wet meadows in the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Ranges, California, USA. Hydrogeol J 17:229–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-008-0380-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long JW, Pope KL (2014) Wet meadows. In: Long JW, Quinn-Davidson L, Skinner CN (eds) Science synthesis to support the socioecological resilience in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade range. Volume 1. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-247

  • Lukovíc J, Chiang JCH, Blagojevíc D, Sekulíc A (2021) A later onset of the rainy season in California. Geophys Res Lett 48:e2020GL090350. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL090350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma W, Ding K, Zhongwu L (2016) Comparison of soil carbon and nitrogen stocks at grazing-excluded and yak grazed alpine meadow sites in Qingha-Tibetan Plateau, China. Ecol Eng 87:203–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2015.11.040

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews KR (1996b) Diel movement and habitat use of California golden trout in the Golden Trout Wilderness, California. Trans Am Fish Soc 125:78–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews KR (1996a) Habitat selection and movement patterns of California golden trout in degraded and recovering stream sections in the Golden Trout Wilderness, California. N Am J Fish Manag 16:579–590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McIlroy SK, Lind AJ, Allen-Diaz BH, Roche LM, Frost WE et al. (2013) Determining the effects of cattle grazing treatments on Yosemite toads (Anaxyrus [=Bufo] canorus) in montane meadows. PLoS ONE 8:e79263. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0079263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McKelvey KS, Johnston JD (1992) Historical perspectives on forests of the Sierra Nevada and the transverse ranges of southern California: Forest conditions at the turn of the century. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-GTR-133

  • Menke JW, Davis C, Beesley P (1996) Rangeland Assessment. Final report to Congress, vol. III, Assessments and scientific basis for management options. Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project. University of California, Centers for Water and Wildland Resources, Davis

    Google Scholar 

  • Merriam KE, Markwith SH, Coppoletta M (2018) Livestock exclusion alters plant species composition in fen meadows. Appl Veg Sci 21:3–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merritt RW, Cummins KW, Berg MB (2008) An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America. Kendall Hunt, Dubuque

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JE, Folliott PF, Patton-Mallory M (2005) Back to the future: Forest Service rangeland research and management. Rangelands 27:19–28. https://doi.org/10.2111/1551-501X(2005)27.3[19:BTTFFS]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group (2010) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. Int J Surg Open 8:336–341. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moyle PB, Lusardi RA, Samuel PJ, Katz JVE (2017) State of the Salmonids: Status of California’s emblematic fishes. UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and California Trout

  • Myers L, Kane J (2011) The impact of summer cattle grazing on surface water quality in high elevation mountain meadows. Water Qual Expo Health 3:51–62. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2012.328097

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Myers L, Whited B (2012) The impact of cattle grazing in high elevation Sierra Nevada mountain meadows over widely variable annual climatic conditions. J Environ Prot Sci 3:823–837. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2012.328097

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (2010). Business Plan: Sierra Nevada Meadow Restoration. p 38

  • Norton JB, Olsen HR, Jungst LJ, Legg DE, Horwath WR (2014) Soil carbon and nitrogen storage in alluvial wet meadows of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA. J Soils Sediment 14:34–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-013-0797-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Norton JB, Jungst LJ, Norton U, Olsen HR, Tate KW, Horwath WR (2011) Soil carbon and nitrogen storage in upper montane riparian meadows. Ecosystems 14:1217–1231. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9477-z

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nusslé S, Matthews KR, Carlson SM (2015) Mediating water temperature increases due to livestock and global change in high elevation meadow streams of the Golden Trout Wilderness. PloS ONE 10:e0142426. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nusslé S, Matthews KR, Carlson SM (2017) Patterns and dynamics of vegetation recovery following grazing cessation in the California golden trout habitat. Ecosphere 8:e01880. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1880

