| Show E 1 i t I l l jL 0 on Forest F ores t R Ranges anges t t I e I ARTHUR W. w W. SAM SAMPSON SON Dire Director tor Great Basin Basin- Experiment Station t tion ss t Forest Service The The im imp importance e of managing rt q I. I tt l r 4 and utilizing t the e range at all alli 7 times in a way so as to preserve i 1 wc J. J 1 it 1 r t the h e f forage forage- orage s stabilize I Ize the thO elves I. I livestock t oc k i industry and prevent destructive floods and erosion is generally t recognized by stockmen k en In building building build build- r ing mg up the ra range it is IS not PO possible poi poi- SI- SI 1 M 4 ble fully to utilize the tho vegetation an 11 e L by livestock year ea after f er year unless un un- ft i less such utilization is IS so adjusted adjust adJust- I ed d as asto to prevent the vegetation 5 1 ona on a part of the range to tp get rj some rest each growing season t l 1 in order to remain physiologically L. L L stron strong Vegetation ion weakened iJ i. i through overgrazing year after l i year either soon dies from actual I f starvation arv ion or it produces only a Ismail small amount of weak and late f gr growing wing forage The h main maintenance m- m t o t. ance ance of of a maximum cover covel of A vegetation and the continuance of grazing year after year with- with I without without regard for fot the growth g j a requirement of the plants are naturally antagonistic and unless un un- less certain principles f r of range rang and livestock k management manage manage- rt manage manage- management J h ment are put into practice ce thet the tho t f. c choice h. h OlCe forage cover WI will 11 soon b be e destroyed The first against forage destruction of course is T the avoidance of overgrazing i Th sas pointed out in a f former Ji article can best be accomplished i by correctly estimating the grazing graz graz- j 4 ing ng cap capacity cit of the range and then adjusting the number of ff V. V stock the range unit or allotment will safely carry Excessive graza grazing grazing graz graz- a ing will sill first fist show itself in in the f weakened condition or lack of I 1 thrift and luxuriance of growth iI 1 l of the mo most moot t palatable plants Overgrazing also is usually accompanied accompanied accompanied ac ac- companied by the appearance of n v gullies followed by zt e erosion of varying seriousness t. t e 4 l I In the of worn Lr 1 fk ou out ranges one of the thc problems I t J is to 9 distribute the stock so that each portion of oI the range will t J 1 bear its share of early arly cropp cropping ng t. t and in turn will wIn be protected until until un- un rt t til l the main mam forage plants have 4 t i V il ripened I ened their seeds To acc accomplish mi m- m i jQ push this the te system of grazing f. f w. w known as deferred and rotation f I gra grazing ng has been developed i I the results of which which were p published pub b- b 1 in Dept of Agri bulletin U F No 34 1913 Among the evidence developed in the conduction of this investigation investigation investigation invest invest- the following c conclusions were developed 1 1 Removal of the tho herbage yeas after fter year during the early part V. V of the growing season weakens f I the plants delays the resumption N eft of growth advances the time of off f maturity anti an decreases the seed production and of oft of t the seed a YI 2 21 Under the p practice of yearlong year year- I kI r long or g grazing both oth 1 the growth of the plants and seed p production are seriously interfered ed with A range so used J. J i when stocked to its full capacity finally b becomes comes denuded j 1 3 Grazing after seed maturity t At In in no way interferes with flower flower- i stalk production As much fertile i seed is produced as where the vegetation is protected from 3 grazing during the whole whole year year 4 Deferred grazing grazing i after seed maturity insures the Jt planting of the seed crop and the permanent establishment of seedling seedling seed seed- 4 ling plants without sacrificing the seasons season's forage or creating a afire al l as 1 fire hazard 5 5 Deferred grazing can be applied wherever the ve vegetation fY t remains palatable after seed t r maturity and produces es a seed rt l' l hI crop provided d e d amp ample I e water f facilities facil facil- I r J ti es f for or S stock t OC k exist I or may be beI r I j Y developed t L N. N Naturally rally the most seriously I II j Elf i I T r t. t I 7 Li i 1 r d depleted pl ted tedor portion or ori orif of f a a Ni range willbe will willbe I be selected ed first for tiou While this area is being the remainder will be grazed during the earlier part of the season that is before seed mat mat- If the area upon which grazing is being deferred is re- re seeded sa say sap in two seasons and anda a second area is selected preferably preferably preferably prefer prefer- ably somewhat remote from the first to facilitate protection against grazing the first reserved reserved reserved reser reser- ved are area will then be grazed earlier earlier earlier ear ear- lier as this can be done without injury to the young seedlings By adopting this plan there is no necessity of reducing reducing- the number of stock grazed while the range is being When the th-e second area has been r seeded a third is selected and so soon on until the whole allotment has been restored restored restored re re- re- re stored to its normal forage pro pro- When the entire area has been the practice of alternate early and late grazing grazing graz graz- grazing ing of the different parts of the allotment each ach year is essen essential tialin in order to give the vegetation a breathing spell as it were a chance to recuperate and produce ce cea a large and fertile seed crop from which hew plants may arise to replace those that have died due to age or other causes In localities where there still remains a fair I stand of seed plants complete has been accomplished in from two to four seasons of deferred graz graz- ing When only a few weak seed plants remain however a much longer time is required to completely completely completely com com- replace ce the destroyed plants It is of the greatest importance importance importance im im- im- im therefore to avoid serious erious overgrazing as the stockman stockman stockman stock stock- man must sooner or latter pay for such maltreatment of the range in terms of livestock re re- re Deferred and rotation grazing on the National Forests at the present time is being more extensivelY ex- ex applied on the sheep than on cattle range because e of the ease with which sheep are controlled To apply this system on unfenced cattle range requires that no salting be bedone bedone bedone done on n the area to be r seeded until the seed crop has It also requires effective herding The construction of di division vision fences so placed as to divide the area into three pastures whereby whereby whereby where where- by a third of the area may be reserved reserved reserved re re- re- re served each year for lace grazing is of course couse the most effective and desirable plan on cattle range This plan is now being adopted in various parts of the country in inthe inthe inthe the r l' and maintenance ance o of farm pastures with most gratifying results |
