Ecology and Management of Grazing, An Online Course

View the project final report

• 2009 annual report

Commodities

• Additional Plants: native plants
• Animals: bovine, goats, sheep
• Animal Products: dairy

Practices

• Animal Production: grazing - continuous, grazing management, range improvement, grazing - rotational, stocking rate, watering systems, winter forage
• Education and Training: extension
• Production Systems: agroecosystems

Increasing use of grazing as a tool to ecologically manage weeds, manipulate habitat and reduce fire hazard is motivating changes in grazing management. The objectives of this interstate distance education project is to 1) increase knowledge of the ecology and management of grazing, 2) build skill in planning and implementing grazing management changes, 3) motivating agencies and individuals to change management behaviors, and 4) train a cadre of local “master grazers” who can educate others about grazing management that reduces weed invasion and manages existing weed populations. This project will use a web-based course with interactive video technologies to provide science based, interdisciplinary training to land management professionals, government agency personnel and staff from NGOs who manage or influence the management of grazinglands throughout the state. The interdisciplinary nature of this course should make it interesting and useful to range management professionals, animal scientists, ranchers, grazing managers, agriculture and science teachers, restoration ecologists, conservation and wildlife biologists and other natural resource managers. Formative evaluation during course development will insure content that is science based. Summative evaluation during course delivery will motivate regular updating of course content.

The objectives of this interstate distance education project are to 1) increase knowledge of the ecology and management of grazing, 2) build skill in planning and implementing grazing management changes, 3) motivating agencies and individuals to change management behaviors, and 4) train a cadre of local “master grazers” who can educate others about grazing management that reduces weed invasion and manages existing weed populations.