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Woody Plant Density <br />(Table 5) <br />Total average density of woody plants was 150 stems per acre, composed entirely of native shrubs. Big <br />sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) was the most abundant, with 98.3 stems per acre. Silver sage (Artemisia <br />cana) contributed 40.5 stems per acre and Antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) contributed an <br />average of 11.7 stems per acre. <br />ASPEN REFERENCE AREA <br />(Photographs 19 -28, Tables 6 -7) <br />Cover <br />(Table 6) <br />Native perennial forbs were the most abundant life form contributing 46.0 percent all -hit vegetation cover. <br />Within this group, western aniseroot (Osmorhiza chilensis), prairie bluebells (Mertensia lanceolata), and <br />American vetch (Vicia americana) were most extensive, having 13.7, 6.7, and 3.6 percent cover (all hits), <br />respectively. Native shrubs composed 35.6 percent of total all -hit vegetation cover. Mountain snowberry <br />(Symphoricarpos rotundifolius), Saskatoon service berry (Amelanchier alnifolia), and chokecherry (Padus <br />virginiana ssp. melanocarpa) were the dominant native shrubs with 22.8, 7.8, and 2.3 percent total all -hit <br />vegetation cover, respectively. Native perennial cool season grasses, provided 7.3 percent cover, of <br />which most was blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus), with 5.4 percent all hit cover. Quaking aspen (Populus <br />tremuloides) was an important component of the vegetation, contributing 16.4 percent to total all -hit <br />vegetation cover. In general, this area had high cover values because of the prevalence of shrubs and <br />trees. Because of the existence of tree, shrubs and herbaceous layers, all -hit cover data summed to a <br />total percent cover of greater than one hundred. <br />Total average vegetation cover, for first hits, was 81.2 percent. Total average vegetation cover, for all <br />hits, was 109.1 percent. Standing dead, litter, and bare soil, each had 0.3, 15.6, and 2.9 percent cover, <br />respectively (first hits). Average species density was 34.1 species per 100 sq.m. <br />Production <br />(Table 7) <br />Total average production was 1183.0 Ibs per acre. Native perennial forbs contributed the majority to <br />production with 947.5 Ibs per acre. Native perennial cool season grasses contributed an average <br />production of 153.5 Ibs per acre. Introduced perennial cool season grasses and introduced annual and <br />biennial forbs contributed 71.4 and 8.9 Ibs per acre. Native annual and biennial forbs and introduced <br />annual grasses were present with less than 5.0 Ibs per acre. <br />E:' <br />