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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants
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Introductory
SPECIES: Bouteloua gracilis | Blue Grama
ABBREVIATION :
BOUGRA
SYNONYMS :
Chondrosium gracile
Actinochloa gracilis
Eutriana gracilis
Atheropogon gracilis
Atheropogon oligostachyus
Eutriana oligostachya
Chondrosium oligostachyum
Bouteloua oligostachya
SCS PLANT CODE :
BOGR2
COMMON NAMES :
blue grama
narajita azul
white grama
red grama
purple grama
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of blue grama is Bouteloua
gracilis (H.B.K.) Lag. ex Steud. Hitchcock [24] lists one variety:
Bouteloua gracilis var. stricta (Vasey) Hitchc. This variety is
distinguished by four to six ascending to appressed spikes [24].
LIFE FORM :
Graminoid
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
COMPILED BY AND DATE :
D. Tirmenstein, June 1987
LAST REVISED BY AND DATE :
NO-ENTRY
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Tirmenstein, D, A. 1987. Bouteloua gracilis. In: Remainder of Citation
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Bouteloua gracilis | Blue Grama
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Blue grama is a major component of the shortgrass prairie and occurs
throughout the Great Plains. It is distributed from Canada to Mexico,
and from California eastward to the Atlantic Coast [24]. Blue grama has
been introduced in many locations in the eastern United States [24].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie
STATES :
AZ AR CA CO DE HI ID IL IN IA
KS KY ME MD MI MN MO MT NE NV
NH NM NY NC ND OH OK PA SD TN
TX UT VT VA WV WI WY AB BC LB
MB NB NF NS ON PE PQ NT SK Mexico
ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS :
AGFO BADL BIBE BICA BRCA CACH
CANY CARE CACA CHCU CHIR COLM
CORO DETO DINO FLFO FOBO GLAC
GLCA GRSA GUMO JECA LAMR MEVE
NABR PEFO PIPE ROMO SCBL SUCR
THRO WACA WHSA WICA WUPA YELL
ZION
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
3 Southern Pacific Border
6 Upper Basin and Range
7 Lower Basin and Range
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
11 Southern Rocky Mountains
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K011 Western ponderosa forest
K012 Douglas-fir forest
K015 Western spruce - fir forest
K016 Eastern ponderosa forest
K017 Black Hills pine forest
K018 Pine - Douglas-fir forest
K019 Arizona pine forest
K021 Southwestern spruce - fir forest
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K031 Oak - juniper woodlands
K037 Mountain mahogany - oak scrub
K038 Great Basin sagebrush
K039 Blackbrush
K040 Saltbush - greasewood
K041 Creosotebush
K053 Grama - galleta steppe
K054 Grama - tobosa prairie
K055 Sagebrush steppe
K056 Wheatgrass - needlegrass shrubsteppe
K057 Galleta - threeawn shrubsteppe
K058 Grama - tobosa shrubsteppe
K063 Foothills prairie
K064 Grama - needlegrass - wheatgrass
K065 Grama - buffalograss
K066 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
K067 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
K068 Wheatgrass - grama - buffalo grass
K069 Bluestem - grama prairie
K070 Sandsage - bluestem prairie
K071 Shinnery
K074 Bluestem prairie
K075 Nebraska sandhills prairie
K081 Oak savanna
K098 Northern floodplain forest
SAF COVER TYPES :
206 Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir
210 Interior Douglas-fir
220 Rocky Mountain juniper
236 Bur oak
237 Interior ponderosa pine
239 Pinyon - juniper
241 Western live oak
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Blue grama is a climax indicator in many grassland, sagebrush, desert
shrub, pinyon-juniper, and ponderosa pine communities and habitat types.
It is associated with a variety of species including one-seed juniper
(Juniperus monosperma), big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), broom
snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), galleta (Hilaria jamesii), dropseed
(Sporobolus spp.), western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), bluebunch
wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata), buffalo grass (Buchloe
dactyloides), needle-and-thread (Stipa comata), sand bluestem
(Andropogon gerardii var. paucipilus), and big bluestem (Andropogon
gerardi var. gerardii).
Classifications listing blue grama as an indicator or dominant species
in habitat, vegetation, or community typings are as follows:
A classification of forest habitat types of northern New Mexico and
southern Colorado [12]
Phyto-edaphic communities of the Upper Rio Puerco Watershed, New Mexico [17]
Preliminary habitat types of a semiarid grassland [18]
A habitat type classification system for ponderosa pine forests of
northern Arizona [22]
Plant assocatitions of Region 2: Potential plant communities of
Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas [28]
A habitat type classification of the pinyon-juniper woodlands of the
Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico [29]
A series vegetation classification for Region 3 [33]
VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Bouteloua gracilis | Blue Grama
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Wildlife and all classes of livestock graze blue grama [4]. The species
has relatively low productivity because of its short growth form [51].
