312 FORAGE ESTIMATES 



The opening date and the length of the grazixig period will be 

 determined largely by (a) climate and elevation, especially as 

 related to the acreage and the productivity of the spring, summer, 

 and winter range; (b) need for revegetation and the maintenance 

 of the more valuable forage cover; (c) permanency and abun- 

 dance of the watering facilities and type of forage. 



To be in a position to apply the important facts to the man- 

 agement of the lands it is first necessary to record the data in 

 tangible form. The object here is to show how the data neces- 

 sary to the determination of the questions outlined may be col- 

 lected and arranged for ready use. A complete reconnaissance 

 will comprise the following parts : 



I. A topographic map, including all the more important 

 features pertinent to the management of the lands as grazing 

 areas, such as the location of drainage and all stock-watering 

 places, ridges, elevations (usually by loo-foot contour intervals), 

 as well as all the more important cultural features, such as roads 

 and trails, telephone lines, fences, and cabins. 



II. A classification of the lands into grazing types, ^ lo acres 

 or larger in area, except conspicuous landmarks or small meadows 

 of high grazing capacity exceeding 2 acres in area. Of these, ten 

 types are recognized as follows : ^ 



1. Open grasslands (other than meadow). This includes 

 bunchgrass areas, gramagrass lands, and other grass cover not 

 meadow in character (Fig. 114). 



2. Meadows. This cover embraces both the dry and the wet 

 meadowlands where sedges and rushes and species like tufted 

 hairgrass (Air a caespitosa) predominate, as well as moist meadow- 

 like areas which occur commonly as glades in the timber type 

 (Fig. 115). 



3. Weeds. This tjrpe includes all untimbered areas where 



' A grazing type as used in reconnaissance consists of an area upon which the 

 cover may be composed of one class of vegetation, as, for instance, a grass cover; 

 or of two or more classes of vegetation, as grass and sagebrush, the more conspicuous 

 of which determines the type designation. Subtypes within the major unit are 

 used to designate the identity of a mixed cover. 



^ In order to avoid complications in field work only the broader types are recog- 

 nized. 



