Discussion of “Use of water by native vegetation versus grasses and forbs on watersheds”

Abstract

The author refers to the importance of converting (to grass) brushlands of potential value for livestock grazing (p. 201). It would be helpful if he could have presented criteria for determining this value in such terms as (1) the ability of converted lands to maintain adequate forage production under grazing use, and (2) ability of their soils to withstand high intensity rainfall under grazing. Since his experiments did not involve determinations of the actual effects of grazing, is it possible that the results may not necessarily apply to the conditions which might be expected under such use?One stated object of the experiment is to determine vegetative succession (p. 202). Have the observations been carried far enough or so designed as to accomplish this objective in an adequate manner? For example, it is possible that successional trends might be quite different under grazing use (with or without reseeding) than under burning alone. This question seems important in view of the fact that brush conversion by burning (or other means) usually represents the initial step in developing forage for livestock use, and under such conditions the course of succession may be influenced by additional factors not discussed in the article.