ar id ▁r angel ands ▁with ▁sub - m arg inal ▁precip itation ▁to ▁support ▁c rop ▁production ▁( O ls en ▁ 1 9 9 7 ). ▁The ▁p low ing ▁of ▁this ▁land ▁represented ▁a ▁permanent ▁change ▁in ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁land . ▁Another ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁habitat ▁fragment ation ▁for ▁gr ouse ▁is ▁un mon itor ed ▁and ▁excess ive ▁cattle ▁gra zing ▁( K ir sch ▁et ▁al . ▁ 1 9 7 3 ; ▁G iesen ▁and ▁Con nel ly ▁ 1 9 9 3 ; ▁Kir by ▁and ▁Gros z ▁ 1 9 9 5 ; ▁Re e ce ▁et ▁al . ▁ 2 0 0 1 ; ▁Sid le ▁ 2 0 0 5 ). ▁C attle ▁can ▁be ▁an ▁important ▁tool ▁to ▁manage ▁habitat ▁structure ▁for ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁when ▁managed ▁properly ▁( E vens ▁ 1 9 6 8 ; ▁Kir by ▁and ▁Gros z ▁ 1 9 9 5 ; ▁Sid le ▁ 2 0 0 5 ). ▁The ▁habitat ▁of ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁was ▁sever ely ▁affected ▁by ▁early ▁sett lers ▁before ▁cattle ▁gra z ers ▁understood ▁the ▁impact ▁to ▁the ▁environment ▁from ▁over gra zing . ▁ ▁A ▁secondary ▁effect ▁of ▁early ▁agricult ure ▁during ▁the ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁D ust ▁Bowl ▁and ▁Great ▁De pression ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁was ▁when ▁hom est ead ers ▁abandoned ▁the ▁un product ive