An overview of the forage resource and beef production on Crown land in British Columbia

Abstract

This paper reviews the geographic extent, distribution, plant communities, forage productivity and animal production of Crown range in British Columbia. Over 10 million ha of Crown range is distributed among 11 biogeoclimatic zones. Forestland comprises nearly 80% of the landbase grazed. In the southern interior, the most important zones include the Bunchgrass, Ponderosa Pine, Interior Douglas-Fir and Montane Spruce zones. Forage yields vary from as much as 2700 kg ha−1 on grassland to < 100 kg ha−1 under dense forest canopy. On seeded clearcuts, however, production may exceed 1500 kg ha−1. Average daily gains for steers and calves on forest range vary from 0.8 to 1.1 kg d−1. In the central interior and Peace River areas, the Sub-Boreal Pine–Spruce, Sub-Boreal Spruce and Boreal White and Black Spruce zones provide most of the forage for beef cattle. Seventeen community pastures, comprising nearly 170 000 ha, produce almost 50 000 animal-unit months (AUMs) of forage for cattle in this region. Forage production potential is high, especially on community pastures, but the grazing period is generally only 4–5 mo. Management of livestock and forage on Crown range in British Columbia may be more complex than in other regions of Canada because of the diversity of vegetation and climate and the extensive overlap of range use with other resource interests. Consequently, livestock and forage management needs to be modified to produce optimal returns to the livestock industry within an integrated-use framework. Keywords: Animal production, beef cattle, British Columbia, forage production