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4 - 64 <br />4.5.10.2 SHADSCALE SHRUBLAND <br />A Shadscale Shrubland occurs on extremely dry, steep, south-facing slopes bordering the <br />Greasewood Shrubland. This vegetation type is in the tortiorthent rock outcrop complex of soils <br />which is a heterogeneous mixture of shallow to deep soils interspersed with rock outcrops. <br />Shadscale appears to be the climatic climax for these habitat conditions. <br />COVER <br />Twenty-four species occurred on or near the cover transects in this vegetation type. These <br />included: 6 shrubs and subshrubs, 7 graminoids, 10 forts, and 1 succulent. Graminoids are the <br />dominant life form with 36.0 percent cover, followed by shrubs (21.7 percent cover), and forts <br />(5.0 percent cover). Total vegetation cover is 62.7 percent. Rocks are abundant (23.0 percent <br />cover), litter is intermediate (10.0 percent cover), and soil cover is low (4.3 percent cover). See <br />Table 4.5-6. <br />Shadscale saltbrush is the major shrub in this vegetation type with 14.3 percent cover. <br />Other common shrubs are broom snakeweed (5.0 percent cover) and greasewood (1.7 percent <br />• cover). Shrubs occurring in the vegetation type but with a low abundance include: big <br />sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush, and mountain pepperweed. <br />Cheatgrass, an introduced annual, is the dominant graminoid producing 30.0 percent cover <br />suggesting overgrazing as in the Greasewood vegetation type. Common graminoids are: Indian <br />ricegrass (2.3 percent cover), Salina wildrye (1.7 percent cover), and sand dropseed (1.3 <br />percent cover). Squirreltail is a graminoid of minor importance in this community. <br />Fort cover is relatively low but is represented by tansy-mustard, Descurainia Sophia (3.0 <br />percent cover) and tumble-mustard, Sisymbrium a/tissimum (1.0 percent cover). <br />PRODUCTION <br />The estimated production in the Shadscale Shrubland ranges from 38.2 to 184.4 g/mZ and <br />averages 73.6 g/m2 or 656 pounds per acre. Graminoids are the major producers with 66.8 <br />g/m2 or 91 percent of the total. Cheatgrass and Salina wildrye are the major graminoids <br />producing 51.1 and 9.1 g/mZ, respectively. Total fort production is 6.8 g/m2. See Table <br />4.5.7. <br />M~ Volume 1 4.29-96 <br />