. Brigham Young University science bulletin. Biology -- Periodicals. BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN The drouglit of 1934 has been discounted as a major factor in the decline of vegetation and in soil erosion, by various writers (Stewart, 1940, pp. 290-291; Deming, 1952). It has been noted that there was a drought from 1897 to 1904 which was of equal or greater severity than that of the early 1930's. Yet, "fat sheep were marketed on the desert range in mid- winter during the decade 1895 to 1904, according to the testimony of resident stockmen" (Stewart, 1940, p. 291). Howev
. Brigham Young University science bulletin. Biology -- Periodicals. BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN The drouglit of 1934 has been discounted as a major factor in the decline of vegetation and in soil erosion, by various writers (Stewart, 1940, pp. 290-291; Deming, 1952). It has been noted that there was a drought from 1897 to 1904 which was of equal or greater severity than that of the early 1930's. Yet, "fat sheep were marketed on the desert range in mid- winter during the decade 1895 to 1904, according to the testimony of resident stockmen" (Stewart, 1940, p. 291). However, as early as the year 1928, more than 4,200 head of sheep out of a band of 5,000 starved to death in Pine Valley ( Dept. of In- terior, 1956) well before the drought of the 1930's became severe. "The evidence is that in the early days, the damaging effect of acute shortage of mois- ture in drought years was offset by moderate utiliza- tion, which permitted restoration of the normal growth and nutritional function of the range plant" (Stewart, 1940). Another change in plant cover demonstrated in many parts of Utah was the invasion of juniper and pinyon from the mountain slopes downward onto the deep alluvial soils of the valleys. Neither pinyon nor juniper are eaten preferentially by grazing animals, and both increase and spread when other plants more readily eaten are grazed excessively. Photographs taken at the townsite of State Line (Figs. 8 and 9), a mining camp in the White Rocks Range at the south end of Hamblin Valley, Iron Co., Utah, in 1909 and 1959 show a striking change in the juniper-pinyon woodland. The trees have increased in number on the hillsides and have extended their range into the low- lands. Even the 1909 photograph demonstrates that the migration was already well advanced, adding sup- port to the idea that native vegetation is rather quickly transformed under heavy grazing pressures. Hamblin Valley is the next valley west of Pine Valley, a
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