Description
An important economic consideration in the management of Alberta's tame pastures is controlling the amount of woody plants such as trees and shrubs (also called brush encroachment). In low cover amounts, woody plants on tame pastures can provide complimentary livestock forage, provide shade, act as a snow trap, and provide benefits to wildlife. However, in higher amounts (increased density, diameter, height and cover), woody plants often become competitive and reduce the forage productivity of the tame pasture. In turn, this result can reduce grazing benefits and increase pasture management costs. In situations where woody regrowth is competitive with grazing interests, a number of management control options are available, such as biological (e.g., federally registered brush control herbicides).