CIRCULAR 884, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



meadow B failed to improve and was still in poor range condition where 

 sheep and deer grazed, and it declined to very poor condition where 

 sheep did not graze. 



On the other hand, the total vegetation density, the density of worth- 

 while perennial grasses, and the density of valuable perennial forbs were 

 much greater where gophers were absent. After 9 years of gopher control 

 on meadow A the range had inrproved to fair condition. 



Vegetation 1940 to 1948 on Gopher-Free Meadow 



The removal of pocket gophers from meadow B in 1940 and main- 

 tenance of that meadow gopher-free until 1948 brought about a marked 

 improvement in plant composition. The species favored by the pocket 

 gopher as forage made especially large increases (fig. 10). 



Figure 10. — The grazed plot on meadow B in 1946. showing the relatively dense 

 stand of vegetation dominated by common dandelion. This species became estab- 

 lished after pocket gophers were removed in 1940. 