Growth begins in May or June, so blue grama provides little or no green
forage in the spring and early summer when foliage is scarce [47].
Although food value declines when the foliage is mature and dry [41], it
is still consumed and provides good fall and winter forage [47,51].
Blue grama is very tolerant of grazing and trampling [5]. It has
increased on many overgrazed ranges [47]. Large herbivores consume
spikelets throughout the year and disseminate seed widely [54].
Adaptative traits such as extreme resistance to grazing and seed
dispersal mechanisms suggest that this species has coevolved with large
herbivores.
Many species of small birds and mammals consume blue grama seeds [49].
PALATABILITY :
Blue grama is highly palatable to many species of wildlife and all
classes of livestock. It remains palatable during the fall and winter
when the plant is mature and dried [51]. Bison in Oklahoma prefer it
[39]. In some areas, domestic sheep graze it preferentially [41].
Pronghorn graze blue grama sparingly [49].
Blue grama is heavily used by many species of small rodents [47]. It is
an important food of the northern pocket gopher during June, when it
shows maximum growth [48]. It is relatively unpalatable to them the
rest of the the year [48].
The degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife species for blue grama
in several western states is rated as follows [13]:
CO MT ND UT WY
Cattle Good Good Good Good Good
Sheep Good Good Good Good Good
Horses Good Good Good Good Good
Pronghorn ---- Poor Poor Fair Fair
Elk ---- Poor ---- Fair Fair
Mule deer ---- Poor Poor Fair Poor
White-tailed deer ---- ---- Poor ---- Poor
Small mammals ---- ---- Good Good Poor
Small nongame birds ---- ---- ---- Good Poor
Upland game birds ---- ---- ---- Fair Poor
Waterfowl ---- ---- Fair Poor Poor
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
Blue grama is rated fair in protein and energy value [13]. In a Wyoming
study, blue grama magnesium and calcium levels decreased throughout the
growing season, and the plant was deficient in phosphorous by mid-August
[41]. By September, it had lost more than 46 percent of the original
crude protein content. By end of October, it had lost 66 percent [41].
With fall rains and renewed growth, the decline of calcium and magnesium
stopped and protein content increased.
Frequent defoliation of blue grama during the growing season had little
effect on total carbohydrate reserves or nonstructural carbohydrates
[7]. Blue grama nutritional values as established by the National
Academy of Sciences [36] are as follows:
Aerial Hay Aerial Aerial Aerial
Part Early Part Part Part
Fresh Bloom Fresh Fresh Fresh
Weathered Immature Mature Dormant
Mature
Ash % 7.9 12.0 11.1 14.2 19.6
Crude Fiber 38.6 30.1 28.7 30.0 39.7
Ether Extract % 1.1 2.2 1.8 1.7 2.7
N-free Extract % 48.9 44.4 46.9 46.2 31.7
Protein (Nx6.25) % 3.5 11.3 11.5 7.9 6.3
Dig.Protein-cattle % 0.0 6.7 7.7 4.6 3.2
Dig.Protein-horses % 0.5 7.1 7.3 4.2 2.9
Dig.Protein-sheep % 0.2 7.1 7.7 4.4 2.9
Ca % 0.28 6.7 0.40 --- ---
P % 0.07 --- 0.16 --- ---
COVER VALUE :
Blue grama provides poor cover for small mammals, upland game birds, and
waterfowl [13].
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
Blue grama is well adapted for use in revegetating drier parts of the
central Great Plains [55]. Once established, it is persistent and
productive; it serves as a soil binder and helps prevent erosion [47].
Seedling establishment can, however, be difficult due to low seed
weight, the potential for only one seminal root, and limited capacity
for water uptake [55]. Attempts to seed abandoned cropland with blue
grama have been generally unsuccessful [54]. Lack of adequate soil
moisture is probably the major cause of planting failures. The
following measures are recommended to minimize planting failures [56]:
(1) plant during favorable temperature regimes, (2) control weeds, (3)
prepare a firm seedbed so more water will move upward overnight, (4)
form shallow basins that will accumulate water, and (5) apply mulch to
conserve water. Time of planting is critical for good establishment.
Two possible planting strategies are suggested [6]: (1) plant early
when temperatures are marginal, but the probability of 2 or more
consecutive wet days is relatively high or (2) plant during midsummer
when temperatures are favorable, but the probability of 2 or more wet
days is low.
