CHEATGRASS AND RANGE SCIENCE - 1930-1950

Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is currently and historically has been a serious point of contention among a wide variety of people interest ed in sagebrush (Artemisia)/bunchgrass rangelands, Nowhere are these d ifferences more apparent than in the scientific community, Our purpose is to provide a historical perspective of the influence of cheatgrass invasion on western rangelands (1930-1950), This was a period of awak ening interest by range scientists, Range managers, the livestock indu stry, and scientists have always had a love-hate relationship with che atgrass, It provides the bulk of the forage on many ranges, yet it is the symbol of environmental degradation, Trying to cope with the endle ss ramifications of cheatgrass invasion, dominance, persistence, and p otential community decline keep forcing scientists to critically evalu ate the ecological principles upon which range management is based.