Cattle habitat selection and associated habitat characteristics under free-range grazing within heterogeneous Montane rangelands of Alberta

The integration of multiple uses on public rangeland requires reliable information on patterns of livestock use. We used GPS data and field plot utilization indices to examine cattle selection at the landscape and patch levels, respectively, within a heterogeneous Montane environment of SW Alberta, Canada. We also evaluated factors associated with patterns of summer cattle use, including topographic features, distance to water and roads, as well as forage quantity and quality. Cattle preferred lowland and upland grasslands, while avoiding conifer forests and clear cuts. Selection patterns differed markedly between the landscape and plot scales. At the landscape scale, forage use was related to abiotic factors, primarily slope (β = −0.70) but also distance to water (−0.34) and distance from roads (+0.21). The negative impact of slope was greater than that observed in previous studies, and has implications for identifying primary ranges and deriving sustainable carrying capacities in Montane landscapes. At the plot (feeding patch) scale, forage use was additionally related to biomass availability (β = +0.58), and to a lesser extent crude protein concentration (+0.16), highlighting the importance of forage characteristics in regulating cattle use. Lowland grasslands had the highest biomass and received the greatest forage use (43% utilization). Low visitation (44% of plots) and associated forage use (3% herbage utilization) by cattle within cut blocks, combined with conservative forage use across all habitats (3–43%), indicate grazing by cattle is consistent with maintaining other uses within this area, including riparian function, native grassland conservation and forest management.