Relative Drought Resistance of Seedlings of Dominant Prairie Grasses

Recent study of the severe damage to native midwestern grasslands resulting from the great drought was fundamentally an investigation of drought resistance of the various species of dominant grasses and accompanying forbs (Weaver and Albertson, '39, '40). Studies extending throughout the entire eight- or nine-year period of drought, especially those concerned with recharting permanent plots, have resulted in an accumulation of evidence regarding relative drought resistance of the various species (Albertson and Weaver, '42). Extensive field studies on the role of seedlings in recovery of midwestern ranges from drought have added much information on this subject (Weaver and Mueller, '42). With experimental evidence of relative drought resistance was sought by growing large numbers of seedlings under the same conditions of soil drought or soil and atmospheric drought.