A study of the grazing habits of sheep on the winter range of southwestern Wyoming showed the grass needleandthread (Stipa comata) to be the key forage species. This was true even with a snow cover of 8 inches. Other grass species also contributed a large amount to the sheep diet. Low rabbitbrush (Crysothamnus viscidiflorus) was the most preferred shrub species. Very little use was made of the other shrub species.

Germination of broom snakeweed seed was found best at 60-70 F temperatures and was inversely related to moisture stress.

Three fence-line comparisons were made to determine the effect of grazing intensity on the density and dispersion of bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata (Pursh) DC.) in a uniform habitat. Bitterbrush density was reduced by heavy grazing but was not affected by moderate use. The large increases in mean area per plant that occurred under heavy grazing did not alter the overall form of random population dispersion. In a comparison of heavy versus moderate use, inclusion of 1-year-old plants on the moderately grazed area (10% of population) caused aggregation of the population. Even though a larger number of 1-year-old plants (22% of population) occurred in the heavily grazed comparison, the population remained random. The contrasting reaction probably resulted from a differential pattern of seedling mortality due to different amounts of herbaceous understory in the two shrub populations.

Top removal reduced yields of mesquite at least 75% during all seasons of the year. May yields were the lowest. This information may be helpful for planning shredding operations, but not for planning burns.

With present procedures of inventory and research, the kinds and amount of soil information needed for management of range resources is not always available, nor is the information always used when it is available. More effective use of soil information is hindered by 1) a communication gap between those who collect the information and the resource managers who should be using the information, 2) a priority system for soil survey which places more importance on standard soil surveys on a block basis than on special surveys conducted to meet the immediate needs of management, and 3) lack of a relationship between the soil survey programs and research designed to bring research results into context with land use problems.

Four range sites were fertilized at three different rates of nitrogen. Grass and sedge species react differently to the nitrogen treatments with respect to leaf height growth and phenological development. Leaf height increases in the grasses are generally small at lower levels of nitrogen. The sagebrush (Artemisia) species increase markedly in height at all rates of nitrogen fertilization. Stalk heights in the grasses and forbs generally follow patterns of height increase similar to those of the leaves. Phenological development of plant species is variously affected by the different rates of nitrogen on different range sites. Leaf-tip drying of grasses is greater on a given date on plots with no nitrogen early in the season than on plots with nitrogen fertlizer. A reversal of this situation occurs later in the season.

A herd of approximately 500 reindeer was herded over a non-utilized portion of a large Eriophorum-Carex-dwarf shrub meadow near Nome, Alaska during both moist and dry conditions. After one summer of use on approximately 17 sections by the reindeer, 68% of the lichens were dislodged and 16% were shattered into segments less than 1/2 inch. On summer ranges where lichens comprise at least 30% of the available forage, at least 15% of the lichens should be considered as unavailable because of trampling by reindeer.

The effect of time of burning on weight gains of steers, botanical composition, herbage yield, and soil moisture relations were investigated over seventeen years. Time of burning in relation to period of growth was important in the reaction of individual species. Cool-season species were reduced by spring burning and the desirable warm-season species were favored. Fire also favored some weedy species which had phenology similar to the desirable warm-season grasses. Herbage yields were reduced by early and mid spring burning but remained the same as unburned when late spring burning was applied. Gains on steers were greatest under mid and late spring burning and least under no burning and early spring burning. Higher gains on steers mid and late spring burned pastures came early in the growing season.

Studies of range restoration problems required determination of seasonal variation of maximum air temperatures near the soil surface. More accurate sampling of this important environmental factor is now possible with responsive, easily read, maximum temperature indicators, operating between 38 and 62 C.