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• 1. Sagebrush Rangeland Community <br />The Sagebrush Rangeland community type occurs mainly on the <br />flatter, more gently sloping topographic locations. This community <br />has been exposed to much human disturbance through management <br />procedures aimed largely at eliminating sagebrush (Artemisia <br />tridentata). In the 1920's, portions of both the north and south <br />flat areas were plowed and planted to corn. In fact, the property <br />still contains the irrigation ditches that were developed in a <br />failed attempt to farm the property. The bulk of the area's most <br />recent management has involved both chaining and spraying of <br />herbicides, both aimed at increasing the property range value. <br />Spraying was seen to have affected some areas more than others <br />within the same year. This has led to the patchy, mosaic pattern <br />that is evident now. The two grassland communities could <br />• legitimately be grouped with the sagebrush rangeland community as <br />representing management extremes within a general disturbed <br />sagebrush type. <br />The sagebrush rangeland community is dominated by big <br />sagebrush and perennial grasses. Big sagebrush contributed 44.6 ~ <br />and 58.8$ of the relative vegatative cover in the main (i.e., the <br />area projected to be disturbed) and reference areas respectively. <br />Six perennial grasses are commonly encountered: needle-and-thread <br />grass (Stlpd comata) and blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) are <br />dominant, with sand dropseed (~orobolus crYptandrus), bottlebrush <br />squirreltail (E1 mus elymoides), Indian ricegrass (OrYzopsis <br />hymenoides), and galleta ( ilaria jamesii) being more patchily <br />- 8 - <br />r~ <br />LJ <br />