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10-15% woody plants. <br /> The major grasses in the Reference Plant Community include western <br /> wheatgrass, green needlegrass, and blue grama. Western wheatgrass is a <br /> major cool-season grass in this plant community and is a valuable forage plant <br /> in late spring and/or early summer. Sub-dominant grasses include needle and <br /> thread, buffalogras$, and sand dropseed. Major forbs include American vetch, <br /> upright prairie coneflower, scarlet globemallow, and dotted gayfeather. A minor <br /> amount of shrubs such as fourwing saltbush and winterfat may also occur. <br /> This plant community is diverse, and productive. Litter is properly distributed <br /> with very little movement off-site, and natural plant mortality is very low. It is <br /> well-suited to carbon sequestration, effective water cycle, and wildlife use by <br /> many species, livestock use, and is aesthetically pleasing. Community <br /> dynamics, nutrient cycle, water cycle, and energy flow are functioning <br /> properly. This community is resistant to disturbances except continuous <br /> moderate to heavy grazing, tillage, and/or development into urban or other <br /> uses. <br /> Total annual production ranges from 600 to 1,800 pounds of air-dry vegetation <br /> per acre and will average 1,300 pounds during an average year. These <br /> production figures are the fluctuations expected during favorable, normal and <br /> unfavorable years due to the timing and amount of precipitation and <br /> temperature. Total annual production should not be confused with species <br /> productivity, which is annual production and variability by species throughout <br /> the extent of the community phase. <br /> Reference Plant Community Plant Species Composition <br /> Grass/Grasslike Annual Production <br /> pounds per acre). <br /> Gip <br /> Group name Common name Symbol Scientific name Low High <br /> 1 -Cool Season Mid-Rhizomatous 260 390 <br /> western PASM Pascopyrum 260 390 <br /> wheatgrass smithii <br /> 2 65 195 <br /> Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherumhymenoides 0 13 <br /> squirreltail ELEL5 El us elymoides 0 13 <br /> needle and HECO26 Hesperostipa 0 13 <br /> thread comata <br /> green NAVI4 Nasse/la viridula 65 195 <br /> needlegrass <br /> 3-Warm Season Short Bunch 260 325 <br /> blue grama BOGR2 Bouteloua gracilis 260 325 <br /> 4-Warm Season Short Stoleniferous 13 65 <br /> Bouteloua <br />