Alfombrilla (Drymaria arenarioides H.B.K.) is a highly toxic short-lived perennial of the Caryophyllaceae family found in Mexico. The species has gradually spread northward through Chihuahua and Sonora and now threatens to invade the southwestern United States. Alfombrilla was analyzed for seven common poisonous compounds. Of these, only saponins, which assayed 3.0% of the plant dry weight, were present at toxic levels. Sheep were killed when fed dried alfombrilla at 0.5% of body weight and with saponin extracted from an equivalent weight of plant. When 1-week-old chicks were fed alfombrilla at 2 to 3% of body weight and with an equivalent weight of pure saponin extracted from the plant, they were acutely poisoned. Thin-layer chromatography showed that six saponins were present in alfombrilla.

A study was made on a spring range to determine forage selection by deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) during a critical period in their nutritive status. The period from mid-February to the end of May was characterized by a diet changing from shrub to grass to shrub and forb. Generally, selection favoured the most recently produced grass and forb species. Of the grass species, Sandberg bluegrass (Poa sandbergii) constituted the most bites in the diet but bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatum) was preferred. Considerable variation occurred in the diets among the deer. One deer preferred shrubs while the other two preferred grass.

Reseeding of spring ranges, development of wet meadows, and direct income transfers were compared as potential methods for maintaining financially marginal ranching units. Selection of the most appropriate method varied with decision-making levels, as society, governmental agencies, and individual firms all possess different evaluative criteria. If society wishes to encourage the ranching community and to increase rangeland productivity, then economists and biologists must combine their efforts to ensure that these two-fold objectives are achieved with a least-cost alternative.

This research was conducted to determine emergence of seedlings from surface soil collected on black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) grassland sites in good, fair, and poor condition classes. The species that emerged and their numbers were compared to the species actually found on the field locations. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) The fair condition site had more seedlings emerge than the other two and of these seedlings by far the most were grasses; (2) Mesa dropseed (Sporobolus flexuosus) was the most abundant grass species emerging from collected soil for all three condition classes, but it was much more abundant from fair condition soil; (3) Though black grama dominated the good condition range, emergence of black grama seedlings in the greenhouse from collected soil was much below expectations; (4) More plant species occurred in the field than emerged from collected soils; (5) Secondary successional patterns cannot be predicted accurately from techniques used in this study; (6) Mesa dropseed appears to be a key mid-successional species, filling a broad niche from low good to low fair range condition.

The environmental requirements for adventitious root initiation and growth in 22-day-old blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) seedlings were determined under controlled temperature and soil moisture conditions. The seminal root was maintained in moist soil; but surface soil (in which adventitious roots may develop) was independently maintained at various degrees of drought. Drought treatments were imposed by controlling the relative humidity of air above the soil and around seedling crowns. In the 100% humidity treatment, elongation rates of the longest root per seedling at temperatures of 15, 20, 25, and 30 degrees C were 0.40, 0.74, 1.04, and 1.22 cm per day, respectively. In the 96% humidity treatment, elongation rates at these temperatures were 0.28, 0.36, 0.38, and 0.44 cm per day, respectively. When the seminal root is growing in moist soil, blue grama seedlings can initiate adventitious roots during severe drought conditions in the surface soil. However, adventitious root growth adequate for seedling establishment will probably not occur at moisture and temperature conditions of less than 96% humidity (-50 bars) and 15 degrees C.

Predator control was conducted in South Texas during January-July 1975 and 1976 to determine its effects on productivity and survival of Angora goats. The control effort, when compared to an area receiving no treatment, reduced activity of coyotes and bobcats by 80%. Predators, mainly coyotes, killed 33 and 16% of the known kid crop on untreated and treated pastures, respectively. Because predators apparently were responsible for most unknown losses, the true predation loss was as high as 95 and 59%, respectively, of the known kid crop. The net kid crop under intense predator control was 27 times greater than that under no control, but the crop under treatment was only 13.5% because predation losses were still high. Coyotes killed 49 of 204 nannies (91% of losses) in an untreated pasture. They killed none in a treated pasture, but 10% of 205 nannies succumbed to nonpredator mortality. The data indicate that, in regions of high coyote density, intense localized predator control with traps, snares, and M-44's could curtail predation on adult goats, but would be insufficient to prevent heavy losses of kids.

Ecological relationships between true mountain mahogany and pinyon-juniper stands in the Uintah Basin, Utah, were measured to detect differences between the two community types. The mountain mahogany community is dominated by grasses and shrubs, while the pinyon-juniper vegetation consists primarily of trees and annual plants. Soil depth is greatest in the pinyon-juniper areas. Slickrock often covers as much as 80% of the mountain mahogany stands. Soil was sampled from beneath and between the mahogany shrubs and the pinyon and juniper trees. The pH of soil from beneath mahogany shrubs was significantly (P < 0.001) more alkaline than that from beneath pinyon and juniper trees. Soluble salt concentration was significantly (P < 0.05) less in soil from beneath mountain mahogany shrubs than in soil from between shrubs. A reverse situation occurred in the pinyon-juniper stands.

Chromatographic patterns of phenolic compounds were determined for each of the common subspecies of the widespread range shrub Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (low rabbitbrush), some other Chrysothamnus taxa, and some related Compositae genera. Each subspecies of C. viscidiflorus exhibited variation across its geographical range, but within sites the patterns were consistent. Chromatographic pattern distributions suggest a predominance of self-pollination in C. viscidiflorus; however, the limited outcrossing has important genetic implications. Analysis of the chromatographic spot patterns revealed three groups or clusters within C. viscidiflorus. Surprisingly, C. greenei clustered more closely to some C. viscidiflorus subspecies than these subspecies clustered with other C. viscidiflorus subspecies. C. greenei clustered with ssp. lanceolatus and stenophyllus. Ssp. viscidiflorus clustered s > 0.70 with ssp. latifolius and a group of collections intermediate in morphology between viscidiflorus and lanceolatus. It shares some intense spots with these taxa. Subspecies puberulus did not cluster at s = > 70 with any other taxon. Chromatographic data supported the independent species status of C. linifolius and the internal integrity of the three large species complexes in Chrysothamnus-C. viscidiflorus, C. nauseosus, and C. parryi. The genus Petradoria had high a values with Chrysothamnus, as did Haplopappus bloomeri. Other shrubby Compositae (Xanthocephalum sarothrae and Lepidospartum latisquamum) had much lower s values with Chrysothamnus. Chromatography complements morphology in delimiting taxonomic rank. Each Chrysothamnus taxon should be evaluated on its merits.

An effective information storage and retrieval system is described. The system is inexpensive, and allows convenient cross referencing. It is especially useful for filing reprints and articles, but can also be used for photograhs, microfiche, research data, and various other items.