18 BULLETIN 790, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



stand of such species and lack of variety in species. This condition 

 is a severe stage of overgrazing such as occurs around sheep bedding 

 grounds which have been used for long periods each year for several 

 years in succession. 



The predominance of plants which have little or no value for any 

 class of stock, such as sneezeweed, 1 niggerhead, 2 yellowweed, 3 snake- 

 weed, 4 and gum weed. 5 These and similar plants frequently occur 

 in abundance over large areas of range and indicate that the range 

 needs careful management to give better forage plants a chance to 

 grow. 



The presence of dead and partly dead stumps of shrubs, such as 

 snowberry, 6 currant, 7 willow, 55 service berry, 9 birch-leaf mahogany, 10 

 and Gambel oak. 11 This condition usually indicates that the most 

 palatable grasses and weeds have been overgrazed There may be 

 some exceptions to this, as in the case of dwarfed willows on ranges 

 where grasses predominate above timber line. Sheep sometimes kill 

 the willows before the grasses are overgrazed. 



Noticeable damage to tree reproduction, especially to western 

 yellow-pine 12 reproduction on sheep range and aspen 13 reproduction 

 on cattle range. Lack of aspen reproduction on a weed sheep range 

 indicates overgrazing, provided the natural conditions are favorable 

 to aspen reproduction. On a sheep range where grass predominates 

 severe injury to western yellow-pine or aspen reproduction may 

 indicate that the range is not well suited to sheep. 



Erosion and barrenness, accompanied by a network of stock trails, 

 where formerly there was a cover of vegetation. These are typical 

 of areas where overgrazing has reached the extreme stage. 



The earmarks described are, perhaps, more typical of overgrazed 

 sheep range than of overgrazed cattle range, but the general appear- 

 ance of the two does not differ greatly when overgrazing reaches a 

 stage to be recognized by one or more of these earmarks. The main 

 differences are in the species of plants indicating the overgrazing. 

 Weeds eaten by sheep are often found in abundance on overgrazed 

 cattle range; coarse grasses palatable to cattle are often abundant 

 on overgrazed sheep range. This fact has given rise to the use of the 

 term "class overgrazing." 



1 Sneezeweed, Dugaldia lioopesn. 8 Willow, Sali? spp. 



- Niggcrhead, Radbeckiu occidenfalis. B Service berry, Amchinvhicr spp. 



3 Yellowweed, Senecio er&mophilus. 10 Birch-leaf mahogany, Cercocarpus mon~ 



4 Snakeweed, Outierrezia sarothrae. tames. 



c Gum weed, Grindclia sqitarrosa. u Gambel oak, Quercits gunwelu. 



6 Snowberry, Symphoricarpos oreophUus. B Western yellow pine, Pin us ponderosa. 



7 Currant, L'ibes spp. "Aspen, Populus tremulGides. 



