The effects of a rotational cattle grazing system on elk diets in Arizona piñon-juniper rangeland

The article discusses the effects of a rotational cattle grazing system on Elk Diets in Arizona Piñon-Juniper Rangeland. Overall proportions of the various plant species in cattle and elk diets were as expected and agree with the general classification of cattle and elk as grazers and intermediate feeders, respectively. Diet quality generally agreed with the results from diet composition. Again it was not surprising that elk diets containing more forbs and shrubs were higher in protein than cattle diets. One factor that might have exaggerated the researchers' observed differences in cattle versus elk diet quality was that they sampled cattle feces once at the end of the grazing period in their respective pastures. The grazing system as applied in this study did not accomplish the management goal to attract elk to pastures recently grazed by cattle and reduce grazing pressure on the rested pastures.