Managing Saskatchewan Rangeland

Handbook to improve the quality and efficiency of rangeland resource management. The manual covers a history of grazing and its place in the ecology of the region; describes the natural vegetation zones and range plants and grasses; and gives principles and concepts of the proper use of grazing land, methods of evaluating range land for grazing, livestock behaviour, grazing systems, fencing, and improvements. A glossary is included.

Of available information on proper range management. Recommendations are based primarily on results of experimental studies since 1927 on rangelands and seeded pastures in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. The publication covers soils and climate, number of livestock and size of pastures, vegetation associations, management to maintain yield, and pasture reserves.

The findings and recommendations of the NAS committee in over eighty professional papers presented at workshops designed to assess various aspects of range management.

The emphasis in this bulletin is on the effective range management of grazing by wild ungulates and livestock. Introductions are made to the specialized needs of range management for interest groups such as the Canadian military training facilities and the national and provincial parks. An emphasis will be placed on how to maintain a high level of ecological health on natural grassland ranges regardless of which interest has highest priority for a specific landscape unit.

This book describes the ecoregions of Saskatchewan, following a hierarchical framework for terrestrial ecosystems in Canada. The introduction reviews ecological land classification and the various interrelated factors that are involved in the development of ecosystems: geology, water, climate, vegetation, soils, wildlife, and human impacts. The main section describes the province within the context of the four ecozones and 11 ecoregions that were identified in the framework. For each ecoregion, the book provides a description of the physical setting, such as geology & climate, as well as the biological features that have developed in response to this physical environment. The impact of human activities on the ecology of the area concludes each of these descriptions. Appendices include lists of animal & plant species found in Saskatchewan and a glossary.