FOREST AND RANGE RESOURCES OF UTAH 27 



a man is experienced and well trained he can tell pretty well from 

 close observation whether the range is properly stocked and handled. 

 Overgrazing for an extended period will leave " earmarks " which 

 usually can be recognized. The following earmarks are the most 

 reliable indicators of overgrazing : 



The predominance of annual weeds and grasses such as knotweed, tarweed, 

 mustard, annual bromes, and fescues. This condition indicates 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, niggerhead, yellowweed, snakeweed, and gum 

 weed. 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, 

 currant, willow, service berry, birch-leaf mountain-mahogany, and Gambel oak. 

 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 

 reproduction on sheep range and aspen 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 re- 

 production 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 appearance 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 abund- 

 ance on overgrazed cattle range; coarse grasses palatable to cattle are often 

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

 term "class overgrazing. (3)" 



The following are some of the indications that a range has been 

 overgrazed in the past, but is improving : 



Fifteen to twenty-five per cent of the most palatable species is left 

 at the end of the season and an average of 1 or 2 inches of the twigs 

 is left on the most palatable browse. This can be determined best by 

 inspection at the close of the growing season. During the summer, 

 however, one can watch for dried herbage left from the season be- 

 fore, and note the length of the previous season's growth on the 

 browse twigs. If an inspection is made at the time the spring zone 

 has been grazed over, or after a part of a sheep allotment has been 

 grazed over for the final time that season, one can determine whether 

 a sufficient amount of the palatable forage has been left. Experi- 

 ence has demonstrated that when part of the palatable forage is left, 

 conditions are favorable for range improvement. 



When ranges improve, the old trails frequently become over- 

 grown with herbage. The limbs on the browse grow into the space 

 once kept clear by trailing stock. Places where stock, cattle espe- 

 cially, once congregated to an extent that almost denuded the ground, 

 begin to be covered by vegetation and by better forage plants. All 

 the plants are thrifty and vigorous. Evidence of recent erosion is 

 lacking. One can usually see plants growing in the old gullies or 

 along the sides of the washes, which indicates that erosion on those 



