Scientists Resort to 'Targeted Cattle Grazing' Against Cheatgrass and Wildfires in the Western US

Cheatgrass has been found to be responsible for fueling wildfire explosions and for threatening native wildlife species in the Western United States.

The invasive grass, carried by settlers through contaminated seed and straw, was reportedly first brought to the US West in the 1800s.

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), which were once only native to Europe, Africa, and southwestern Asia, has become widespread in other areas of the world, driving out native grasses and are easily combustible.

In particular, the grass species is vulnerable even to fire weather conditions, which aggravate or speeds up the spread of wildfires. 

Recently, a new study suggested that scientists are now advancing a "low-tech option" called targeted cattle grazing.

The grass species was overlooked in the past but its current focus was a result of the continued efforts by scientists from both the public and private sectors, including government agencies and universities.

Cheatgrass and Wildfires

(Photo : Photo by Pixabay via Pexels)

In the new research published in the journal Rangeland Ecology & Management, scientists showed that the strategic use of cattle grazing is of paramount importance especially when the plant is still short or far from igniting.

The scientific team estimates that the method could reduce cheatgrass abundance by more than of its current rate.

The team also pointed out that the technique could prevent wildfires from jumping and spreading to new plants.

Also Read: US Wildfire Forecast: Meteorologists Predict the Western US is Set for an Intense Wildfire Season

US Wildfire Season Forecast

In May 2022, AccuWeather initially forecasted that the so-called Western wildfire season will be another destructive natural phenomenon, based on recorded similar incidents in 2021 and the preceding years.

The forecast showed that it will only get worse this summer season.

The weather forecasting company said wildfires had burnt more than 1.1 million acres of land as of May 3, which was over twice higher than last year's related season.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok and his team made the forecast, where its data was based in wildland fires in previous years, particularly between the years 2006 and 2012.

The company emphasized that the continuance of above-average wildfire seasons in the Western US serve as a reminder of the environmental and climatic repercussions of the aridification of the region.

Evidence of the aridification was due to an extremely prolonged, ongoing drought for 1,200 years since 800 A.D. in the Southwest North American region. These findings were conducted in a previous study published the journal Nature Climate Change in February 2022.

Climate Crisis: Worsening Wildfires

In a recent study published in the journal Science Advances in March 2022, researchers from the University of Colorado, Boulder, have concluded that nearly all extreme wildfires in current times are getting larger, stronger, and more frequent across the US.

The research team also confirmed that climate change, due to the ongoing climate crisis, is causing the worsening wildfires.

The team used data from satellite images since the 1980s to arrive with their assessment that the evident repercussions of the fires were observed mostly in the East Coast, the Great Plains, and the West Coast, as well as other areas nationwide.

Related Article: US Wildfires are Becoming Larger and More Frequent Since 2000: New Study