Show GOOD GRASS INCREASES WATER penetration ON RANGE LAND tucson june 29 agricultural experts have declared for years that a good covering of range grasses helps to hold rainfall and permits more moi moisture stare to penetrate the soil and now scientists at the soil conservation station at tucson have addi additional scientific proof of this contention the stations research staff headed hea ded by E L beutner laid out three range plots to determine the effect of vegetation on the intake of water into the soil of a semiarid country on the first plot which had a hick h ck covering 1 f l black grama and other grasses of the W water ater soaked into the soil on a nearby plot which was severely over grazed only of moisture filtered into the ground this meant that nearly 42 of the water quickly ran off the overgrazed over grazed range carrying topsoil and causing erosion to prove that grass roots and an organic matter below the surface of the ground are also important in moisture retention beutner and his associates clipped all the vegetation on a thickly grassed area on this clipped area of tile the moi moisture sure soaked into the soil thereby showing the effectiveness of grass roots and organic matter in holding rainfall overgrazing not only causes water to run off quickly but also has an effect on the type of grass gi iss which survives on the he overgrazed overgraze over grazed cl plot plants were chiefly annual grasses with meager root system 1 beutner reported and an d the soil became bare and d compact during dry seasons on the deli densely vegetated area however perennial grasses flourished and provide I soil krotec protection ion throughout the year their stems and leaves slowed down runoff and prevented soil washing beutner explained the dead plant matter furnished surface litter and contributed organic matter to the soil the research station has also made extensive studies on methods of controlling arroyos on artificial re seeding of range land and on the effects of erosion control structures in their re seeding and transplanting experiments the research men learned that sacaton chamiso ch ariso Roth rocks grama feather grass vine mesquite grass and Lel manns love grass will survive extreme droughts and temporary flood conditions dit ions during a two year trial giant panic grass also made good growth in areas behind water spreading structures where moisture 1 conditions were favorable the experiments are being carried on through the cooperation of i the soil conservation service and the arizona agricultural experiment station beutner the project supervisor is assisted by dar win anderson range ecologist and ana by joel E fletcher assistant soil technologist |