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Based on published research and watershed assessment techniques, we evaluated the feasibility of augmenting water yields in the Klamath River and its major tributaries by removing western juniper, which has expanded dramatically within the Klamath River Basin over the past 130 years. The results suggest that the conversion of western juniper woodlands to shrublands or grasslands would not substantially increase water yields for the Basin as a whole. However, researchers should further examine the potential for juniper management to increase both summer flow rates in small tributaries and spring flows that support small wetlands across the upper Basin; other possible benefits could include restoring wildlife in sagebrush-rangeland habitat, reducing wildfire risks and increasing the land available for livestock grazing.

Livestock grazing remains a common practice on California's hardwood rangelands. This can create problems for oak regeneration because grazing has been identified as one of the factors limiting the establishment of certain oak species. Previous research, as well as recent studies at the UC Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center, suggests that cattle will damage both planted and/or naturally occurring oaks, but damage varies by season with less during the winter when deciduous oaks do not have leaves. Damage is also influenced by the density and distribution of cattle stocking. Oaks taller than 6.5 feet seem relatively resistant to cattle damage in lightly to moderately grazed pastures, but smaller seedlings need protection.

We conducted a 5-year study on the impact of grazing on stream-channel bare ground and erosion, and a 3-year study of cattle-trail erosion on intermittent stream channels draining grazed oak-woodland watersheds. While the concentration of cattle along stream banks during the dry season resulted in a significant increase in bare ground, we were unable to detect stream-bank erosion resulting from any of the grazing treatments applied. However, we did find that cattle trails are an important mode of sediment transport into stream channels. While cattle trails are common on grazed rangeland, excessive trailing often indicates that stock watering points are too far apart.

Livestock grazing in late spring and early summer resulted in large reductions of yellow starthistle, Centaurea solstitialis, on infested annual grasslands. Grazing in the bolting stage before spines developed reduced starthistle's canopy size, seed production and thatch accumulation and enhanced native plant diversity. Property timed grazing effectively manages starthistle on a seasonal basis but does not eliminate populations.

North American prairie grasses were most productive in a comparative study of irrigated warm-and cool-season grasses. The high yield and later peak in production of warm-season grasses make them ideal for increasing the productivity of irrigated pastures in California. All grasses in the study survived reduced irrigation. Grazing cattle preferred dallisgrass over all other grasses.

Traditionally, little control is exerted over grazing on irrigated pasture. Today, however, with controlled grazing and feed budgeting, the pasture manager can use grazing stock to control forage levels, and forage levels can be used to control animal performance. Pasture budgeting can be applied to California's irrigated pastures when estimates of expected pasture growth are available, according to an ongoing study.

In two range feeding trials to evaluate supplemental nitrogen and/or bypass protein source and stocking densities, calves at a low density gained more weight than high-density groups. Dollar return during the supplementation phase, however, was highest from high-density groups fed a combination of urea and corn gluten meal.

Two-year results showed similar responses to two levels of pasture accumulation-grazing utilization management. Orchardgrass height and capacitance probe readings were both useful in monitoring forage availability, but stocking rate predictions using grass height were less variable and change in grass height during grazing was more closely related to seasonal liveweight gain.

Seeding with annual legumes and fertilization of foothill ranges increased profits

Cultivated artichokes can revert to a wild, hard-to-control thistle form

Varieties and time of harvest were evaluated for influence on yield. All varieties performed well.

Intensive cattle grazing in May and June reduced yellow starthistle plant size, summer and fall canopy size, and seed production in the first year of a 3-year, northern California study. Combining grazing and herbicide applications caused large reductions. Abundant late rains favored yellow starthistle growth.

Beef production per acre on a foothill range livestock operation increased under an intensive, rotational grazing system. There were management problems, but they were outweighed by the benefits.

Knowing when to expect the first rain in the fall and the length of winter can reduce risk in livestock operations

The impressive showing of Spanish sub clovers may lead to wider use here for range and pasture in areas with low and variable rainfall.

The high yield, protein content, and nitrogen-fixing ability of new varieties make berseem an excellent candidate for forage in some areas of the state. Foundation seed will be available this fall.

Not available – first paragraph follows: Warm-season forages, highly productive in the world's tropical and subtropical regions, have been grown in the southeastern United States, but only bermudagrass (Cynodon daclylon (L.) Pers.), sudangrass (Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf.), and dallisgrass (Paspalum dilalatum) have been grown extensively in California. However, rhodesgrass (Chloris gayana Kunth). and kikuyugrass (Pennisetum clandestihum Hochst. ex Chiov.) have been rusted in California. Since 1950 many improved tropical forages have been developed, but until 1980 no effort had been made lo screen a wide selection of these forages to assess their adaptability lo California climates.

Not available – first paragraph follows: Following a year of preliminary experiments, a long-term, field-scale foothill range fertilization study began in 1982 with a series of precise applications to 385 acres of foothill rangeland comprising 12 fields on Forbes Hill at the University of California Sierra Foothill Range Field Station, Browns Valley. Because deficiencies of three major elements — nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur — limit production on soils of the region, we established the study to compare nitrogen alone, phosphorus plus sulfur, and combinations of the three elements. Since results from these treatments could be expected to differ from each other over time (irrespective of level of nutrient applied) it was essential to initiate treatments simultaneously, so that comparisons could be made within the same weather years.