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• forbs and grasses contributed 5.5% and 2.2% absolute cover respectively. Bare ground <br />was significantly higher at 18.8% than in the other two communities. <br />Relative cover (JW): (Tables A6, B4) Forty-four vascular plant species were <br />sampled during multiple hit data collection, 30 of which were perennial species. An <br />average of 7.2 plant species were represented in each transect. The lifeform with the <br />most diversity was the perennial forb class, which included eighteen species. ]n spite <br />of the high diversity, the perennial forbs were not the dominant lifeform. Perennial <br />forb species averaged less than 1% relative cover. The dominant lifeform was the <br />tree/shrub class, with snowberry (Symphoricarpos rotundtfolius) contributing 27.3% <br />relative cover on its own. In comparison with the perennial forb species, shrub species <br />averaged 8.1 % relative cover. This pattern of perennial forbs being high in diversity <br />and low in average relative cover was repeated in the other sampled areas with one <br />• exception, the MEADOW baseline area. Perennial grasses and sedges were rarely <br />encountered, though cheatgrass (Anisantha tectorum) was common (4.0% relative <br />cover). <br />Five perennial species had relative covers exceeding 3%; these species, in <br />terms of order of importance, were snowberry (27.3 % relative cover), Gambe] oak <br />(Quercus gambelii - 16.2%), juniper (Sabina osteosperma - 13.5%), locoweed <br />(Astragalus lentiginosus - 10.0%), and skunkbrush (Rhos aromatlca - 3.8%). In terms <br />of translating this information into a species diversity standard, both the number of <br />species and the low ceiling value of 27.3% should be a concern for the operator. Two <br />annuals, Alyssum minus and cheatgrass also contributed relative cover exceeding 3%. <br />• <br />9 <br />