A procedure is described that results in rapid training of observers for microhistological analysis. Observers trained using this procedure were able to evaluate accurately 6 hand-compounded diets comprised of semidesert plant species. The accuracy of microhistological analysis was examined by using the 4 trained observers to evaluate 26 additional hand-compounded diets containing various combinations of 30 different grasses, forbs, and shrubs from semidesert range. The relationship between relative density (estimated percent by weight composition) and actual percent by weight composition was close to unity for species in each forage class individually or in combination. However this relationship would probably have been different if the observers had not used known diets to evaluate their accuracy and make corrections. It is recommended that all technicians using microhistological analysis regularly check their accuracy with hand-compounded diets. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.