It has been said and I agree that partial rest of pastures and rangeland has been the most destructive management tool man has ever implemented.

The most nutritious and economically best plants are basically removed from the sward after a few years and replaced with lower-seral (lower-successional) plants that produce less biomass, less energy and have shallower root systems.

Most of North American land management is now based on the growth and management of the lesser productive plants. The result has been increased sensitivity to drought and lower production along with high input cost. Lack of quality biomass and soil quality loss has sent lots of ranchers to town looking for new work.

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