Activity 2.3.1 Ranchers, Anglers, and Beavers

1. Exploratory

Probe basic facts and knowledge found in the reading and video. (What research evidence supports _________? )

In northern Nevada, South Fork Salmon Falls Creek ranch manager Jesse Braatz began grazing the grass and used rest rotation to bring back the native grass which had been destroyed due to cows. Because the native grass is growing back many native species have begun to thrive with an abundance of trout. As the water table increases in the valleys they are able to hold more water continuing the growth of the water table creating a bigger flood plain saturating the area continuing plant growth.

2. Diagnostic

Probe motives or causes. (Why? (Tell your reader why this occurs. Explain the causes in detail.))

Because of the lack of vegetation in Nevada it makes it hard for many native species to thrive. If left alone cattle would continue to graze the land damaging the plants in the area and disturbing the ecosystems.

3. Cause and Effect

Causal relationships between ideas, actions, or events. (If __________ occurs, what happens?)

Nevada is a very dry and arid place. Mostly covered in grazed land from cattle, there were not many species of fish or plants. When introduced to the method of rest rotation which is the process of letting a pasture rest for a minimum of a year meaning no cattle along these pastures. With no interference of growth in these pastures wildlife is able to enhance their habitats.

4. Priority

Seek to identify the most important issue. (What is the most important issue?)

The most important issue is when the ecosystem has a rest rotation for a long period of time. When plants are allowed too long of a rest period they can become mature and eventually lose the nutrients that they give out to the environment. Times of year in which rest rotation depends on the species but many should be done are the spring and fall when it has the most amount of moisture and cool seasons, and grazing should be done during summer and winter before hard freezes and dry soil.

5. Application

Probe for relationships and connect theory to practice. (How does this apply to you? How is this related to culture as we have studied so far?)

With increasing temperatures many environments are experiencing the same conditions as the ones in Nevada. With overgrazing of these lands it can make the population of these species in the ecosystems to greatly decrease with the lack of vegetation. Many farms or ranches that experience this can see a decrease in crop growth and production as the soil is too dry to grow on.

6. Critical

Analyze how this challenges your thinking/assumptions. (How did this change your thinking? Did it? Why?)

When driving around I passed by many fields that housed cattle, but never thought of the aftermath from their grazing. Many fields I passed by all had similar land with short grass and crumbly, dry soil. After watching this video I realized that this could happen all over Texas if something is not done about it. By seeing before and after photos of the land shown in the video and the abundance of trout in the lake it has challenged my thinking to believe that many places around me can experience the same kind of growth if they can manage their lands.

Work Cited

Fesenmyer, K. (2016). Restoring streamside vegetation using grazing and beavers. Trout Unlimited. https://www.tu.org/magazine/science/restoring-streamside-vegetation-using-grazing-and-beavers/