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(Sareobatus vermiclatus) occurs as a secondary dominant, to dense stands with <br />sparsely developed herb layers and eventually to thin stands in upland areas that <br />~tergrade with the dry grassland. In addition to big sagebrush (Rrtzmisia tri- <br />dentata), important species of this community include idalio fescue (Festuca <br />idahoensis), snakeweed, needlegrass (Stipa pinetorum), and western wheatgrass. <br />The total herbaceous cover in the affected area was 30.5 percent. Big <br />sagebrush accounted for 59 percent of that cover and snakeweed accounted for <br />11 percent (Table 6). Important understory species included Idaho fescue, <br />needlegrass, western wheatgrass and sun sedge (Carex heliophila). Litter <br />accounted for 69.1 percent of the ground layer. Bare soil and lichen were <br />32.1 and 0.9 percent of the ground layer,respectively. <br />The reference area was similar in species composition and total vegetation <br />cover. The total vegetation cover was 31.4 percent. Forty-eight percent of the <br />total cover was contributed by big sagebrush (Table 7). The major understory <br />~ecies was Idaho fescue which accounted for 17 percent of the total vegetation <br />cover. Other important species included yellow owl-clover (Grthocarous luteus), <br />snakeweed, needlegrass, and western wheatgrass. Litter and bare soil were 61.5 <br />and 40.3 percent of the ground layer respectively. Cover by lichens was only <br />0.4 percent. <br />The herbaceous layer production in the affected area big sagebrush community <br />was 105.88 grams per meter (Table 8). The major species was big sagebrush with <br />82.10 grams per square meter. Perennial grasses accounted for 13 percent of the <br />total biomass. Western wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and needle-and-thread grass <br />were the major species with 5.14, 3.25, and 2.76 grams per square meter, <br />respectively. Forbs accounted for 2.5 percent of the total biomass. Semi- <br />shrubs accounted for 5.5 percent of the total biomass. <br />. The big sagebrush reference area total herbaceous layer production was very <br />similar with 103.54 grams per square meter (Table 9). Big sagebrush was the most <br />productive species with 74.78 grams per square meter. Perennial grasses accounted <br />17 <br />