Grazing management : an ecological perspective /

This book provides greater detail than is found in Jerry L. Holechek, Rex D. Pieper, and Carlton H. Herbel, Range Management: Principles and Practices (1989), but is less broad in subject and geographic coverage. Allan Savory's Holistic Resource Management (1988), is different, taking a much broader view than either of the others; libraries may wish to acquire it because holistic resource management is featured unfavorably in the other two, and readers may wish to explore the other side. Heitschmidt and Stuth emphasize the autecology of cattle, sheep, and grasses, but include some information on economics, ranch planning, and wildlife. Correlation between chapters is especially good for a multiauthored text, and the level of difficulty and readability is fairly even, with a few exceptions. Some chapters make excessive use of abbreviations and acronyms. The index is spartan, reducing the book's usefulness for reference purposes. Most figures are very clear. Apparently designed as a textbook, but would be useful as a reference tool for advanced undergraduates because the literature cited is extensive.-A. S. Mossman, Humboldt State University