March 2011 Fact Sheet Miranda A. Meehan Research Assistant Kevin K. Sedivec Extension Rangeland Management Specialist Edward S. DeKeyser Associate Professor The availability of forage and water, shade and smooth terrain often attracts livestock to riparian systems. Riparian ecosystems are extremely productive, with some providing 81 percent of grazing livestock’s summer forage (Roath and Krueger 1982). However, grazing-induced changes in riparian vegetation can result in a decline in soil health, loss of biotic diversity, degradation of wildlife habitat, reduced water quality and alterations in stream hydrology. Grazing Riparian Ecosystems: Grazing Intensity In contrast, grazing has been important for proper functioning of many riparian zones. Implementation of proper grazing management practices is essential to prevent degradation by livestock and improve riparian health. Grazing intensity influences the health of riparian ecosystems. Overgrazing by livestock can lead to destabilization of stream banks through influences on vegetation and physical forces of hoof impacts, accelerating erosion and sedimentation. Maintaining adequate vegetative cover by using the proper grazing intensity helps stabilize stream banks by limiting trampling and benefiting deep-rooted native plant communities. Exclusion of Livestock Exclusion of grazing animals from the area directly impacted by stream hydrology can be beneficial to riparian vegetation, increasing bank stability by improving the cover of native riparian vegetation, especially woody species. The greenline, a section in the riparian vegetation zone, is especially vulner- able to uncontrolled livestock grazing. The removal of vegetation by grazing animals not only influences bank stability, but also can decrease the amount of runoff compared with heavily grazed riparian ecosystems. See Figure 1 for an example of a grazed and ungrazed riparian ecosystem. Figure 1. Fence line contrast between an ungrazed (left) and grazed (right) riparian ecosystem. R-1541