Medina, Alvin L. 1996. The Santa Rita Experimental Range:
 History and Annotated Bibliography (1903-1988). General 
 Technical Report RM-GTR-276. Fort Collins, CO:  U.S.
 Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain
 Forest and Range Experiment Station.  67 pp.

The Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER), founded in 1903, is the oldest research area maintained by the USDA Forest Service and has been a principal site for pioneer range research on the improvement and management of semiarid grasslands in the Southwest. The outdoor laboratory has provided a source for long-term ecological research. Results of this research have direct applicability to over 20 million acres of semiarid rangelands in the United States and to another 20 million acres in northern Mexico. The SRER is generally viewed as a world-class facility because of the long-term historical and biological data bases that have been maintained since its creation. The range has undergone major vegetational changes due to natural plant processes and management practices. The history of research, an environmental description, and a discussion on vegetational changes are provided along with a complete listing of scientific publications relating to SRER.

Keywords: Santa Rita Experimental Range, Arizona, semidesert grassland, bibliography, history.

A debt of gratitude is expressed to all scientists who contributed to this effort. A special appreciation goes to Dr. S. Clark Martin who dedicated most of his progessional career (55+ years) and retirement to conducting and organizing research, transferring technology to ranchers, resource managers and scientists, securing the integrity of historical data and photo records. and assisting graduate students with their research on Santa Rita Experiment Range (SRER). Another special thanks to Dr. David Griffiths, a pioneer in rangeland dynamics, whose work dating to the turn of the century provided the basis for the establishment of the SRER and whose photo collections provide an opportunity to view the past.

USDA Forest Service
General Technical Report RM-000

   The Santa Rita Experimental Range:
   History and Annotated Bibliography (1903-1988)

   Alvin L. Medina, Research Ecologist
   Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station
   2500 S. Pine Knoll Drive
   Flagstaff, AZ  86001