Can sheep help control invasive buffelgrass?

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Buffelgrass is seen all around Tucson, and it’s dangerous because it can burn almost three times hotter than fires created by native vegetation.

At "A" Mountain, Navajo-Churro sheep currently covers about 15 acres and graze small, targeted areas of buffelgrass.

Athena Kehoe

If sheep can help remove most of the buffelgrass, that means less herbicide will be used.

Sonya Norman works for the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum and says, “We’re trying to bring targeted grazing to southern Arizona.”

Flavie Audoin works with the University of Arizona as an Assistant Rangeland Management Specialist. She explains that the sheep are wearing virtual fence collars to help control where they move throughout the mountain, "to kind of apply grazing pressure on a species at a specific time, for a specific duration, and with specific objectives.”

Grant Tims is a Grazing Specialist and says sheep will eat whatever is around them, so they placed water buckets at the top of the mountain to make sure the sheep don't stay in just one spot.

Tims also explains the importance of making sure the sheep keep moving. The virtual collars limit the sheep to a certain section for a certain amount of time, "That way they’re only given a certain amount of land for a certain amount of time and they’re not allowed to go backward.”

Athena Kehoe

Norman explains it will be a lot more efficient to use sheep, instead of humans, to pull the buffelgrass. Overall, the sheep will be covering about 15 acres of the mountain.

Audoin also explains the importance of making sure the sheep receive enough nutrition. While buffelgrass isn't the most nutritious, it isn't unsafe either. So, part of this experiment is also testing whether or not the buffelgrass is hindering the sheep's diet at all.

This project is funded by the Arizona Department of Fire and Forestry Management in cooperation with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department, and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, School of Natural Resources and the Environment.

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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.