Description
Cattle in the Cold Desert brilliantly combines a lively account of the development of the Great Basin grazing industry with a detailed scientific discussion of the ecology of its sagebrush/grassland plant communities.

The volume traces the history of white settlement in the Great Basin from about 1860, along with the arrival of herds of cattle and sheep to exploit the forage resources of a pristine environment and illustrates how the herdsmen interacted with the sagebrush/grasslands of the cold desert West. We see the results of a grand experiment initiated by men willing to venture beyond the limits of accepted environmental potential to settle the Great Basin. The result is an insightful discussion of the grazing industry in the Intermountain West.

First published in 1985, this new paperback edition from 2002 includes an additional chapter that addresses the impact of wild mustangs on the Great Basin rangelands, and an epilogue that discusses changes in rangeland management and in rangeland conditions, especially the impact of recent wildfires. As concern over the future of the Great Basin's unique rangeland environment and its principal agricultural industry grows, this work remains essential reading for everyone who cares about this underappreciated region of the American West.

Reviews
"Cattle in the Cold Desert belongs on the bookshelf of anyone interested in ranching, Great Basin history, or environmental history."
—Kevin Sweeney, Journal of the West


"Cattle in the Cold Desert is a sophisticated ecological analysis of ranching in northern Nevada and perhaps the finest interdisciplinary study ever done on the range-cattle industry."
—Terry G. Jordan, author of North American Cattle-Ranching Frontiers