Many Astragalus and Oxytropis species are endemic (growing on specific soils and geographical areas), but white locoweed (Oxytropis sericea) is the most widespread locoweed in the western United States, growing on short-grass prairies and eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains from Montana to New Mexico. Its preferred habitat is rocky soils, where its long taproot can access deep percolated water allowing it to survive drought, temperature, and wind stress.

Invasive weeds are one of the worst scourges within rangelands, and it is often difficult to control them using conventional approaches such as herbicides or mowing. But all is not lost—insect allies can help us combat these noxious plants! We are talking about insect biocontrol agents, or plant-eating bugs that feed on weeds. However, there are hurdles these insects must overcome to successfully control weed populations; the first is establishing a viable population after being released. In this article we focus on one such ecological drama, which is the biocontrol of Canada thistle in North Dakota with a stem-mining weevil. 

Proper livestock-grazing management and the maintenance of native shrub–bunchgrass vegetation are critical concerns throughout the Intermountain West. Lower-elevation sagebrush–steppe communities have long been used as early-spring grazing areas and are an important forage source for livestock and wildlife (Fig. 1). Protein-rich, spring forage is critically important in the reproductive cycle of all herbivores. The very short, spring growing season is also critical to maintaining healthy perennial forage plants and should be the focus of grazing management when spring grazing occurs. However, techniques commonly used by agency personnel to determine appropriate stocking rates, such as measures of use or ocular use estimates, are not appropriate or adequate methods to manage growing-season grazing. Because plant growth during the spring growing season is a constantly changing variable, these techniques do not adequately assess the effects of spring grazing. Therefore, management of spring grazing should be based on the phenology cycle of key bunchgrasses in the sagebrush plant community. 

This section reviews new publications available about the art and science of rangeland management. Personal copies of these publications can be obtained by contacting the respective publishers or senior authors (addresses shown in parentheses). Suggestions are welcomed and encouraged for items to include in future issues of Browsing the Literature. Contact Jeff Mosley, jmosley@montana.edu.

The reintroduction of wolves into their historical ranges in the North American Rocky Mountains and areas of the southwestern United States is possibly one of the most ambitious ecosystem restoration efforts of the recent past. This initiative has been controversial and has stimulated considerable debate among concerned stakeholders about the feasibility of harmonizing multiple land-use demands when preservation of a large predator becomes a central management goal. In many areas, ranching has taken center stage of this debate as ranchers and land managers seek to develop sustainable ways to manage livestock on landscapes with wolves.