Vegetation Changes between 1943 and 1965 on the Shortgrass Plains of Wyoming

Abstract

Ground cover estimates on permanently marked plots in East Central Wyoming were compared between 1943 and 1965. On grazed native range plots, shortgrasses increased and midgrasses decreased when comparing 1965 to 1943. Plots in exclosures showed a decrease in shortgrass cover and an increase in cover of midgrasses. Generally, big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha) increased markedly on both open and exclosure plots. Due to excessive grazing pressure, the total perennial grass cover on a section of abandoned farmland was nearly 35% less in 1965 than in 1943.