Title: Grazing Capacity of Wiregrass-Pine Ranges of Georgia
Abstract: Cattle grazing wiregrass forage in longleaf-slash pine forests of the Georgia coastal plain have long contributed to the economy of the region. It is estimated that these 13.5 million acres of forest lands supply from 20-25 percent of the total feed for the half million or more beef cattle in the area. However, most landowners consider grazing a secondary use of forestland because the major investments are for timber production. Hence, the major aim in grazing longleafslash pine forests is to bring in additional income by producing maximum beef per animal. Maximum beef production may be attained only by a proper balance between livestock numbers and available forage. In the past, cattlemen have depended on observation and experience for determining stocking rates in wiregrasspine ranges. But many problems have beset attempts to regulate cattle numbers in relation to forage production. Pine tree overstory continually changes through a relatively short timber rotation. These changes cause the production of the range to vary from year to year. In addition, the use of fire has a