More About Grasses 



Native grasses, unique in their adaptabil- 

 ity to Montana growing conditions, have 

 developed traits to ensure their survival. 

 Their roots, many reaching depths of six 

 feet or more, are capable of drawing mois- 

 ture from any level. Many of these grasses 

 complete their growing cycle in early sum- 

 mer when temperatures are cool and mois- 

 ture is plentiful. They may become 

 dormant during the dry months; some re- 

 sume growth in the fall. Large amounts of 

 nutrients are stored in the root system to 

 be used in times of stress to rebuild the 

 plant. These stored nutrients may help a 

 plant to survive short periods of overgraz- 

 ing or drought. 



Range plants and grasses give back to 

 the soil as much as two-thirds of their 

 growth. Dead stems and leaves form a 

 layer of litter that gradually breaks down 

 into humus, a dark material made of decay- 

 ing plants and animals. The minerals and 

 other nutrients in this humus return to the 

 soil. Humus also protects the ground sur- 

 face from extreme heat, breaks the force of 

 wind or falling rain, and helps the earth re- 

 tain moisture. 



Other plants that are a part of the 

 Montana grassland provide food and habi- 

 tat for wildlife; however, domestic stock 

 usually avoid them unless nothing else is 

 available. 



None of these weeds and annual grasses 

 is very nutritious for livestock, and some, 

 like downy chess (military grass), can 

 harm animals if the sharp seeds lodge in 

 their throats or under their skins. All are 

 "indicators" of an overused or poorly 

 managed range. When ranchers or range 

 specialists notice that these plants are on 

 the increase in rangeland or pastures, they 

 know they must act not only to curb their 

 spread, but also to provide better condi- 

 tions for the productive range grasses. 



Woody shrubs such as sagebrush, rabbit 

 brush, big sage, greasewood, saltbush, 

 snowberry, willows, and wild rose provide 

 forage and shelter for wild browsing ani- 

 mals and other wildlife (figure 4). Many of 

 these shrubs do, however, invade 

 grasslands that have been overgrazed, 

 and, like annual weeds, are "indicators" of 

 poor range condition. 





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4. Moose Browsing 



Monl.iii.i llrpiirtincnl ii( Fish Wildlife, and Parks 



