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• <br />Reclaimed Areas <br />Areas Seeded in 1977. The areas seeded in 1977 have had 8 years <br />in which to develop. During this time, the areas have taken on an <br />aspect of grasslands with scattered shrubs (Figure 3). In all, 51 <br />species were observed growing on the areas seeded in 1977 (Table 7). <br />The species composition consists of a mixture of native and <br />introduced perennial grasses, perennial (orbs, annual forbs, and <br />native shrubs. The 1977 areas were seeded with the species listed in <br />Table 11. Of the species that were planted, only slender wheatgrass <br />was not observed in the 1977 areas. The major species on the 1977 <br />areas was alfalfa (Medticago sativa) (20.2 percent cover; 50 percent <br />• frequency). Alfalfa tends to be scattered throughout the 1977 <br />reclaimed areas. Where it occurs, it forms dense "bushes". The high <br />mean cover values and relatively low frequency value (50 percent) <br />occur as a result of this spotty distribution. Smooth brome (Bromua <br />tinermia), orchard grass (Dactyltis glomerata), Kentucky bluegrass, and <br />yellow salsify (Tragopogon dubtius) occurred as the second, third, <br />fourth, and fifth ranking species, respectively. The four highest <br />ranking species accounted for approximately 87 percent of the total <br />species cover (Table 8). Total vegetation cover was 40.9 percent <br />which was higher than the values obtained for the upland sagebrush <br />and mixed mountain shrubland reference areas. <br />Total production for areas seeded in 1977 was 135.4 g/m2 with <br />alfalfa accounting for 19.1 percent (25.8 g/m2) of the total (Table <br />• 9). Native cool season perennial grasses accounted for 9.1 percent <br />23 <br />