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2.04.10 Vegetation Information <br />SHADSCALE SHRUBLAND <br />A Shadscale Shrubland occurs on extremely dry, steep, south -facing slopes <br />bordering the Greasewood Shrubland. This vegetation type is in the torriorthent rock <br />outcrop complex of soils which is a heterogeneous mixture of shallow to deep soils <br />interspersed with rock outcrops. Shadscale appears to be the climatic climax for these <br />habitat conditions. <br />COVER <br />Twenty-four species occurred on or near the cover transects in this vegetation <br />type. These included: 6 shrubs and subshrubs, 7 graminoids, 10 forbs, and 1 succulent. <br />Graminoids are the dominant life form with 36.0 percent cover, followed by shrubs (21.7 <br />percent cover), and forbs (5.0 percent cover). Total vegetation cover is 62.7 percent. <br />Rocks are abundant (23.0 percent cover), litter is intermediate (10.0 percent cover), and <br />soil cover is low (4.3 percent cover). See Table 4.5-7. <br />Shadscale saltbrush is the major shrub in this vegetation type with 14.3 percent <br />cover. Other common shrubs are broom snakeweed (5.0 percent cover) and <br />greasewood (1.7 percent cover). Shrubs occurring in the vegetation type but with a low <br />abundance include: big sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush, and mountain pepperweed. <br />Cheatgrass, an introduced annual, is the dominant graminoid producing 30.0 <br />percent cover suggesting overgrazing as in the Greasewood vegetation type. Common <br />graminoids are: Indian ricegrass (2.3 percent cover), Salina wildrye (1.7 percent cover), <br />and sand dropseed (1.3 percent cover). Squirreltail is a graminoid of minor importance <br />in this community. Forb cover is relatively low but is represented by tansy -mustard, <br />Descurainia sophi (3.0 percent cover) and tumble -mustard, Sisymbrium altissinum (1.0 <br />percent cover). <br />PRODUCTION <br />The estimated production in the Shadscale Shrubland ranges from 38.2 to 184.4 <br />g/m2 and averages 73.6 g/m2 or 656 pounds per acre. Graminoids are the major <br />producers with 66.8 g/m2 or 91 percent of the total. Cheatgrass and Salina wildrye are <br />the major graminoids producing 51.1 and 9.1 g/m2, respectively. Total forb production is <br />6.8 g/m2. See Table 4-5-8. <br />PR -02 2.04-61 10/12 <br />