| Show range conditions key to grazing practices proper grazing key to range conservation balancing the number of livestock with the carrying capacity of the range is the key to conservation of rangeland says wilford frost agricultural conservation program committeeman in charge of range conservation for san juan county I 1 Stoc kwater dams may be constructed I 1 ted for better distribution of livestock fences may be built to provide better control of grazing and the range may be re seeded with adapted grasses he said if the range is overstocked over stocked hor however vever these measures lose much of their value in conserving soil and water the committeeman pointed out that it is the vegetable cover on the range that protects the soil slows down the runoff run off and protects the watershed against erosion and floods if the vegetation is eaten off until it no longer can serve as a protection the dams and fences and re seeding wont hold soil and water these practices are effective in conserving both soil and water when they are used along with proper grazing mr frost said that in arid and ra range an ge areas grazing off more than 50 percent of the top growth of top grasses starts the range down hill the palatable species are not able to reproduce themselves and as these die out and are replaced by less palatable sp species chies the value of the range deteriorates teri orates mr frost pointed out that some of the indicators of proper grazing are abundant litter between plants topsoil intact and unbroken gullies healing little or no soil drifting no places where the topsoil is worn wom through and clear I 1 runoff run off water and no dust when the wind blows another practical indicator is the condition of the livestock thriving livestock usually indicate properly grazed range |
