Livestock Grazing Study Questions
1. Five hundred years ago, North America had vast grasslands. Now there are only small
remnants of native prairie left. What human activities have been most responsible for the loss of
most of the native North American grasslands?
2. What is a watershed? How does livestock grazing affect watersheds?
3. What are riparian areas? What is the influence of livestock grazing on the integrity of riparian
zones?
4. Should livestock be managed or fenced so that they have no access to streams and rivers?
Should this be a nationwide or global objective?
5. What is the "tragedy of the commons"? How do rangelands and ocean fisheries
relate to this concept?
6. What is the postulated role of the microbiotic crust in rangeland soil fertility?
7. Why is the pristine state a moving target? Can we return rangelands or other
ecosystems to their pristine state?
8. What are the benefits and disadvantages of having the government provide sub
sidies for emergency feed during times of drought?
.
9.What are the advantages and disadvantages of livestock grazing in reducing rangeland fires?
10. Compare the environmental effects of large wild ungulates (deer, elk, bison) in
Yellowstone National Park with the effects of beef cattle on western rangelands.
11. What roles do beaver have as a keystone species? Why are beaver numbers much lower in
Yellowstone National Park now than they were 100 years ago? What are the environmental
consequences of this change in beaver numbers?
12. Why are many ranchers in Montana opposed to allowing bison to move out of
Yellowstone National Park into adjacent rangelands?
13. What are some of the reasons for and against the reintroduction of wolves into some of their
former territory in the "Lower 48" states?
14. What is the Sahel? Why is it that nomadic herders and their livestock have been
able to live in the Sahelian region for hundreds or even thousands of years in reasonable
ecological harmony, until the last 50 years?
15. How can changes in vegetation affect the climate of an area?
16 Goats have been blamed for causing desertification. Are goats really the problem?
17. How would you describe the effects of livestock grazing on rangeland health in
North America, Africa, China, and Australia? Have the effects been positive, negative, or
neutral? Explain.
18. Describe the competition for feed resources among deer, elk, cattle, and wild horses.
19. Discuss some positive impacts of livestock production on wildlife and wildlife habitat.
20. Do you favor modifying the Endangered Species Act to give greater consideration
to economic impacts? Why?
21. This statement was a reader response in Western Beef Producer: "I'm all for it (changing the
Endangered Species Act). If it doesn't change, people will become extinct. I don't believe in
putting animals in front of the well-being of people." Do you agree? Write a response to this
opinion.
22. Coyotes have tremendously expanded their range in the last 100 years and are now found in
every U.S. state except Hawaii. Why have they expanded their range, in spite of extensive predator
control programs?
23. Are you in favor of ranching or farming of wildlife? Why?