Blue grama seedlings can be transplanted. Survival of 9-week-old
seedlings transplanted onto a Sonoran Desert site averaged 21 percent
after 32 months [9]. Transplant mortality may be related to dry soils
in spring [9].
Numerous blue grama cultivars have been developed including 'Hachita'
and 'Lovington,' both of which originated in New Mexico [23].
'Lovington' is well adapted for upland sites with medium-textured to
fine-textured soils in eastern New Mexico, northwestern Texas, and
southeastern Colorado [23]. Recommended planting dates are as follows
[49]:
Region Planting Dates
central Great Plains April to mid-May
southern Great Plains April or before
Southwest June 15 to July 15
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
Blue grama is sometimes used in lawn mixtures [21].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Blue grama is highly tolerant of livestock grazing and trampling [5] and
often increases on heavily grazed sites [51]. This may be due to its
ability to maintain a vigorous root system and adequate carbohydrate
reserves following defoliation [7]. Some of the leaves grow close to
the soil, so some photosynthetic tissue remains after grazing [51].
A greenhouse study showed frequent clipping did not severely reduce blue
grama's aboveground production [43]. Another experiment found optimum
production occurred when blue grama was clipped at 8-week intervals. At
8-week intervals, aboveground production was maintained and root biomass
did not decrease [43].
Average recommended blue grama stubble height at termination of
season-long sheep grazing is 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) [35]. Rotation or
deferred rotation is advised to maintain production [49]. Blue grama is
more resistant to defoliation injury than western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum
smithii) [43].
Blue grama may compete with pinyon and juniper seedlings. Like the
roots of those seedlings, its are roots concentrated in upper soil
layers [27]. Even though a blue grama stand may appear sparse, the
surface soil interspaces may be fully occupied by its extensive roots
[27].
Tree removal from old-growth pinyon-juniper woodlands generally results
in an increase in blue grama. Schott and Pieper [45] noted an average
blue grama cover of 1.9 percent in old-growth stands, and 32.9 percent
cover in bulldozed stands. Overgrazing may have promoted the spread of
junipers [27] beacuse it reduces the number of main roots and root
branches of blue grama [8].
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Bouteloua gracilis | Blue Grama
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Blue grama is a warm-season, native perennial [6,46]. This rhizomatous
grass typically forms thick, dense sod mats [8]. In the southern
portions of its range, however, blue grama is patchy rather than sodlike
in growth [47]. Its height varies from 12 to 16 inches (31-41 cm) in
the northern parts of its range to 24 to 30 inches (61-76 cm) in
southern portions of its range [47]. Plants are leafy at the base [4];
culms reach 7.9 to 23.6 inches (20-60 cm) [46]. Leaves are flat or
loosely involute [24]. Blue grama has numerous slender, erect flower
stalks with two to five spikes each [51]. Relatively little is known
about longevity of blue grama. In a Nebraska study, a majority of
plants had died by the end of the third growing season [52]. Percent
survival was [52]:
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
100% 66% 45%
Blue grama has an extensive, efficient, widely spreading root system.
The adundant roots grow from short rhizomes [8]. Fine, fibrous roots
are mostly concentrated near the soil surface, although some extend
deeper. The majority of roots occur in the upper 13.8 to 29.5 inches
(35-75 cm) of the soil, with a few coarser roots extending to depths of
5 to 6 feet (1.5-1.8 m) [8,27]. In Saskatchewan 93 percent of the
underground parts of blue grama occurred in the upper 11.8 inches (30
cm) of soil; 84 percent occurred in the upper 5.9 inches (15 cm) [8].
Root depth is generally greater on less xeric sites [8].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Hemicryptophyte
Geophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Blue grama regenerates through rhizomes, seed, and tillers [8,51]. In
favorable years blue grama produces light seeds which germinate well in
warm, moist soil [6]. Seed is dispersed by wind, water, and animals
[50]. Rather specific temperature and moisture regimes are necessary
for germination. Blue grama requires adequate surface soil moisture for
a 2- to 4-day period for germination and initial seminal root growth
[55]. It lacks lateral seminal roots, and seedlings die when the
surface soil dries out before the seminal root elongates to deeper soil
levels [54]. Rainy periods are often too short to permit germination,
or surface soils dry out too quickly for establishment [49].
Dung beetles bury blue grama seeds, which may facilitate germination.
