One of the most pragmatic signs of climate change is desertification. Desertification result of reduced ground cover to the point that the soil can no longer hold much moisture. Because nature abhors a vacuum, it will try to maintain cover through shrub species or trees. The overgowth of trees in the area of the Ash Creek fire is a prime example of desertification in practice.

One of the answer to combating desertification, and by extension climate change, is proper livestock grazing and management. While the TED talk below uses South Africa and Mexico as examples, these principle will work just as well in southeastern Montana.

The speaker does an excellent job of explaining the processes involved. Whether you own livestock or not this is a very productive way to spend 7 minutes. It is must see video for those who own livestock. Enjoy!

Richard...thank you. I am so glad that I watched the video. Makes so much sense. I have been reading a lot about the massive killing of the buffalo for various reasons...and, seeing that picture is like one I have of Winnett during the dust bowl. By that time...they were just picking up buffalo bones and selling them. Now...if more people would watch it. Thank you again.

I find it sad that the fine residents of Miles City find commiserating about kids not getting into the closest kindergarden or wristbands for the fair, etc, etc, etc more important than talking about our rangelands and how they should be managed. And speaking of the fair...

LandTrak Solutions will have a booth in the Home Show Building at the Eastern Montana Fair. If you are interested in learning more about decertification and what you can do about it, stop by I would love to visit with you.

Whatever happened to the concepts of cell grazing? I went to a range management seminar on it probably 30 years ago

That is the type of grazing described in the video. I have used it successfully for a number of years in the mine land reclamation work I have done. It is my preferred grazing system method.

It's one of those things that makes so much sense it makes you wonder why more haven't used the concepts all along. I forget the % raise in AUM's you can expect but it was amazing.

We have been cross fencing our big pastures and running pipelines but full on "cell grazing" or "mob grazing" or whatever you want to call it is just too labor intensive to use on a place the size of ours when we only have 1.5 people working here. It's a very cool idea though.

So which works better, 200 head of 1500 pound continental-bred cattle or 300 head of moderate framed English-influenced cows?