Your History

Each season, we will assess the riparian zone's vegetation cover using transects and quadrats. Assessments will take place after the intervention, and then at years 2, 5, and 10, to assess the lag, recovery, and plateau stages. Following livestock exclusion via fencing, we aim to raise vegetation cover from 20% to at least 70% within 10 years. This goal is bolstered by studies that show vegetation recovery where grazing is absent within that time span (Giuliano & Homyack, 2004; Kauffman et al., 2004). This initiative will shift the system from a state of continuous decline to one of long-term recovery and will likely meet the desired recovery pattern as an added benefit to the overall productivity of the farm and to the quality of water downstream.

From a management viewpoint, the system is expected to continue deteriorating and will not improve without intervention. Short-term evaluations (such as the first 2 years) do not consider lag effects and do not capture long-term outcomes, which is likely to underestimate the success of fencing. Additionally, the eventual outcome still relies on site-specific factors (such as soil and climate) which illustrates the importance of continuous monitoring and a flexible approach to management.

From a management viewpoint, the system will not improve and will continue to decline without active measures. Due to lag effects, short-term evaluations (e.g., within the first 2 years) are less appropriate for predicting long-term impacts, as they may overlook the success of the fencing. Additionally, the ultimate result will continue to depend on the conditions of the site (e.g. soil type and climate), emphasizing the importance of continued monitoring and flexible management.

Without intervention, from a management viewpoint, the system will continue to decline and stagnate. Regarding fencing success, short-term assessments, particularly within a 2-year window, are misleading because of lag effects. Additionally, site conditions, including soil and climate, will vary the final outcome, emphasizing the importance of continued assessment and adaptive management.