| California has fire-prone woodlands, coastal scrub, and grassland ecosystems within urban-wildland interface zones. Research was conducted on the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) watershed in Berkeley and Orinda, California, to evaluate potential environmental impacts of goat grazing for fuelbreak maintenance. Random sampling was done on three goat-grazed plots and three ungrazed plots, matched by slope, aspect, and microclimate. Data collection for plant species included taxonomic identification, whether native or non-native, and measurements of vegetation composition and structure, including plant height, percent cover, abundance, and richness. Qualitative data were collected on soil erosion and compaction.; In comparison to the control plots, grazed plots decreased native plant species abundance and richness, increased non-native species abundance and richness, decreased shrub cover by 83%, shrub height by 73%, forb height by 60%, and increased bare soil by 20%. Results were compared to regional vegetation management guidelines for wildlands fire risk reduction. |
