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Prairie Remnants and Grazing

Wondering if there are any comments regarding the recent editorials in
Restoration and Management Notes on the use of grazing in eastern tallgrass
prairie?  

Andrew Williams of Wisconsin is in favor of utilizing grazing as a management
tool in order to maintain populations of rare species.  The 2 responses
believe not enough study has been done regarding grazing in eastern TGP.  I
would tend to agree with Williams that grazing ought to be utilized in
combination with fire as a means to imitating a more natural regime. Grazers
would have impacted fuel load altering fire behavior as well as plant
responses to fire.  Additionally, grazing could potentially open the canopy
allowing certain species to become established.  It would seem to me, that
bison were present in the prairie penisula but not to the extent they were
present in the western Great Plains.  However, I just recently read Tim
Seastedt's chapter in The Changing Prairie and he seems to think the soil
evidence would suggest very minor grazing took place in the eastern prairies
(at least in the last 1000 yrs).  Because soil is rich in carbon accumulation
and grazing reduces root biomass, grazing must have been only a small
component.

What are others thoughts?

Thanks,
Susanne Hickey
Omaha, Nebraska
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