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odes PR, Rehn AC, Mazor RD, Schiff KC, Stein ED, May JT, Brown LR, Herbst DB, Gillett D, Lunde K, Hawkins CP (2016) Evaluating the adequacy of a reference-site pool for ecological assessments in environmentally complex regions. Freshw Sci 35:237–248. https://doi.org/10.1086/684003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Odion DC, Dudley TL, D’Antonio CM (1988) Cattle grazing in southeastern Sierran meadows: ecosystem change and prospects for recovery. In: Hall CA, Doyle-Jones V (eds.) Plant Biology of Eastern California. University of California, Los Angeles, p 277–292

  • Oles KM, Weixelman DA, Lile DF, Tate KW, Snell LK, Roche LM (2017) Riparian meadow response to modern conservation grazing management. Environ Manag 60:383–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ostoja SM, Brooks ML, Moore PE, Berlow EL, Blank R, Roche J, Chase J, Haultain S (2014) Potential environmental effects of pack stock on meadow ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada, USA. Rangel 36:411–427. https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ14050

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope K, Brown C, Hayes M, Green G, Macfarlane D (2014) Cascades frog conservation assessment. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-244

  • Powers B, Johnson MD, Lamanna JA (2011) The influence of cattle grazing on pocket gophers in the central Sierra Nevada mountains, California: Potential implications for great gray owls. Northwest Nat 92:13–18. https://doi.org/10.1898/10-13.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramstead KM, Allen JA, Springer AE (2012) Have wet meadow restoration projects in the southwestern U.S. been effective in restoring geomorphology, hydrology, soils, and plant species composition? Environ Evid 1:11. https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-2382-1-11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratliff RD (1985) Meadows in the Sierra Nevada of California: state of knowledge. General Technical Report PSWGTR-84. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Berkeley, CA

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Reed CC, Merrill AG, Drew WM, Christman B, Hutchinson RA et al. (2020) Montane meadows: a soil carbon sink or source? Ecosystems 24:1125–1141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-020-00572-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roche LM, Allen-Diaz B, Eastburn DJ, Tate KW (2012a) Cattle grazing and Yosemite Toad (Bufo canorus Camp) breeding habitat in Sierra Nevada meadows. Rangel Ecol Manag 66:56–66. https://doi.org/10.2111/REM-D-11-00092.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roche LM, Latimer AM, Eastburn DJ, Tate KW (2012b) Cattle grazing and conservation of a meadow dependent amphibian species in the Sierra Nevada. PloS ONE 7:e35734. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035734

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roche LM, O’Green AT, Latimer AM, Eastburn DJ (2014) Montane meadow hydropedology, plant community, and herbivore dynamics. Ecosphere 5:150. https://doi.org/10.1890/ES14-00173.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roche LM, Kromschroeder L, Atwill ER, Dahlgren RA, Tate KW (2013) Water quality conditions associated with cattle grazing and recreation on national forest lands. PloS ONE 8:e68127. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0068127

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sarr DA, Dudley TL (2008) Survival and restoration potential of beaked sedge (Carex utriculata) in grazed riparian meadows of the southern Sierra Nevada (California). Ecol Restor 26:186–188. https://doi.org/10.3368/er.26.3.186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scrimgeour GJ, Kendall S (2003) Effects of livestock grazing on benthic invertebrates from a native grassland ecosystem. Freshw Biol 48:347–362. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2427.2003.00978.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegel RB, DeSante DF (1999) Sierra Nevada Bird Conservation Plan. Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station

  • Stevenson KM (2004) Conservation of plant and abiotic diversity in grazed and ungrazed meadows of the Sierra Nevada. Dissertation. University of California, Davis

    Google Scholar 

  • Strand M, Merritt RW (1999) Impacts of livestock grazing activities on stream insect communities and the riverine environment. Am Entomol 45:13–29. https://doi.org/10.1093/ae/45.1.13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sulak A, Huntsinger L (2002) The importance of federal grazing allotments to central Sierran oak woodland permittees: A first approximation. In: Standiford RB (ed) Proceedings of the Fifth Symposium on Oak Woodlands: Oaks in California’s Challenging Landscape. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-184. Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA, p 43–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Swain DL, Langenbrunner B, Neelin JD, Hall A (2018) Increasing precipitation volatility in twenty-first century California. Nat Clim 8:427–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thiptara A (2014) The role of cattle grazing management practices and environmental factors in the spread of waterborne pathogens in California Sierra Nevada meadows. Dissertation, University of California at Davis, Davis

