20 BULLETIN 1423^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



forage purposes is usually made up of those si^ecies that grow on 

 the soil and on decayed herbaceous vegetation. 



FORAGE COVER 



The main forage cover on the winter coast range consists of a 

 lichen type with a sedge-browse subtype; that on the winter interior 

 range a lichen type with a browse subtype. 



On summer coast range, a sedge-broAvse type predominates; and 

 in the interior a browse-sedge-lichen type. Table 3 gives a sunnnary 

 of the average types observed on summer and winter ranges in 

 various sections, (See pis. 10 and 11.) 



Table 3. — Sunimari/ of forage types in the stand on siinuncr and winter ranges 

 showing in pereentages the eomposition density, palatability, and forage 

 value * 



Section 



Composition 



Den- 



Palata- 



Forage 



Lichen 



Browse 



Sedge 



Weeds 



Moss 



sity 



bility 





Coast summer range: 



St. Lawrence Island ... 



0 



5 



yi 



3 



1 



90 



65 



58.5 



Kivalina— - ... . 



5 



15 



47 



31 



2 



79 



68 



53. 7 



Kotzebue Sound- . . 



10 



26 



51 



5 



8 



93 



64 



59. 5 



Seward I'ciiiiisala-. 





15 



53 



24 



1 



68 



60 



40 8 



Norton Sound-- 



11 



22 



50 



5 



12 



92 



51 



46.9 



Yukon-Nunivak Island 



9 



15 



57 



15 



4 



90 



60 



54.0 



Kuskokwim 



6 



40 



34 



17 



3 



70 



67 



46.9 





















Average 



7 



20 



55 



14 



4 



83 



62 



51. 4 



Interior summer range: 



Broad Pass. 



18 



28 



27 



12 



15 



96 



70 



67.2 



Oulkana-Tangle Lakes 



16 



34 



29 



10 



11 



88 



68 



59.8 





















Average 



17 



31 



28 



11 



13 



92 



69 



63. 5 



Coast winter range: 



St. Lawrence Island 



65 



12 



2 



11 



10 



40 



80 



32.0 



Kotzchuc Sound 



50 



25 



15 



10 



0 



60 



70 



42.0 



Sew;ud I'cninsula 



50 



15 



30 



5 



0 



70 



75 



52. 5 



Norton Sound 



50 



10 



30 



4 



6 



87 



67 



58.3 



Yukon-Nunivak Island... 



50 



10 



30 



2 



8 



99 



66 



65.3 



Kuskokwim 



47 



30 



10 



3 



10 



70 



70 



49.0 











Average 



52 



17 



20 



6 



6 



71 



71 



50 0 



Interior winter range: 



IJroad Pass. 



50 



20 



8 



4 



18 



85 



76 



64. fi 



Gulkana-Tangle Lakes 



53 



23 



11 



6 



7 



85 



83 



70. 5 



















Average 



52 



22 



10 



5 



13 



85 



80 



67.5 















1 Forage value derived by muUiplying the percentage of density of forage stand by the percentage of 

 palatability. 



The forage plants on the summer range consist chiefly of such 

 herbaceous and shrub vegetation as grasses, sedges, weeds, and 

 brow.se, and are eminently suited to grazing. They are highly or- 

 ganized seed-bearing plants of strong tissue and firmly rooted in 

 the .soil. Most of tlie Alaskan species are perennial plants reproduc- 

 ing both vegetatively and fi-om the seed. They grow rapidly, pro- 

 duce substantial foliage, and are not readily injured under grazing 

 use. ]\Iaking annual and rapid growth, they produce a successive 

 forage crop from year to year. 



