HIGH COUNTRY GRAZING IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES

Between the deserts and the forests are vast expanses of basins, plateaux, and grasslands with a plant cover of grasses, broadleaved herbs, shrubs, and open, arid woodlands. The semi-arid grassland, the open woods, and the desert shrubland constitute the domain of the huge western livestock industry in the 17 states lying roughly west of the 100th meridian. These are known as the range states and they are likely to remain predominantly range states because of the low precipitation, rough topography, and shallow, rocky and saline soils.