Guide to Native Grassland Management in Nebraska

The Guide to Native Grasslands Management in Nebraska was created to aid Great Plains land managers in their grassland management decisions.
It provides information concerning management of native grasslands for the benefit of livestock production and grassland wildlife habitat. These techniques include identifying plants commonly found in rangelands, producing hay, and the management of wildlife habitat, grazing and fire (i.e. prescribed burning).

Each section includes information for enhancing the native qualities of grassland habitat. The guide describes how different grazing patterns (based on timing, stocking rates and frequency) affect native grasslands. As describe on p. 65, the guide advocates “a light to moderate stocking rate and burning or haying a different patch every year in order to distribute grazing pressure throughout the pasture.

This system promotes spatially variable distribution of livestock on an annual basis, which is counter to traditional livestock practices that promote uniform grazing distribution within a year [but creates] a shifting mosaic of disturbance patches that promotes biodiversity and provides improved wildlife habitat”.