In a Colorado study, germination was 20 percent for dung beetle-buried
seed, and 17 percent for control seed. Seedlings have emerged from aged
(6-30 months), partially decomposed cattle dung in the Central Great
Plains [54].
Three critical factors for successful growth of blue grama seedlings are
(1) initiation of the seminal root, (2) moist soil until at least 6
weeks after emergence, and (3) initiation of adventitious roots [55]. A
second wet period of 2 to 4 days is required 2 to 8 weeks after
germination for the development of adventitious roots [19,55], which the
plant needs to survive the winter [54]. Temperature is also important.
Development is most rapid at 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (20-25 deg C)
[20]. An average soil temperature above 59 degrees (15 deg C) is
necessary for good seedling establishment. A soil water potential of
approximately -0.03 megaPascals in the 0- to 16-inch (0-40 cm) zone is
required during emergence [55].
Blue grama has developed numerous adaptations for seedling growth and
survival in extremely dry environments. Seedlings can increase water
uptake, adjust leaf area, and reduce transpiration to avoid drought
[56].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Blue grama is widely distributed on dry, open grass or sagebrush plains,
ridges, foothills, and uplands throughout the West and the Great Plains
[4,10]. It occurs in pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine woodlands to
middle elevations in the mountains and on well-vegetated floodplains,
washes, and benches [5,10]. Blue grama is also found on waste ground
and overgrazed pasturelands [8,21].
Blue grama grows well on sandy loam, sandy, or gravelly soils [10]. In
southeastern Arizona, it is most abundant on acidic, relatively
infertile sandy and clay-loam soils [37]. Soils are generally low in
available nitrate and/or phosphate [37]. Blue grama is well adapted to
growth in soils in which water percolates slowly [47].
Blue grama grows within the following elevational ranges [5,13]:
from 4,000 to 8,000 feet (1,220-2,440 m) in AZ
3,500 to 10,500 feet (1,068-3,203 m) in CO
2,400 to 5,600 feet (732-1,628l m) in MT
3,200 to 9,500 feet (976-2,898 m) in UT
3,100 to 8,500 feet (946-2,593 m) in WY
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Obligate Climax Species
Blue grama is a climax dominant in shortgrass prairie [6]. It
intolerant of heavy shade [53].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Blue grama begins growing in May or June with the onset of summer rains
[46,47]. Growth is rapid under favorable conditions; plants mature in
60 to 70 days [47]. They generally reach 4 to 5 inches (18-28 cm) by
midsummer [50]. Growth is largely dependent on the amount of moisture
available before the beginning of hot summer weather [47]. In the
central Great Plains, blue grama produces flowers and seed within 60
days of the onset of new growth [49].
During drought periods blue grama is dormant, but greens up quickly
after moisture is received [10,47]. With sufficient fall precipitation,
it produces new growth, sometimes flowering a second [41,51] or, more
rarely, a third time [49]. Flowering times are as follows [14,21]:
Location Beginning of Flowering End of Flowering
CO July September
MT July August
ND July August
WY July September
Great Plains June August
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Bouteloua gracilis | Blue Grama
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Blue grama is generally dormant during early spring and in the hottest,
driest part of summer. It is also dormant in cold winter months. When
warm-season grasses such as blue grama are burned while dormant, living
plant parts are often unaffected [53]. Reestablishment occurs through
rhizomes, which may be unaffected or even stimulated by fire, and by
germination of wind-dispersed, water-dispersed, or animal-dispersed seed
[50].
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
Initial-offsite colonizer (off-site, initial community)
Secondary colonizer - off-site seed
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Bouteloua gracilis | Blue Grama
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Fire generally top-kills blue grama. Rhizomes are usually unharmed.
This species is generally is less damaged when burned during the spring
than when burned during the summer or fall [11,53]. During the spring
when soils are moist, heat penetration into the soil is slight, and
damage to underground parts is minimal [53]. Blue grama is usually
unharmed by fires in years with above normal winter and spring
precipitation [58]. It can be severely damaged by fires that occur
during drought years [53,58].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
An Arizona study indicated that lethal temperatures of culm bases of
sensitive perennial grasses such as blue grama closely approximated
existing air temperatures at or near ground level during the hot, dry
months of summer. During cooler, moister periods, the lethal
temperatures of culm bases were much higher. Over 2 years, the lethal
temperature for blue grama growing in pinyon-juniper woodland ranged
from 108 to 128 degrees Fahrenheit (60.0-71.2 deg C) [25].
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Blue grama response to fire varies. It may be harmed, largely
unaffected, or increased by fire. Its response depends on season of
burning, soil moisture, temperature, plant community composition, and
five severity. Recovery is more rapid during years of above average
precipitation. Recovery time ranges from 1 to 4 years or more depending
on conditions [53,58].
