Some Effects of Livestock Grazing on Ponderosa Pine Forest and Range in Central Washington

Abstract

Many stories have arisen to describe what the vegetation of the virgin ponderosa pine forest and range was like before white man, his grazing animals, and logging machinery began to harvest the forest land crops. Are the tales of an open, parklike tree overstory with dense stands of grass true ? If so, what has caused the change to the present thin stands of grasses and dense stands of advance tree reproduction ? It is difficult to answer these questions correctly, for practically all of the ponderosa pine forest has been used in some degree by white man. One of the few relicts of virgin ponderosa pine forest and range, which provides an opportunity to investigate the original appearance of the type, is Meeks Table in central Washington. Meeks Table is a 70-acre isolated plateau that has never been grazed by livestock because natural barriers have made it inaccessible. Meeks Table was set aside by the U. S. Forest Service as a Natural Area in 1948. As such it will never be logged or grazed by livestock, but will be maintained in its natural state for observation and study. For comparison, there is Devils Table, a larger plateau covering approximately 2,000 acres four miles southeast of Meeks Table. Devils Table is essentially similar to Meeks Table in geologic origin, elevation, climate, and timber type, but Devils Table has been heavily utilized by livestock during the past 40 years. Both tables are pon-