Regrassing the Range

by C. KENNETH PEARSE A NEW CHAPTER is being written in the history of the West. It concerns the restoration of 80,000,000 acres of range land to proper productivity. It begins with the first realization, about 50 years ago, by the more far-sighted stockmen that their mountain meadows and grassy parks, their best grazing grounds and source of livelihood, were producing less and less forage with each year of use. They thought of restoring the ranges by artificial reseeding, and called in technicians, who, quite naturally, sought to use the common pasture species and the methods of cultivated agriculture. Their efforts were confined mainly to the meadows and mountain parks that seemed to offer the best chance for success with such methods.

Successful plantings were made in some especially favored places, but costs were always too high to justify the returns. Conditions worsened. By 1935 it was estimated that of the 728,000,000 acres of western range lands, 87 percent were producing much less forage than they should; 589,000,000 acres were seriously eroding because of reduced plant cover. On some of the land that retains a remnant of the better kinds of grass and some good topsoil, improved grazing management is enough to restore proper forage and watershed conditions. In other places, the elimination of noxious or low-value plants such as mesquite and sagebrush that compete for available moisture will permit the recovery of weakened good forage plants. But on about 80,000,000 acres, the better forage plants have been largely eliminated. On them, reseeding is the only hope of restoration in our lifetime. That is being done. So far, some four million acres have been reseeded by modern methods.

Stockmen of a generation ago would stare in wonder if they could see the result. Mountain meadows, which their sheep and cattle had grazed and trampled to dust beds, are again densely sodded with tall meadow oatgrass, smooth brome, and other introduced forage plants. Acre after acre of vigorous crested wheatgrass, originally introduced from Siberia, covers dry foothill ranges that a few years ago supported little more than big sagebrush. Crested wheatgrass is reclaiming the abandoned fields of deserted dry farms, unwisely plowed in a land whose rainfall is too low for sustained crop production. Successful reseeding is spreading to other western types and conditions rapidly, as researchers find other satisfactory species and methods.

The success of plantings on the 4,000,000 acres and hopes for success on the 76,000,000 acres still to be planted rest on a new research attack.

The first problem for research men was to classify the many sites to evaluate the possibilities of reseeding and the likeliest methods and species for each, in order to answer the questions the stockmen and range administrators wanted answered-what, when, and how to plant on a great variety of depleted types of range. There were extensive foothill and valley ranges where big sagebrush or cheatgrass had replaced the valuable perennial grasses, the potentially productive aspen and mountain brush types, timber and brush burns, abandoned lands that were once cultivated, and many semi-desert brush and grass ranges. Growing conditions on these types vary widely: Rainfall ranges from less than 8 inches to more than 40 inches; soils vary from sands to clays, deep and fertile in some places but shallow and rocky in others. The existing plant cover varies from little or none on fresh burned-over areas or recently abandoned fields to dense stands of low-value annuals or brush, which rob the soil of its available moisture.

After classifying the sites, the technicians concentrated on the types of range that were most in need and where success seemed most probable. The researchers knew that they could not apply ordinary farming methods and the common pasture plants to range lands. Instead, they searched among native forage plants and those growing under similar conditions in foreign countries for aggressive, drought-resistant species. They studied their growing habits, soil and moisture requirements, and other ecological and physiological needs to find out where they might be adapted, and what must be done to give the seedlings a chance to become established. They sought to devise planting methods and equipment that would provide these conditions economically on rough and rocky range lands, and, where necessary, reduce the stand of undesirable competing vegetation.

The first principle of reseeding-select only the better sites in each type-was recognized when studies brought out the importance of climate, soils, plant and animal life, and other site factors. The success of a properly made planting can now be fairly well foretold. In general, the higher the precipitation and the- better its distribution throughout the growing season the better is the chance for success. Where the top few inches of soil are likely to remain moist during the first few weeks of the growing season, good establishment is likely. Dark colored, deep, light-textured soils, well covered with plant litter, favor the establishment of seedlings and produce highest forage yields.

