We're all in this together
Post by Clemson student Lana Fabrizi
This week we
visited livestock operations and learned about numerous conservation projects,
showing the diversity of organisms Montana houses. In my academic career, I am
used to reading about research on domestic animals, so it was a great experience
to hear about the projects on wildlife. I continue to learn and grow an
appreciation for the diversity of Montana.
Our class first
spoke to Jeff Hermans, a forester working to change the public’s opinion on
safe forest practices. His talk exemplified how important it is for the
interactions between environment, wildlife, livestock and humans to be
balanced. I have no experience with forestry, and prior to this class was
confused as to why people would “prescribe” fires. I think many Montana
residents have the same viewpoint as me; I always thought cutting down trees
was terrible for the environment. Mr. Hermans explained that we, “need to get
people understanding nature changes.” Trees can grow too close together, doing
more harm than good and putting the landscape at risk. Mr. Hermans described
how shallow Montana soil is and how fires “nuke the soil,” meaning the
microbiological population is damaged. If the soil is not fixed by the
microbes, the plants cannot grow as well, and the livestock and wildlife will
not be able to extract sufficient nutrients. This may be an over-exaggeration
of the cycle but it paints a clear picture of how tightly the ecosystem is
connected. After the lecture, we toured Goz’s property and it was amazing to
see the “fire scars” on the trees and how resilient they are. Mr. Hermans goes
beyond his job as a forester and is trying to implement biofuel, using wood to
heat or generate electricity instead of burning fossil fuels. This would
increase the sustainability of the area by relying on local sources that are
going to waste anyways.
We
then traveled the Bozeman and had the opportunity to tour Montana State
University’s Animal Science facilities. Meghan, a graduate student, works in
the wildlife habitat ecology lab. She presented her research on sharp-tailed
grouse. Her research concluded that it is important to keep public land leased
to ranchers so it does not go to urbanization. Development of such areas can
lead to deaths of wildlife, especially grouse populations. She also found that
the more cattle in a pasture while a hen is nesting, the higher the bird survival
rate. This in another example of the beneficial interaction between wildlife
and livestock.
Devon
Ragen, another researcher at Montana State University, gave us a perspective on
interaction and sustainability of the land. Her research project included
finishing sheep on fields and using their urine and feces as fertilizer for the
crops. The sheep finished in the field had higher average daily gain than those
raised in confinement, a clear advantage to this system. The rancher can
benefit by having a more efficient finishing system, and the waste can be used
for crop growth. A similar system is in
place at the Amaltheia cheese company, owned by Melvyn. His primary product is
goat cheese- the best goat cheese I’ve ever tasted. He uses the whey from the
milk as a protein source for his pigs, uses manure from his animals as
fertilizer for this farm, and composts all waste he cannot sell. This system is
very sustainable, which is good for both the environment and Melvyn’s wallet.
One of the most
memorable parts of this week is when Steve, from Midland’s Bull Test said, “in
this business you never stop learning and you never stop observing.” I believe
this is true based on everyone’s major, whether it be AVS, ENR or WFB. This can
be seen with the technology used in both livestock and wildlife industries. We
have seen the GrowSafe Systems feeders in different settings; they were
essential in research at Montana State University and help Steve measure feed
intake and efficiency per bull.
Speaking to “The
Great Plains as a working conservation landscape,” I think cooperation of
people in different fields is essential for the landscape to be maintained. It
would be great if Mr. Hermans can get public buildings to run off wood energy,
for ranchers and farmers to come together to recycle waste as manure for
fields, and for ranchers and conservationists to work together to maintain
wildlife population sizes. The key to keeping the Great Plains as a working
conservation landscape is to make it sustainable, which this cooperation is
proving can be possible. I have always felt that livestock operations and
conservationists were enemies, butting heads on land issues, but this week has
proven me wrong.