Multiple-Use Alternatives--Range 
Henry A. Pearson (1) 
The South has approximately 70 million acres of 
pasture and rangeland suitable for grazing. Another 
74 million acres of cropland, including over 5 million 
acres of hayland, may be available for aftermath or 
temporary grazing depending on the crop grown. 
An additional 212 million acres of forest land have 
some potential for grazing; however, less than 
half--99 million acres--has significant forage re- 
sources available for grazing (Shiflet 1980). Most of 
the available and potential grazing areas are locat- 
ed on lands other than national forests, which com- 
prise only about 6 percent of the total forest land in 
the region. Currently, approximately 28 million head 
of cattle and calves use the forage resources of the 
South. Past and current supplies of forage available 
for grazing have exceeded the demand. In addition, 
productivity can be increased through intensive 
management such as fertilization and timber thin- 
ning, burning, and other management practices. 
The range resource is presently underutilized in 
terms of acres grazed and productivity per acre 
(Sternitzke and Pearson 1975). 
The projections of forage resources in "The 
South's Fourth Forest" were made with assumptions 
that timber is the primary resource and forage is a 
secondary resource. Consequently, forage re- 
sources in the forest land situation are probably 
underestimated because management activities 
were not directed toward improving them. 
The present projections of forage resources on 
pasture and rangeland described in the modeling 
process mask the forage resource responses of 
forest land. Predictions are that the pasture and 
range (without fertilization) will decrease in forage 
from 5 percent to 15 percent by 2030. These de- 
creases are due to Shifts in land use and fertilizer 
use. Consequently, the model predicts overall de- 
creases in forage for pasture and treeless range. 
However, the forage resources on forest land are 
projected to increase, which will provide additional 
forage to the already underutilized forage resource. 
(1) Henry A. Pearson is the supervisory range scientist at 
the USDA Forest Service's Southern Forest Experiment 
Station in Pineville, LA. 
Consequently, if future demands for forage materi- 
alize, they will probably need to be satisfied from 
forest land forage use. 
Future 
The demand for grazable lands is expected to 
increase by about 30 percent between now and the 
year 2030. This is based on the southern timber 
supply study, which indicates that population 
growth will increase by 30 percent. Even if meat 
consumption remains static, the demand for graz- 
ing and food should increase similarly. Futhermore, 
due to reductions in pasture and range forage, the 
greatest demands for forage will occur on forest 
lands. To meet this demand, additional acres of 
forest range could be grazed, or productivity could 
be increased by intensifying management on the 
pasture, range, and forest-range lands. 
Based on these forecasted futures, here are 
some land-management implications for forest own- 
ers, forest industry, and State and Federal Govern- 
ments dealing with resources and economics of the 
South. 
1. Grazing demands will increase for forest land 
forage; these demands will be due to economics 
(cost of production), fire hazard increases, food 
supply needs (grass fat beef), and pasture and 
rangeland shifts. 
2. Conflicts will increase due to increased de- 
mands for all resources. 
3. More efficient, economical, and practical range- 
management practices will be needed. 
4. Available forage will go underutilized under the 
present policies. 
5. Fire hazard on forest land will increase as for- 
age supplies increase because of underutilization. 
6. Brush will increase in forested situations where 
grazing and prescribed fire are excluded. 
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