Native grass species have adapted to the prevailing climatic and soil conditions of Alberta's Rocky Mountains through many years of natural selection. It is generally accepted that disturbed areas in the mountain regions often
present an environment too harsh for commercially available farm grasses. In addition, the farm grasses require constant maintenance through repeated fertilizer applications which adds to the cost of a reclamation program. In view of these points the native grasses are receiving increasing attention in reclamation and range land improvement programs not only in Canada but also in many parts of the world.
We recently initiated our grass project with the following objectives: (l) to collect, increase and maintain a seed source of grass species native to the Rocky Mountain regions of Alberta, and (2) to select the most promising
species for rec1am~tion and wildlife range improvement and improve these species genetically to the point that economical agricultural production is feasible.
From a practical stand point, our observations seem to suggest that a single variety of each grass species suitable for reclamation could be developed for use in a wide range of mountainous environments. However, to ensure a wide range of adaptability and to avoid the dangers of monoculture, a multiline variety of each species composed of improved genotypes of several locales is desirable.