by Hugh Aljoe, Russell Stevens, Charles Griffith

In the fall of 1987, the Noble Foundation acquired a long-term lease from the D. Joyce Coffey Estate with the intent of demonstrating and evaluating Holistic Resource Management (HRM) as a management philosophy to enhance ranch productivity. The Noble Foundation Coffey Ranch consists of approximately 2,600 acres six miles west of Marietta, Oklahoma. It is bordered by the Red River on the south. About 1,000 acres of the ranch is open herbaceous plant communities, primarily native range, while the remaining area is occupied by streams and woody vegetation. In 1987, the herbaceous plant community was composed of low successional (low seral) species. Goals were established to increase tall grass species and their productivity, increase livestock production as forage improvement would permit, improve habitat for wildlife, and create an economically sound ranching operation.

Historically, the Coffey Ranch had been overgrazed as a result of continuous grazing for 37 years prior to the lease by the Noble Foundation. During those years, the annual stocking rate declined from 300 to 67 animal units per year. Some areas of the ranch were planted to annual crops at one time. Those areas were allowed to "go back" to native species, predominantly low seral herbaceous plants like western ragweed, prairie threeawn, and others.

The purpose of the HRM approach is to establish ecological, economic and social soundness in ranch management. First, all forms of overgrazing were stopped. Proper time control was implemented so that grazing became a management tool. Initially, the ranch was divided into 18 main pastures. Further subdivisions have been made over the years so that some pastures now have multiple sub-pastures or paddocks. This allows use of grazing as a management tool based on time control, stock density, and proper plant rest periods. Animal impact and fire also were used as ecological management tools. Recently, we began to seed some desired native plants in specific paddocks.

We have collected plant composition and grass canopy cover data since the beginning of the lease. We monitored the application of these management tools and related them to changes in productivity as measured by grazing days per paddock and the stocking rate/carrying capacity of livestock and wildlife on the ranch. The changes have been dramatic. The impact of management on a few activities on the Coffey Ranch during the first 10 years of operation by the Noble Foundation follows in these brief summaries.

In This Report:
Introduction
The Herbaceous Plant Community
Total Animal Unit Days of Grazing
Stocking Rates
Managing the Woody Plant Community
Wildlife Production
map
 

Source: 1997 Noble Foundation Annual Report