RANGE CONDITION CLASSES IN THE FOOTHILLS AND MOUNTAINS 

 OF WESTERN MONTANA 

 SILTY SITE 15-19" PRECIPITATION BELT 



Climate and soil do not change at fence lines. Differences in 

 Rinds of plants can be attributed to differences in past management 

 of the range. Grasses on the right side of the fence maice the best 

 use of the moisture and soil to give maximum production. Heavy use 

 on the left side of the fence has idlled out these tall grasses. 

 Soil compaction and lack of mulch have increased runoff. Range 

 condition and production are poor. 



Ranges can be restored to excellent condition by using the right 

 combination of conservation measures. The intensity of treatment 

 varies from the simple practice of proper use of the range to the 

 complicated and expensive reseeding of the native grasses, fieseed- 

 ing may be necessary to reestablish desirable native grasses that 

 have been eliminated from the pasture. Reseeding may also be desir- 

 able to hasten recovery if seed plants of the better grasses are 

 scarce. Resting the pasture until after seed-production of the 

 better grasses may supply sufficient seed for natural reseeding. 



All pictures on this sheet were taken on the same range site with 

 less than ^ mile between locations. The pictures illustrate rang 

 condition classes on this icind of land. 



nge 



U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE 



Mr-JS-29 (Range) 



l«M'K«-UaC*iM. ■!•• ttM 



58M-133-lt2 I 



