AM such factors are important and must be considered in selecting 

 species and determining seeding methods to be used on a reseeaing job. 

 Careful planning in the light of all available knowledge of conditions 

 on the ground and species and methods that have been successful in 

 similar situations will avoid many failures and discouragements. 



Specific suggestions for seeding under certain typical combination of 

 these factors are given in section III. 



AVAILABLE IEISTURE, LARGELY DICTATES flHAT TO SEED . 



'Then planning a reseeaing job it is important to select from the numerous 

 hardy forage species that thrive in various parts of Montana only those 

 that are well adapted to the particular situation to be seeded. General 

 requirements of the principal species used in reseeding are fairly well 

 known (see section 71), so the next task is to determine growing conditions 

 on the area. 



Several more or less interrelated factors such as precipitation, elevation, 

 direction of slope, soil, and topography must all be considered. The 

 major importance of each, and of the combination of these factors, lies 

 in their effect upon the amount of moisture available for plant growth. 

 For example, certain species which will not thrive on well drained south 

 slopes at 3,000 feet elevation \vill do well on a similar site at 8,000 

 feet, largely because the cooler temperatures and more rainfall at the 

 high elevation combine to provide more available moisture. (Other factors 

 such as shortness of growing season, low temperatures, difference in 

 quality of sunlight, etc., limit growth of certain plants at high elevations, 

 but many of the species commonly used in reseeding are fairly adaptable 

 within the elevational range of most of Montana's grazing land.) More 

 moisture is usually available on north and east than on south and west 

 facing slopes because cf temperature and evaporation differences. Ridge- 

 tops and steep slopes tend to be dry because much cf the precipitation 

 is lost as run-off or as subsurface drainage. Greek bottoms and benchlands 

 frequently benefit from the run-off or seepage from slopes above and lose 

 less of the rain that falls on them. Depth and texture of soil affect its 

 ability to take in and retain water and to make it available to the plants 

 as needed. Most of Montana's range soils, especially on the drier areas, 

 are rich enough in nutrients that forage production is limited mainly by 

 lack of moisture rather than fertility. Therefore, in deciding what to 

 plant, the relative amount of moisture available for plant growth will 

 usually be the deciding factor. 



In occasional instances, other single factors such as shade or alkali 

 soil may overshadow the moisture factor and require species especially 

 tolerant to these conditions. 



Eesides the natural factors which determine the suitability of a site for 

 certain species, it is also necessary to consider value and suitability of 

 the plants for the purpose intended, as well as cost and availability of 

 seed. All of these factors were considered in working out the mixtures 

 suggested in section III. 



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