Arizona Range Grasses: Their Description, Forage Value, and Grazing Management

Abstract

From the Foreword by George B. Ruyle and Deborah J. Young: The need to reprint Arizona Range Grasses has been evident for some time. The grass family is one of the largest and most important families of flowering plants. Over half of the genera and nearly one-third of the grass species are found in Arizona. Many people enjoy the natural resources of Arizona and are interested in learning the names of the grasses. As with bird watching, an interest in grasses can greatly add to the enjoyment of nature. Additionally, ranchers and professional resource managers continue to require technical sources of information on rangelands. In this new edition, the text has been updated from the classic volume originally written by Professor R.R. Humphrey. Many changes have occurred in the scientific names. These were brought to current usage by John and Charlotte Reeder, visiting scholars at the University of Arizona (1997). These changes and their other suggestions required great expertise and much time. Additionally, at the suggestion and under the guidance of Dr. Mitch McClaran and help of Katie Meyer we have added a table of synonyms to help track these changes. Dr. McClaran also helped with the addition of growing season and origin. We wish to express our appreciation to them and to Robert Casler, who located the original line drawings for reprinting and did much to see the new edition into print. While more details are now known about the responses of grasses to defoliation, the general principles of grazing management remain similar to those Dr. Humphrey discussed in his original grass descriptions. Grazing intensity, frequency and season of use are the primary factors that determine how well grasses tolerate grazing. Moderate levels of use and periodic growing season deferment from grazing are common management prescriptions. Less consideration is given today to plant food reserves as the major control of grass regrowth following grazing. More recent research indicates that the ability to rapidly regrow after being grazed is controlled by many factors, and that this ability is critical to plant recovery following grazing. Grasses have many values beyond their use as forage, including watershed protection and natural beauty. Livestock grazing, however, continues to be a major land use in Arizona and is primarily supported by native grasses growing on rangelands. It is our hope that this book will provide a basis for the sound management of these rangeland resources and save as a tool for naturalists and others interested in grasses.