Circular no. so4 



April 1949 • Washington, D. C. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Stocking Northern Great Plains 



Sheep Range for Sustained 



High Production 



By E. J. Woolfolk, forest ecologist, Northern Rocky Mountain Forest and Range 

 Experiment Station, Forest Service 1 



CONTENTS 



Page Page 

 Introduction 1 Effects of heavy conservative, and light stock- 

 How the problem was studied 2 ing— Continued. 



Character of northern Great Plains range 5 Effects on number and size of plants 24 



The forage and i«" s utilization 9 Effects on height growth of blue grama and 



Growth and development of the forage, 9 bluestem wheatgrass 2f> 



Relative grazing values 10 Effects on herbage production 28 



How the forage was utilized 12 Effects on the soil 30 



Habits of the yearling ewes ^. 14 Effects on the sheep 30 



Principal activities 14 Degree of forage use recommended for northern 



Influence of natural factors 18 Great Plains sheep range 33 



Influence offences 19 Recommended stocking rate for northern Great 



Influence of predators 20 Plains sheep range during average 8- to 9- 



Habits indicate desirable management sys- month season 34 



terns 20 Summary 35 



Effect s of heavy, conservative, and light stock- Common and botanical names of species men- 



ing 21 tioned 38 



Effects on density of the vegetation 21 Literature cited 39 



INTRODUCTION 



The northern Great Plains, which includes approximately the west- 

 ern half of North and South Dakota, the northeast quarter of Wyo- 

 ming, and the eastern two-thirds of Montana, constitutes one of the 

 largest and most important range-livestock areas in the United States. 

 The major part produces nutritious native forage, the utilization of 

 which determines the economic and social pattern of the region. Only 

 a relatively small proportion is cultivated. 



1 In cooperation with the U. S. Bureau of Animal Industry and the Montana 

 Agricultural Experiment Station. The author acknowledges the assistance and 

 cooperation of several members of these agencies and of numerous employees of 

 the Forest Service who assisted in conducting this experiment. Special acknowl- 

 edgment is made to Martin J. Doyle, B. A. I. shepherd, who served faithfully and 

 well throughout the experiment. 



821193°— 49 1 1 



