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July 1, 2026 - Rangeland, What's Up?

How to care for your rangeland and why you should! 

In Alberta, rangeland makes up about 43 per cent of the province’s agricultural land base, so what even is rangeland? Rangeland, also known as a range, is land that supports native or introduced vegetation that can be grazed and is managed as a natural ecosystem. Rangelands can be grassland, grazeable forestland, shrubland, and riparian areas. For producers, most of the time rangelands are used as livestock pastures. 

When caring for rangeland, it is important to consider the health of the land. The health of rangeland is determined by the rangeland’s ability to perform key ecological functions. Some key ecological functions includes the maintenance of soil stability, net primary production (the rate in which plants create/store energy excluding what is used for respiration), capture and beneficial release of water, nutrient and energy cycling, and functional diversity of plant species. 

Major benefits appear when you care for your rangeland’s health, especially those with livestock. A healthy rangeland provides more renewable and reliable sources of forage, even in droughts. Additionally, healthy rangeland causes an increase in flexibility and efficiency of the grazing season and reduces populations of noxious and invasive weeds.  

So, what can you do to care for your rangeland's health? One way is to control all those pesky noxious invasive weeds, for which Clearwater County has programs in place to help. The custom spray program allows landowners to hire the County for custom application of herbicide on rangeland to control noxious weeds. This program puts more time in your hands and gives you more control over your invasive weeds. The County also has readily available equipment and tools for rent. This includes five different types of herbicide applicators, large livestock equipment, small animal traps, a soil sampler, free community pasture sprayers and more. 

For a comprehensive list, call the Agriculture and Community Services office at 403-845-4444 or visit the website at www.clearwatercounty.ca/p/services. 

Another way to care for the health of your rangeland is to confirm what nutrients are present in your soil. Having the required nutrients in the proper ratios will boost the forage available, increase net production, and increase diversity in your rangeland. To know what is going on in your rangelands soil samples is crucial. Soil sampling gives a snapshot of the nutrients present and gives guidance for nutrient adjustments. To ensure accurate soil analysis, soil samples must be done properly. Things to consider for proper sampling include timing, tools used, frequency, strategy of sampling, and appropriate handling of samples.  

Proper timing of soil sampling depends on what is being grown in the soil. For rangeland specifically, the best time is in spring before plant growth. When considering what tools to use, it is important to ensure that it is not brass, bronze, or galvanized as it will contaminate the sample. Otherwise, a soil probe is the most exact tool to use as it collects consistent samples. Next, it is recommended to take samples yearly for educated decisions on fertilizing.  

When sampling, it is best to have some sort of strategy, whether that be random sampling, landscape directed sampling, or grid sampling. No matter what type of strategy is used, it is recommended to take 15-20 cores for a full quarter section.  

Lastly, the handling of the sample is a crucial part of the process as it ensures reliable, accurate results. Make sure to closely follow the instructions provided by your chosen laboratory on how to properly prepare, care, and ship samples for analysis. 

Take care of your rangeland and reap the benefits!