Vegetation is a good indication of the suitability of a site for reseeding. Reseeding is seldom justified on ranges with enough good forage remnants to provide recovery under better management alone. On the other hand, if the existing vegetation is sparse, and plants are stunted and produce poor seed crops, the site may be too poor for successful seeding. A dense stand of vigorous, low-value vegetation on ranges that formerly produced good forage also usually indicates a good reseeding site. Dense stands of existing vegetation that would use the available soil moisture and prevent the reseeded species from getting established must often be reduced before reseeding.

Adaptability of Species

Planting only species and mixtures that are adapted to the soil and climate and that will persist under reasonable grazing use is another important principle. To find adapted species for each of the many conditions needing reseeding, more than 400 grasses, other herbs, and shrubs have been tested. These are first tried in range nurseries established in each of the range types under study. Nurseries are selected to provide average or slightly better than average growing conditions for the type. They are fenced against livestock and, where necessary, rodents and insects are controlled, and weedy vegetation is reduced by plowing and cultivation. Species that appear suitable are carefully planted by hand in small row plots. Repeat plantings, using several seasons and depths of plantings and sources of seed, are made of species that fail in the first trial. Some 80 to 100 of the 400 species, varieties, and strains tested have been found suited to the local soil and climatic conditions covered, by these nurseries.

In the next step, the successful species from the nursery rows are planted in test plots on the range in the same vicinity. Methods resemble as nearly as possible those that would be used in large-scale plantings in the type. No attempt is made to reduce competition or provide favorable conditions beyond what would be obtained in actual reseeding practice.

The range-plot tests usually indicate 8 or 10 species that appear adapted to each type. These are planted in large pilot plantings under actual field operating conditions as a final test of suitability. The pilot plantings are also used to determine the cost of reseeding and the value returned by reseeding, to provide information on satisfactory grazing management of reseeded areas, and to demonstrate reseeding to ranchers and other potential users of research findings.

Species that have passed such series of tests and can be recommended for planting under specific conditions are listed in many Federal and State bulletins. For the northern great plains and the valley and foothill ranges of Idaho, Utah, and Nevada, crested wheatgrass is widely used. It is also useful on similar ranges in Washington, Oregon, northern California, Wyoming, and Colorado. Other species recommended for the same situations include western wheatgrass and, in some limited areas, bulbous bluegrass. Slender wheatgrass, smooth brome, tall meadow oatgrass, timothy, and orchard grass have proved their adaptability and are being used on higher ranges with more favorable pre-cipitation. Others have passed the range tests, but have not yet been widely used, principally because of lack of seed. These include Siberian and blue wildrye, tall, intermediate, stiffhair and bearded wheatgrass, big bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, meadow brome, and many others. For annual-type ranges in California, Harding grass, African veldt grass, and Burnett grass are ready for further trials, at least in pilot plantings. On southwestern semi-desert and plains ranges, several lovegrasses, gramas, and chamisa can be recommended.

Another principle of reseeding-plant mixtures wherever possible-has been developed from studies of the adaptability of species. Mixtures of several species are most likely to include at least one species that is adapted to the many local soil and moisture conditions of the area. They provide fuller stands, more forage, and a longer grazing season.

Methods of Planting

How much to plant? How deep to plant? What season to plant? How to prepare the land for planting? What machines to use? These questions are as important as the question, what to plant, and the answers vary as much from one condition to another.

The establishment of just enough plants to produce the maximum forage that the climate and soil can support depends on using the correct rate of seeding. For each range and each species this depends on the size, purity, and the germination of the seed and the efficiency of the method of planting. Correct seeding rates are being determined in small plot plantings for many conditions. Aggressive, moderately small-seeded species, such as crested wheatgrass, should be planted at from 3 to 6 pounds to the acre. Eight to 10 pounds are required for smooth brome, western wheatgrass, and other large-seeded species. Lower rates of planting will result in delay and possibly excessive growth of weeds before, a full stand is developed. Heavier seeding increases cost, may cause excessive competition for the small amount of moisture available, and may result in low yields of forage.