Is Deferment Always Needed After Chemical Control of Sagebrush?

Abstract

The effects of 0, 1, 2, and 3 years of grazing deferment after sagebrush control were compared on subalpine ranges of the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming. On units open to grazing, utilization of Idaho fescue was generally below the level which sustains yield under season-long grazing. Under such conditions, the desirable forage grasses quickly increased in vigor and revegetated the area after sagebrush was killed. Continued moderate utilization did not retard the revegetation process or influence the subsequent reinvasion of sagebrush.