Arizona fescue, often called pinegrass or mountain bunchgrass, is a dense, 

 tufted, perennial bunchgrass distributed from southern Colorado westward to 

 southern Nevada and south to New Mexico and Arizona. Typically, it is a 

 mountain species, growing at elevations from 6,000 to 10,000 feet, and is very 

 abundant throughout the open ponderosa pine types, on slopes, mesas, and in 

 open parks, chiefly in southern Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Appar- 

 ently it is rare in Utah. Although Arizona fescue is usually associated with 

 blue grama, mountain muhly, pine dropseed, and cinquefoil, it frequently occurs 

 in almost pure stands with the bunches only a few inches apart. It com- 

 monly inhabits dry, shallow, clay loams but grows well on sandy, gravelly or 

 rocky soils, occasionally occurring in shaded places of better, moist sites. 



Although not as palatable as many other range grasses, Arizona fescue 

 is particularly important because of its abundance and, on many ranges, 

 furnishes much of the forage. It is eaten by all classes of livestock, but is 

 more readily grazed by cattle and horses than by sheep. In the Southwest 

 this grass resumes growth in the spring, but its principal growth is made 

 during the summer rainy season. It grows slowly and the forage produced 

 has a relatively low water content. However, it is more palatable during this 

 season than at any other time. When mature, the leaves become somewhat 

 tough and are not eaten so readily during late summer as are those of blue 

 grama and other more tender forage plants. The numerous fine but fibrous 

 leaves, which remain green until late fall, furnish good forage for cattle and 

 horses, but are eaten readily by sheep only during scarcity of better forage. 

 Arizona fescue is not particularly resistant to grazing and even moderately 

 close grazing tends to reduce the cover. It suffers from severe usage and, 

 when overgrazed, is often replaced by blue grama. Near the upper alti- 

 tudinal limits for blue grama, however, Arizona fescue tends to increase its 

 stand under total protection or even light grazing at the expense of blue grama. 



On Arizona fescue ranges occurring in the ponderosa-pine types in the South- 

 west, heavy grazing during periods when the forage is dry and water scarce 

 has resulted in serious damage to the timber reproduction. 1 In the results of 

 an investigation, as yet unpublished, C. K. Cooperrider, of the Southwestern 

 Forest and Range Experiment Station, United States Forest Service, points out 

 that the greatest damage usually occurs in the dry period of late spring and 

 early summer before a vigorous, lush growth of the grass has been made. This 

 damage is accentuated on poorly watered and heavily stocked range. Most of 

 the damage can be eliminated by proper range and livestock management. Care 

 should be taken that the ranges are not overstocked, especially in the dry late 

 spring and early summer period, and that uniform distribution is secured. 

 Ample water should be provided at all seasons, particularly during the dry 

 periods. Within many ponderosa-pine areas, especially where Arizona fescue 

 occurs in dense stands, the pine reproduction appears to be handicapped. 2 

 While the tufts favor germination and survival of the seedlings, and also afford 

 early protection against grazing, their subsequent development is impeded, and 

 heavy mortality may result from competition between seedlings and grass for 

 soil moisture. However, the heavy losses of young ponderosa-pine seedlings 

 on Arizona fescue ranges are apt to occur where the natural grass cover is 

 decimated. Its extensive root system enables Arizona fescue to withstand both 

 drought and trampling fairly well. Although this grass does not form a sod, 

 yet its deep and abundant fibrous roots and the more or less dense spreading 

 leafage tend to reduce run-off and thus impede erosion. 



Although Arizona fescue produces an abundance of viable seed, artificial 

 reseeding experiments with it on mountain ranges in the West" have not been 

 very successful. Sowings were made in 1913 on the Coconino Plateau in north- 

 ern Arizona, but although many seedlings resulted and attained average height, 

 most of them subsequently succumbed and failed to maintain the stand. The 

 seedlings which matured produced but little seed. 



1 Hill, R. R. EFFECTS OF GEAzING UPON WESTERN YELLOW PINE REPRODUCTION IN THE 

 NATIONAL FORESTS OF ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO. U. S. Dept. Agr. Bull. 580, 27 pp., 



illus. 1917. 



2 Pearson, G. A. NATURAL nEi-Roour'TioN OF WESTERN YELLOW PINE IN THE SOUTHWEST. 

 U. S. Dept. Agr. Bull. 1105, 14.'? pp., illus. 1923. 



3 Forsling, C. L., and Dayton, W. A. ARTIFICIAL RESEEDING ON WESTERN MOUNTAIN 

 RANGE LANDS. U. S. Dept. Agr. Circ. 178, 48 pp., illus. 1931. 



