What was one effect of settlers bringing herds of sheep and cattle to the West in the mid-1800s?

Question

What was one effect of settlers  bringing herds of sheep and cattle to the West in the mid-1800s?

Isaiah Arellano · Accepted Answer

One effect was the "wars" for grass and water between the cattlemen and the shepherds.

In the southwest in particular there has always been a shortage of water and good grass. The cattlemen and sheep herders ended up fighting over these limited resources with the sheep herders usually losing. The cattlemen had arrived in the west first pushing their cattle out from Texas and the Midwest. The cattlemen rode horses and use rifles and pistols in taking care of the cattle. The sheep herders arrived later and used dogs, and sticks to take care of their sheep, usually walking on foot. The cattlemen claimed that the sheep ate the grass to close to the roots for the cattle to eat and turned marginal grasslands back into desert. This is what had happened in North Africa. The cattlemen would attack the flocks of sheep killing the animals and the shepherds if they tried to defend their flocks. The cattle and sheep wars usually resulted in the loss of flocks of sheep unless some governmental agencies stepped in to protect the shepherd.

Landon Alexander · Answer

undefined One effect of settlers bringing herds of sheep and cattle to the West in the mid-1800s was the displacement and destruction of native grasslands and ecosystems due to overgrazing.