The effects of late spring grazing on winter forage quality and quantity of bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue and elk sedge were assessed in 3 plant communities selected in 3 different locations (blocks) within the study area on the Spring Big Game Winter Range Management Area in the Blue Mountains, Oregon during 1993 and 1994. Each block contained two main plots, 250 m by 800 m each with similar proportion of each plant community (bunchgrass grassland, mixed-conifer forest and pine-bunchgrass savanna). Sheep grazing occurred in a rest-rotation system with one main plot grazed in the boot stage of bluebunch wheatgrass (late spring) and grazing excluded in year one and then reversed the next year. Sheep grazed for a maximum of 3 days, or until 50% utilization was achieved on at least 1 of the 3 targeted forages (bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue and elk sedge). Forage utilization and number of standing reproductive culms per plant were assessed, after grazing, at 30 sampling points of 0.5 m² circles distributed across 5, 150-m transects per plant community per plot. In early November, the number of reproductive culms per plant for bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue was resampled along new transects. Forage samples were collected in early November and in early March of both years for crude protein and in vitro dry matter digestibility analyses.
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