) 7 



Circular no. ss 4 



August 1951 • Washington, D. C. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The Dalles Pocket Gopher and Its Influence 



On Forage Production of Oregon 



Mountain Meadows 



By A. W. Moore, biologist, Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, 

 and Elbert H. Reid, assistant chief, division of range research. Forest Service, 



Department of Agriculture^ 



CONTENTS 



Page Page 



Pocket gophers on mountain Vegetation 1940 to 1948 on 



meadows 1 gopher-free meadow 18 



Methods of study 3 Vegetation 1940 to 1948 on 



The Dalles pocket gopher 5 gopher-infested meadow 22 



Range 6 Influence of pocket gophers on values 



Burrowing hahits 6 of meadow for livestock grazing 26 



Reproduction 9 Control of pocket gophers 29 



Feeding habits ... 9 Natura , checks 29 



Influence of pocket gophers on plant . . c . . . 



, . T b K- r ii Artificial control on mountain 



density and composition 11 



Vegetation at start of study in 



1931 1 



Vegetation in 1940 on gopher 



meadows 30 



Cost and returns from control 32 



Summary 33 



free meadow 7 . * 11 Literature cited 34 



Vegetation in 1940 on gopher- Common and scientific names of 



infested meadow 16 plants and rodents mentioned 35 



POCKET GOPHERS ON MOUNTAIN MEADOWS 



Pocket gophers abound in many places throughout western range 

 lands. They inhabit many types of range and are especially common on 

 meadows in the mountainous areas of the West. Mountain meadows, 

 generally of higher grazing value than other western range types, are in 

 many stages of range condition. Some meadows, which produce prin- 

 cipally annual weeds and grasses, 2 are seriously depleted. Their grazing 

 capacities are as low as 0.1 or less animal-unit month per acre (5). 34 



1 Mr. Moore conducted the rodent phases of the study and Mr. Reid the plant and 

 forage evaluations. Mr. Reid was then on the staff of the Pacific Northwest Forest and 

 Range Experiment Station, Portland, Oreg. 



2 Common and scientific names of plants and animals mentioned are listed on 

 p. 35. 



3 One animal-unit month as used here is equivalent to 1 month's grazing by 1 cow 

 or 5 sheep. 



4 Numbers in parentheses refer to Literature Cited, p. 34. 