  • Trimble SW, Mendel AC (1995) The cow as a geomorphic agent. Geomorphology 13:233–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Forest Service. Laws, Regulations, and Policies. Accessed online June 12, 2020. https://www.fs.fed.us/rangeland-management/aboutus/lawsregs.shtml

  • United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (2006) Livestock’s long shadow: Environmental issues and options

  • University of California at Davis, Center for Watershed Sciences, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region (2017). Sierra Nevada Multi-Source Meadow Polygons Compilation (v 2.0), Vallejo, CA, Regional Office: USDA Forest Service. http://meadows.ucdavis.edu/

  • USDA Forest Service (2001) Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision, Volume 2. Pacific Southwest Region, R5-MB-046

  • USDA Forest Service (2004) Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment: Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision. Pacific Southwest Region, R5-MB-046

  • Valentine BE, Roberts TA, Boland SP, Woodman AP (1988) Livestock management and productivity of willow flycatchers in the central Sierra Nevada. Transactions of the Western Section of The Wildlife. Society 24:105–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Vernon ME, Campos BR, Burnett RD (2019) A guide to climate-smart meadow restoration in the Sierra Nevada and southern Cascades. Point Blue Contribution Number 2232. Point Blue Conservation Science, Petaluma

  • Viers JH, Purdy SE, Peek RA, Fryjoff-Hung A, Santos NR, Katz JVE, Emmons JD, Dolan DV, Yarnell SM (2013) Montane meadows in the Sierra Nevada: Changing hydroclimatic conditions and concepts for vulnerability assessment. Center for Watershed Sciences Technical Report (CWS-2013-01). University of California, Davis, p 63

    Google Scholar 

  • Weixelman DA, Hill B, Cooper DJ, Berlow EL, Viers JH, Purdy SE, Merrill AG, Gross SE (2011) A Field Key to Meadow Hydrogeomorphic Types for the Sierra Nevada and Southern Cascade Ranges in California. General Technical Report R5-TP-034. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, Vallejo, CA, p 34

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf EC (2017) Ecosystem function, degradation, and restoration in wetlands of the Sierra Nevada, California. Dissertation. University of California, Davis

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf EC, Cooper DJ (2015) Fens of the Sierra Nevada, California, USA: Patterns of distribution and vegetation. Mires Peat 8:1–22

  • Woltemade CJ (2000) Ability of restored wetlands to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in agricultural drainage water. J Soil Water Conserv 55:303–309

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang J, Dong Y (2009) Effects of grazing intensity, soil variables, and topography on vegetation diversity in the subalpine meadows of the Zhongtiao Mountains. China Rangel 31:353–360. https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ08051

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank A. Fogg, E. Porzig, and T. Russell for providing critical feedback on earlier conceptual drafts of this paper, G. Ballard and D. Weixelman for providing critical feedback on the near-final draft of this paper, and critical feedback from two anonymous peer reviewers.

Funding

Funding for this research was provided by a private donor to Point Blue Conservation Science. BRC conceptualized the paper and critically revised the work, MEV performed the literature search, data analysis, and paper drafting, and RDB critically revised the work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Point Blue Conservation Science, 3820 Cypress Drive, Suite 11, Petaluma, CA, 94954, USA

    Marian E. Vernon, Brent R. Campos & Ryan D. Burnett

Authors
  1. Marian E. Vernon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Brent R. Campos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ryan D. Burnett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marian E. Vernon.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vernon, M.E., Campos, B.R. & Burnett, R.D. Effects of Livestock Grazing On The Ecology Of Sierra Meadows: A Review of The Current State of Scientific Knowledge To Inform Meadow Restoration And Management. Environmental Management 69, 1118–1136 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01634-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01634-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation