USE OF ANNUAL PLANTS IN CALIFORNIA FOOTHILLS 



35 



2 - 





DEGREE OF GRAZING 



MODERATE 

 TO CLOSE 



AVG. HEIGHT 

 AVG. YIELD 





LIGHT TO 

 MODERATE 





150 | 



100 



- 50 



PASTURE 3 PASTURE I PASTURE 2 



Figure 15. — Average height and yield of new vegetation in January 1943 in three 

 range pastures in relation to degree of grazing of each pasture in the preceding year. 



each of pastures 1, 2, and 3. These three pastures were chosen for in- 

 tensive measurements because they were most comparable in kinds of 

 land and included both of the two most closely grazed range pastures, 

 in which degree of grazing was likely to be critical, and one of the lightly 

 grazed pastures. 



In the two pastures that had been most closely grazed, the vegetation 

 was hardly tall enough to be grazed on most of the area. The average 

 height of -all species in each of these two pastures was between Yi and 

 % inch (fig. 15), with grasses averaging between 13^2 an d 2 inches. But 

 in pasture 2, grazed light to moderate in the preceding year, the new 

 plants were tall enough for some grazing over most of the pasture and 

 were readily grazable on about half of the acreage. In this pasture the 

 average height of all species was more than 1 inch, with grasses averaging 

 about 23^2 inches. 



Because of greater height and increased leanness, the average yield of 

 plants clipped at 3^-inch stubble height during January 1943 in pasture 2 



