Read full article: “Improved Grazing Management Increases Terrestrial Invertebrate Inputs That Feed Trout in Wyoming Rangeland Streams”
Summary: This paper shows that proper grazing management in riparian areas can have a beneficial impact on trout populations. The biomass of trout in areas under a type of grazing called “high-density short-duration” (HDSD) were twice that of those in similar areas under “season-long (SL)” grazing. The hypothesis is that increased riparian vegetation observed via HDSD grazing leads to greater insect populations (“terrestrial invertebrates”) that fall or crawl into the rivers and become a protein source (“input”) for trout consumption. Measurements are made of the riparian vegetation and trout biomass. The increase in insect populations is inferred.
Saunders, W. Carl, and Kurt D. Fausch. 2007. “Improved Grazing Management Increases Terrestrial Invertebrate Inputs That Feed Trout in Wyoming Rangeland Streams.” Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 136, no. 5: 1216-30.
