Glossary of Terms

Enter the conversation faster by gaining an understanding of these key grazing-related terms.

Browser: an animal, usually an herbivorous mammal like a goat, that eats shrubs and brush

Electric fence: a temporary fencing system that delivers a light, safe electric pulse to discourage animals from crossing fence boundaries. Used to guide targeted grazing areas, protect animals from predators, and create flexible paddocks for rotational grazing

Fuel Reduction: the targeted reduction or removal of vegetation, such as grasses and brush, that can serve as “fuel” for wildfires. In grazing programs, sheep, goats, or other livestock are strategically managed to graze/browse down this vegetation, lowering fire intensity and slowing potential fire spread.

Grazer: an animal, usually an herbivorous mammal like a sheep or cow, that eats grass

Grazier: a person who tends to & manages grazing ruminants to affect change on a landscape

Pastoralism: a form of social organization based on livestock-raising as the primary economic activity

Prescribed Grazing (also known as targeted grazing or contract grazing): the intentional use of ruminant animals (hoofed herbivores such as cows, sheep, and goats) on the landscape. Unlike conventional grazing, prescribed grazing utilizes a grazing plan that dictates the location and duration of graze periods. This plan is informed by the ecology of the grazing area. Prescribed grazing is defined in public resource code PRC § 4004.5.

Paddock: a defined, fenced-in area used to contain and manage livestock for grazing. Paddocks help control where animals graze, protect sensitive areas, keep animals safe from predators, and support rotational grazing practices.