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Show 100 The deer herds in the Henrys exist in a cooperative balance with the cattle and buffalo, because although deer like to eat grasses in the spring, they can exist comfortably on shrubs which are not too attractive to the larger animals. Deer grazing can even be beneficial to cattle. When deer eat sagebrush, bitterbrush, cliff rose, mountain mahogany and serviceberry, they keep these shrubs in check so that they don't spread over an area. Grass can then grovi in greater abundance because it isn't competing viith the shrubs. As Jan marks dovin the plant grovith on her form sheets, she classifies it by height, too, because sheep, covis, antelope and deer can reach different levels of leaves. For that reason, when BLM specialists compute the amount of food available to all kinds of animals on the range, they won't allot any grovith over seven feet tall to antelope, for instance. Antelope can't reach that high, although deer can, vihen they stand on their hind legs. Jan not only records the plant grovith by height, she also marks it by stage of grovith. Beginning growth, vegetation, bud, peak flower, seed ripe, mature, and dormant -these are the stages of plant growth. A plant provides the most food at the "peak flower" stage, but it would be impossible for Jan and the nine other range conservationists on her crew to weigh and record each plant just at that time. They do, though, bring back specimens of all the plants at all stages to record their weights. Then, a computer operator in the Denver office can look at the grovith stages marked on the forms and convert the figures to peak production weight. Jan and Pam want to do another clipping in the lush meadow, but |
