RANGE AND WILDLIFE HABITAT ECOLOGY— 
STATUS AND CHALLENGES 
Range Ecology in the Western United States 
HUDSON G. REYNOLDS 1 
and 
HAROLD A. PAULSEN, JR.? 
EARLY ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH 
From its beginning in the 19th century, with 
cursory observations and collections of plant 
and animal specimens, range ecology in the 
West has progressed to where it now receives 
careful study from highly trained specialists 
using sophisticated techniques and equipment. 
As general ecological knowledge has been accu- 
mulated, as study techniques have been devel- 
oped, and as related disciplines have contrib- 
uted, increasing impetus has been given to 
range ecology investigations. This paper re- 
views briefly the development of range ecology 
in the West. It also includes a general resume 
of present knowledge and of the future needs 
of research. 
Some of the earliest ecological information 
on rangelands was obtained by surgeons who 
accompanied military expeditions in the West 
(Emory 1848). Somewhat later, agricultural 
specialists made general observations of range 
conditions, plant identification and distribu- 
tion, and forage value (Vasey 1889; Smith 
1895; Rydberg and Shear 1897; Williams 
1897; Nelson 1898; Clements 1920). 
Shortly after the turn of the century, range 
ecology investigations were enhanced by the es- 
tablishment of several range experimental 
areas; e.g., Santa Rita Range Reserve near 
Tucson, Ariz.—1903, Great Basin Experiment 
Station at Ephraim, Utah—1912, Jornada 
Grazing Reserve near Las Cruces, N. Mex.— 
1914, and experimental pastures at Mandan, 
*Principal Wildlife Research Biologist, Rocky Mt. 
Forest and Range Exp. Sta., USDA Forest Serv., 
located at Tempe, Ariz., in cooperation with Ariz. State 
Univ. Central headquarters for the Station is main- 
tained at Fort Collins, Colo., in cooperation with Colo. 
~ State Univ. 
* Assistant Director, Range and Wildlife Habit at 
Research, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experi- 
ment Station, Ft. Collins, Colorado. 
N. Dak.—1915, and at Ardmore, S. Dak.—1917. 
Quantitative measurements of range plant 
communities were reported from the Santa 
Rita Range Reserve by Griffiths (1903), 
Thornber (1910), and Wooton (1916). The 
Office of Grazing Studies in the U.S. Depart- 
ment of Agriculture began range ecology stu- 
dies in northwestern Oregon in 1907 (Jardine 
1908; Sampson 1908). Subsequently, investi- 
gators attached to National Forests in 1911 
sought information on the occurrence, repro- 
duction, and economic values of forage plants, 
and also the establishment of ecological prin- 
ciples for the conduct of proper grazing man- 
agement. 
The concept of “succession” was an impor- 
tant milestone in the development of early 
ecology. Some examples of American contribu- 
tions to the concept follow. Cowles (1899) de- 
scribed plant succession on sand dunes of 
Michigan. Clements (1904) proposed that a 
vegetational community is an entity, which 
performs in accordance with certain basic bio- 
logical principles, as do individual plants. Shel- 
ford (1913) pioneered investigations of animal 
succession, reporting on the relation of tiger 
beetles to the plant changes described by 
Cowles. Clements (1916) further promoted the 
idea of climax. In fact, he regarded succession 
as the life-history of a climax formation. 
Sampson (1919) applied the prevailing concept 
of plant succession to mountain bunchgrass 
rangelands. He contended that livestock graz- 
ing could effect either “progressive” or “retro- 
gressive” succession, depending upon the 
amount, kind, and time of livestock grazing. 
Studies of reactions of individual plants to 
top removal and grazing led Sampson (1913) 
to conclude that repeated herbage removal re- 
tards growth the following spring and reduces 
physiological vigor for full reproduction, 
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