Buckthorn: a stubborn invader
Common buckthorn forms dense thickets that shade out native plants and are extremely difficult to control by cutting alone, because the shrub resprouts aggressively. The Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC), based at the University of Minnesota, funds research on managing exactly these kinds of invasives.
One line of that research investigates goat grazing as a control method — measuring how repeated browsing affects buckthorn over multiple seasons.
The value of "ahead of the herd" science
The university’s work underscores a recurring theme in grazing research: goats are especially useful on invasive woody plants, but durable control usually requires a planned sequence of grazing visits rather than a one-time treatment.
That is consistent with how professional targeted-grazing operations schedule recurring seasonal visits to keep regrowth in check.