METHODS OF REESTABLISHING BUFFALO GRASS 5 



Buffalo grass occurs in varying abundance on the nonsandy soils 

 from the central part of western North Dakota and southeastern 

 Montana southward to Texas and New Mexico. Its distribution 

 includes the western two- thirds of South Dakota, a small part of 

 eastern Wyoming, western Nebraska outside of the sand hills and 

 favored bottom lands, eastern Colorado and western Kansas, western 

 Oklahoma and Texas, and eastern New Mexico. It is also found in 

 the mesquite-grass (Hilaria belangeri Steud.) area of south-central 

 Texas. Throughout this region of major distribution are many 

 areas in which buffalo grass occurs sparingly or not at all (fig. 4). It 

 is found in greatest abundance on the Plains west of the ninety-ninth 

 degree of longitude in Kansas and east of the 5,000-foot contour line 

 in Colorado. 



Scattered areas of buffalo grass, varying in size from small patches 

 to large meadows, occur east of the ninty-ninth meridian, but the 

 principal grasses in this more humid section are the big and little 

 bluestems, though these often give way to buffalo grass on the higher 

 lands or when overgrazed. The ninty-seventh degree of longitude in 

 Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma represents the approximate eastern 

 limit of major occurrence of the grass in overgrazed pastures. It is 

 found east of this line, but usually in isolated colonies. 



Buffalo grass is said to be important in Texas on the high plains, 

 the rolling plains, the black-land prairies, Grand Prairie, and in much 

 of the Edwards Plateau, but in this latter area curly mesquite is the 

 dominant turf grass. 



The outer limits of distribution of buffalo grass are indicated by 

 reports of its occurrence near Forsyth, Miles City, and Wibaux, 

 Mont.; Williston and Valley City, N.Dak.; Brookings, Huron, and 

 Sioux Falls, S.Dak. ; Lyon County, Iowa; Lincoln, Nebr. ; Manhattan, 

 Kans.; southeastern Oklahoma; Shreveport and St. Charles, La.; 

 Carlsbad, Magdalena, and Grant, N.Mex.; in parts of Arizona, and 

 above an elevation of 6,000 feet in Colorado. This grass comprises 

 varying proportions of the native vegetation in an area embracing 

 538,000 square miles of the Great Plains. 



Buffalo grass thrives with very little care or attention in the locali- 

 ties where it is most widely distributed. It also grows well and spreads 

 rapidly in the marginal areas when protected from invasion. 



CLIMATE 



Buffalo grass is adapted to a rainfall range of 12 to 25 inches. It is 

 able to endure the cold winters of the northern Plains except in the 

 extreme north, the hot summers of the southern Plains, and the fre- 

 quent excessive droughts and high winds characteristic of the entire 

 area. Where the rainfall exceeds 20 inches the taller grasses encroach 

 upon and tend to crowd out the buffalo grass. Dry years under such 

 conditions favor the latter, while wet years witness an increase in the 

 stand and growth of the tall grasses. 



SOIL REQUIREMENTS 



Buffalo grass is best adapted to the heavier types of well-drained 

 upland soil in this region. It will not thrive on pure sand or on soils 

 containing a high percentage of sand, but grows well on sandy loam 

 soils which contain a fair percentage of clay. It is especially well 



