On the Choice between the Stocking Rate and Time in Range Management

Abstract

A long standing controversy in the range management literature concerns the relative significance of the stocking rate versus the length of time during which animals graze a particular rangeland. We analyze this issue by studying the decision problem faced by a private rancher who wishes to minimize the long run expected net unit cost (LRENC) from range operations by choosing either the stocking rate or the length of time during which his animals graze his rangeland. We formulate a renewal-theoretic model and show that, in general, this rancher's LRENC with an optimally chosen stocking rate is lower than his LRENC with an optimally chosen grazing cycle length. From a management standpoint, this means that correct stocking of the range is more significant than the length of time during which animals graze the range. In addition, our research shows how to address issues concerning the desirability of temporal versus non-temporal controls in managing natural resources such as fisheries and hunting grounds.

Keywords: long run expected net unit cost, range management, stocking rate, time

JEL Classification: Q24, D81