Desert Tortoise vs. Grazing Cattle

CS Monitor ^ | Feb 12, 1992 | Daniel B. Wood

[Ray76]

"In letters last week to ranchers across Nevada, the federal agency has mandated removal of cattle from 1.7 million acres of public lands from March 1 to June 14."

"...conservationists call tortoises an "indicator" species, holding that if the animal is having a hard time surviving for some reason, other animals are as well. "It may be there will be no effect, and we can all go back to business as usual," says Slone.

But ranchers say they cannot pick up the pieces after a half decade and start again. "I will go belly up," says Kelly Jensen, whose family has ranched here for three generations."

"Part of the dispute between ranchers and BLM officials concerns the reasons for dwindling tortoise populations in the West.

"In five years, we will better be able to demonstrate the effects [on tortoises] of grazing," says Slone [Sid Slone, chief biologist for the BLM's Las Vegas district].

Having shown that tortoise populations have dropped 90 percent in the last 50 years - and in some areas of the Mojave declining 50 percent in seven years - environmentalists were able to get the tortoise emergency status on the federal list of endangered species in 1989."

"[Mr. Connelley (president of the Nevada Cattleman's Association)] says studies have shown that the tortoise numbers reached their height in the 1960s when livestock numbers were at their height because tortoises thrive on cow manure."

[B4Ranch]

“The most complete data is from the Beaver Dam Mountains. Woodbury and Hardy reported a tortoise population density of 150 per square mile in 1948. BLM reduced cattle grazing a few years later and eliminated cattle in 1970. Coombs reported a tortoise density of 39 per square mile in 1974. In these 26 years cattle use was reduced 100 percent and tortoise numbers were reduced 74 percent.

“These tortoises were doing so poorly a veterinarian, Dr. Jarchow, was consulted. He reported all six specimens were suffering from osteoporosis caused by a protein deficiency in their diet. Dr. Jarchow examined five specimens from the same mountains that shared their range with cattle. He reported these specimens were all healthy and well nourished.

“The historical record proves conclusively that tortoise thrive when cattle are on the range with them and without cattle grazing they are always malnourished and unhealthy and their numbers plummet.

http://www.vinsuprynowicz.com/?p=80

[MrB]

The tortoises thrive with grazing cattle.

It’s the solar plant that can’t thrive with grazing cattle.

[Ray76]

Nice summation.