INCREASING FORAGE YIELDS ON INTERMOUNTAIN WINTER RANGES 953 
death losses formed another item of expense which reduced the net 
income from the herds on heavily grazed range. 
These studies show that production of both sheep and forage are 
improved under moderate grazing and good management. They also 
show that income Is greatly reduced by heavy stocking. This is also 
borne out by results of an economic study of sheep enterprises in south- 
western Utah (2), where it was found that income per ewe was not 
associated with size of enterprise or number of sheep owned but rather 
with lamb and wool yields. Although management practices and in- 
tensities of grazing use were not evaluated in that study, they un- 
doubtedly had considerable influence on lamb and wool production. 
A study of 8 ranches in New Mexico (14) has also shown that the great- 
est production of wool and lambs was obtained where moderate grazing 
levels were maintained in conjunction with good management practices. 
GUIDES FOR INCREASING FORAGE AND 
SHEEP PRODUCTION 
The investigations at the Desert Experimental Range have shown 
that forage production on ranges in depleted condition can be increased 
under moderate grazing use by sheep. Such use must be in balance 
with the potentialities of various range areas to produce forage. To 
assess this potentiality requires knowledge of the composition of the 
vegetation and present condition of the range. With this basic knowl- 
edge, a program for the improvement of forage and the maintenance 
of sustained high levels of sheep production can be undertaken. 
In the following sections some suggestions are given for analyzing 
winter range condition and instituting proper utilization standards, 
stocking rates, and management practices. These are the tools by 
means of which the objectives of increased forage yields and improved 
sheep production can be reached. 
JupGING RANGE CONDITION 
The term “condition” is used to denote the general health and pro- 
ductivity of the range. From extensive observations on winter ranges 
throughout the region, and information obtained on specific sites within 
the Desert Experimental Range, criteria or indicators were developed 
to aid in judging the state of health or condition of the range. Among 
the more important of these on winter ranges are: The status of soil, 
composition of vegetation, vigor of plants, and the kind and amount 
of seedlings and young plants. 
Using these indicators it is possible to judge and classify the present 
condition of most winter range areas. The following condition classes 
illustrate how the various indicators are related to range condition. 
1. Good condition—Soil stable with little or no evidence of accelerated 
erosion; plants not pedestaled, good stand of palatable vegetation in 
vigorous condition with production approaching a maximum consistent 
with precipitation; seedlings of palatable species abundant enough to 
maintain the current composition of the vegetation. 
2. Fair condition—Soil showing signs of accelerated wind and water 
erosion; undesirable species of low palatability present on some areas 
and predominant on others; introduced annuals such as Russian-thistle, 