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
A Texas study compared postfire blue grama yields after fires carried
out in dry and wet years (winter-spring precipitation 0 to 40 percent
above normal). Blue grama was tolerant of fire during wet years; there
was no loss in herbage yield by the end of the first growing season.
Results were as follows [58]:
Burned-lb/ha (kg/acre) Unburned-lb/ha (kg/acre)
Current Growth Litter Current Growth Litter
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wet 1st Yr- 1,680 (1,888) --- --- 1,429 (1,606) 2,474 (2,780)
Yrs. 2nd Yr- 1,369 (1,530) 699 (784) 1,247 (1,401) 2,584 (2.904)
3rd Yr- 2,142 (2,407) 1,750 (1,966) 1,754 (1,971) 1,932 (2,171)
Dry 1st Yr- 1,100 (1,236) --- --- 3,150 (3,539) 500 (562)
yrs. 2nd Yr- 1,840 (2,067) 250 (281) 3,000 (3,371) 500 (562)
3rd Yr- 2,600 (2,921) 330 (371) 2,650 (2,978) 500 (618)
When a Central Great Plains blue grama-buffalo grass prairie was burned
during the spring of a dry year, yields recovered to 35, 62, and 97
percent at the end of the first, second, and third postfire growing
seasons [58]. In a New Mexico study, blue grama herbage was reduced by
30 percent the first year after an early spring fire, but with adequate
moisture recovered completely by the second year [15].
At the end of the first growing season after an October fire in
Nebraska, productivity of blue grama on burned plots was less than on
adjacent control plots [34]:
Blue Grama - Phytomass (g/sq m)
June July August October
Burned Area 21.2 21.5 23.1 12.1
Unburned Control 16.0 22.4 30.3 24.0
However, in Montana, White and Currie [53,59] found that spring burning
reduced blue grama yield early in the growing season, but increased
productivity later in the same season. The following examples
illustrate the variability in response of blue grama to fire:
Location Recovery Time/Response Reference
Shortgrass prairie 3 years Launchbaugh 1964
harmed by fire in drought Wright & Bailey 1980
yrs.; tolerant when spring-
winter precipitation is
greater then normal
Mixed-grass prairie increased or unaffected Schacht &
by spring burning Stubbendieck 1985
Wright & Bailey 1980
Mesic mixed prairie reduced or increased Wright & Bailey 1980
Tallgrass prairie increased after early Wright & Bailey 1980
spring or winter fire
Blue Grama Steppe (ND) 4+ years Daubenmire 1968
Canadian Great Plains 3 years Daubenmire 1968
Wright & Bailey 1980
reduced by spring fire Daubenmire 1968
Central Great Plains 2-3 years Wright & Bailey 1980
harmed by fire in dry years
Chihuahuan Desert 3 years Ahlstrand 1982
Chihuahuan Desert increased or recovered Ahlstrand 1982
mountain shrub 3 growing seasons
after fire
New Mexico 2 years Dwyer & Pieper 1967
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Application of fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate significantly
influences yields of blue grama on burned and unburned plots. In New
Mexico, plots burned but not fertilized produced 9.0, 11.3, 15.6, and
56.3 percent more blue grama during October, January, June, and April,
respectively, than did control plots [14]. Plots burned and fertilized
produced 103, 116.9, 164.4, and 173.6 percent more forage in October,
January, June, and April than did the control. Plots fertilized in June
and left unburned produced 200.1 percent more blue grama than the
control [14].
The nutrient content of blue grama is altered by fire. June crude
protein levels following a low-intensity April fire in New Mexico were
16.1 percent compared with 14.8 percent on unburned control plots [15].
In a Nebraska study, several species of grasshoppers showed a marked
preference for blue grama from burned areas, suggesting potentially
higher nutritional value of grama on burned sites [34].
A 3- to 4-month rest from grazing is recommended after fire [57].
Burning blue grama during drought years should be avoided if
productivity is to be maintained [59].
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Bouteloua gracilis | Blue Grama
REFERENCES :
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vegetation to burning. Journal of Range Management. 35(1): 62-65. [296]
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patterns in relation to topography and edaphic variation in Nebraska
Sandhills prairie. Prairie Naturalist. 16(4): 145-157. [396]
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reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
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[478]
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18. Francis, Richard E.; Aldon, Earl F. 1983. Preliminary habitat types of a
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Index
Related categories for Species: Bouteloua gracilis
| Blue Grama
|
 |
