Selective commercial timber thinning and prescribed burning are effective tools in maintaining a productive forage resource on stocked range of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). Productive mixtures of herbaceous species can be sustained through periodic timber thinning to maintain 12 to 20 m2/ha of longleaf pine basal area and rotational winter burning, at 3-year intervals. Two to three years of heavy use can be expected after patch cutting if the area of patch cuts constitute a minor percentage of the total grazed range unit. Heavy use may convert patch cuts predominantly to carpetgrass and forested range to a mixture of forbs.

From September 1976, through August 1978, 34 white-tailed deer food plants were collected during the months they were eaten by deer on the H.B. Zachry Randado Ranch in south Texas and analyzed for crude protein (CP), P, Ca, K, Mg, and Na. In vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD) was measured on foods collected only during the first year of the study. Mean levels of CP, Ca, K, and Mg were adequate for deer throughout the year. The P levels were generally inadequate except during spring, whereas Na levels probably were deficient throughout the year. However, these may not be as deficient as indicated because deer select higher quality plants and plant parts. Crude protein content of browse species was generally higher than that of forbs and cacti. Forbs were generally higher in P and Na than were browse and cacti. Although pricklypear cactus generally had low levels of CP, P, and Na, it had a higher DMD (greater than or equal to 76%) than all other species. However, because of its high soluble ash content (20%), pricklypear cactus averaged about 56% in vitro digestible organic matter. Our data indicated that range managers should provide a diversity of plant species to provide an optimum habitat for deer.

Natural mesquite stands and other seed-propagated mesquite are extremely variable because of mesquite's obligately outcrossed breeding mechanism. Clonal propagation methods are required to reduce genetic variation in controlled experiments and for propagation of ornamentals. Cuttings of six species of Prosopis (mesquite) representing Hawaiian, North American, and South American germplasm were successfully rooted using a translucent high humidity chamber, greenhouse-grown cutting stock, a foliar dithane (fungicide) spray, and a 3 sec. 100% dimethylsulfoxide dip containing (mg/L):indolebutyric acid (6,000), napthaleneacetic acid (9,000), boric acid (100), calcium chloride (200), thiamine (100), and Banrot (100).

Immature and adult insects representing 8 orders, 86 families, and 338 species were collected from broom snakeweed (Xanthocephalum sarothrae) or threadleaf snakeweed (X. microcephala) in the western half of Texas and eastern New Mexico during 1976 and 1977. Most of the 46 sampling locations were visited three times each year. Insects were collected by hand, sweep net, or D-Vac. The aboveground vegetation of 30 plants and the root systems of 10 plants were sampled at each location during most visits. Immature forms were determined by rearing or association. Several native insect species inflict damage to broom snakeweed and threadleaf snakeweed, including a leaf-tying moth, (Synnoma lynosyrana), a weevil (Myrmex sp. nr. lineata), roundheaded borers (Crossidius discoideus and Crossidius pulchellus), a flatheaded borer (Agrilus gibbicollis), and two species of mealybugs (Phenacoccus helianthi and Eriococcus cryptus).

Results of in vitro digestibility trials indicate that big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) is a highly digestible browse for wintering mule deer. Subspecies tridentata (62.1% digested dry matter) was more highly digested than subspecies vaseyana (53.2% digested dry matter) and subspecies wyomingensis (51.4% digested dry matter). On an accession level, some accessions of big sagebrush were more highly digested than others. The accessional range was from 44.6% digested dry matter to 64.8%. No relationship was found between total monoterpenoids (essential or volatile oils) content and digestibility.

Growth and phenological development of rough fescue (Festuca scabrella) in interior British Columbia have been documented for a 3-year period. The plants began growing around mid-April and normally ceased growing in late June. Culm growth began in late May and ceased at approximately the time leaf growth ceased. However, leaf and culm elongation ceased before the plants reached their full weight. Rough fescue headed out between May 14 and June 10 and seed shattering occurred between July 13 and July 24. Seed head production per plant was variable from year to year. Fall regrowth occurred in September one year, in October another year, and not at all the other year.

The age, density, and fire history of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) trees growing on range sites of contrasting potentials were investigated. The 1,000-ha study area consisted of 65% big sagebrush [Artemisia tridentata Nutt. subsp. wyomingensis (Rybd.) Beetle] and 30% low sagebrush (A. arbuscula Nutt.) plant communities. Density of western juniper trees was 150 and 28 trees/ha on the big and low sagebrush sites, respectively. The oldest western juniper found growing in the big sagebrush communities became established in 1855, and 84% of the existing trees became established between 1890 and 1920. The oldest trees on the low sagebrush sites had established by 1600, and most of the existing trees established before 1800. At the beginning of the 20th century, the western juniper populations on big sagebrush sites were doubling in density every 3 years. The rate of establishment on these sites has slowed until 1,370 years would now be required to double the population size. The rate of population growth on low sagebrush sites has varied from decade to decade with a trend to double the population every 200 years and trees that become senescent at about 400 years of age. About 0.4% of western juniper on the low sagebrush sites had fire scars, some of which indicated the occurrence of multiple fires. These fire scars indicated that since 1600 there were periods of up to 90 years when no fires scarred the trees. Changes in the frequency of wildfires appear to be the most logical explanation for the sudden invasion of trees into big sagebrush communities, but current technologies for reconstructing fire chronologies are woefully inadequate in this environment.

Crupina vulgaris, crupina, a member of the Compositae family, is a recently introduced threat to the rangelands of Idaho. It is a competitive winter annual which, when established, develops nearly solid stands to the exclusion of desirable forage species. It was demonstrated by field trials that fall and spring application of picloram, glyphosate, dicamba, and 2,4-D (amine) were effective in greatly reducing or eliminating crupina for 2 years. Once crupina was removed by this effective management tool, desirable forage species replaced the unpalatable crupina.