PLSC 4383 Exam 4 Review Flashcards

Practice flashcards covering range nutrition, hydrology, wildlife management, and prescribed burning topics from PLSC 4383.

Range nutrition

Involves land management to provide necessary nutrients to livestock without ration formulation.

Cell contents

Contain starches and sugars that are highly digestible and readily available to the animal.

Cell wall material

Contains cellulose and hemi-cellulose; it is indigestible by most mammals and requires microbial action in the rumen or cecum.

Lignin

Found in stems and woody material; it is indigestible.

Macrominerals

Inorganic elements required for essential body functions, including $\text{calcium}$, $\text{phosphorus}$, $\text{magnesium}$, $\text{sodium}$, $\text{potassium}$, $\text{chloride}$, and $\text{sulfur}$.

Microminerals

Inorganic elements required in small amounts, including $\text{Iron}$, $\text{Iodine}$, $\text{Copper}$, $\text{Cobalt}$, $\text{Fluoride}$, $\text{Zinc}$, $\text{Molybdenum}$, $\text{Selenium}$, and $\text{Manganese}$.

Total mineral content

Usually constitutes less than $5\%$ of the animal's body.

Phosphorus

The most limiting mineral to grazing animal productivity throughout the world.

Selenium deficiency

The primary cause of white muscle disease in lambs.

Vitamin A

Usually deficient if grazing dormant forage for over $120$ days.

Fats

Contain $2.25$ times more energy than carbohydrates (CHOs).

Protein

Organic compound made of amino acids; critical for muscle tissue, enzymes, and hormones, it cannot be stored in the body, requiring a continual supply.

Nutrient distribution in plants

Nutrients are highest in the leaves and lowest in the stems; levels are highest during the growth phase and lowest during the dormant phase.

Crude protein (active growth)

Requires $10-12\%$ for cattle and $12-16\%$ for sheep.

Crude protein (dormancy)

Requires $4-7\%$ for cattle and $6-12\%$ for sheep.

Bulk intake

Related to digestibility; as the digestibility of plants increases, intake increases.

Grazers

Primary forage consumers like cattle, sheep, and bison that can eat significant forbs and shrubs when green grass is absent.

Browsers

Small ruminants like white-tail deer, moose, mule deer, and goats that may suffer digestive upset on predominantly forage diets but can select plant parts with lower volatile oils.

Intermediate feeders

Species like domestic pronghorn, red deer, burros, and caribou with the greatest capacity to adjust their diet based on availability.

Energy usage on range

Grazing animals use more energy than confined animals; range sheep use $40\%$ and range cattle use $46\%$ for walking, standing, eating, and digestion.

Multiple use policy

Management of public ranges for all legitimate uses to meet societal demands for more than one beneficial purpose.

Infiltration

The movement of water into the soil which is the portion available for plant growth; influenced by vegetation and soil type.

Surface runoff

Lateral water movement toward streams initiated when the precipitation rate exceeds the infiltration rate.

Evaporation loss

Approximately $70\%$ of range precipitation is lost to this process.

Splash effect

The destructive force of raindrops hitting bare ground, one of the primary forces of erosion.

Short duration grazing

A system that causes significantly higher erosion than all other methods due to vegetation loss and soil compaction.

Edge effect

The interface or blending of two different habitat types that attracts wildlife.

Pittman-Robertson Act

A federal $10\%$ tax on ammunition and firearms used for sport hunting, distributed to states for wildlife restoration.

Prescribed range burning

Following guidelines to apply fire to a specific area to accomplish management and ecological objectives like brush suppression or improved forage quality.

Prescription for successful burn

Requires wind speeds of $5-15\,mph$, steady wind direction, air temps of $40-80$ degrees Fahrenheit, relative humidity of $25-60\%$, and fuel continuity of at least $1500\,pounds\,per\,acre$.