What happens to a rangeland if it is under grazed?

Answer 1

Well, think of it this way: it's better to have native rangeland undergrazed than overgrazed. However sometimes if it's undergrazed the animals may be chewing down the more succulent forage which could be "decreasers" or plants that decrease in population if grazed too much. But this is an unlikely possibility, since the grasses will be able to get ahead of their grazers and deposit their seeds. Hence if it is undergrazed, livestock can only eat so much before the grasses get ahead of them and begin inflorescence and then senescence. Native grasses, though, should be grazed AFTER they have formed seeds (past the flowering stage), since if they are grazed before this time, they could (and will) decrease in populatoin. Some native grasses tend to be more vulnerable at this stage, and are better left to grow than to be grazed down. But it all depends on the grasses you have on your range, where you live, those sort of things to determine the proper stocking rate for the rangeland.