Introduction 
Nature has been at work for thousands of years selecting and 
developing the native plants most suitable for each kind of soil and 
climate. Native grasses are the dominant plants in the vast range- 
land plant communities and are important in the understory of 
many forested areas. 
Fibrous roots of grasses hold the soil in place and build up soil 
fertility. Grasses, like all green plants, convert the sun’s energy 
into carbohydrates for their own food and' for use by animals and 
man. 
Early American farmers depended on the native grasses for 
livestock forage. As land clearing progressed, native grasses were 
sometimes replaced by grasses brought from the Old World. 
Planted on the right kind of soil, the introduced grasses often were 
superior but required more intensive care and management, such 
as fertilization and weed control. Today broad areas are still in 
native grasses and an understanding of their values and many 
uses is growing. 
Native grasses have many important uses including erosion 
control, forage production, and for roadside plantings and recre- 
ation areas subject to heavy foot traffic. They are important in 
beautification programs too. In many places adapted native 
grasses are more successful for these uses than are introduced 
grasses. 
Slightly more than 40 percent of the beef cattle in the United 
States is produced in 11 Southern States (North Carolina, South 
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, 
Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee). Many of these 
animals get most of their forage from the native grasses and 
others get a significant part. In addition, many sheep, goats, 
horses, and some dairy cows rely heavily on native grasses for 
forage. 
The 100 native grasses described in this handbook were selected 
on the basis of their importance as forage for both domestic and 
wild animals or as indicator plants of range condition. 
The species of grasses and their abundance on a range indicate 
the quality and quantity of forage available to grazing animals 
and the past and present use and management of the range. Some 
grasses are more reliable indicators than others. The most pal- 
atable decrease under continuous heavy grazing while the less 
palatable increase. Some grasses invade sites to which they are not 
native. They are called invaders. 
This handbook is designed to give a better understanding of 
the many values and uses of native grasses. It will assist soil 
conservationists, farmers, ranchers, land users, and others in 
identifying the 100 grasses covered and in managing them to 
improve the grazing resources of the South. 
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