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• Ocular estimation involved observation of the vegetation, litter, rock, and bare ground from a <br />vertical perspective within the plot boundaries. The plots were marked with 10cm, 5cm, and <br />2.5cm divisions to facilitate estimates of percent coverage. The cover estimates considered <br />the actual area covered by a particular constituent rather than cover classes or close-fitting <br />polygons, to obtain an estimate of absolute or foliar cover. The estimated mean cover for a <br />particular constituent in the type was derived by summing the cover estimates in each plot and <br />dividing by the total number of plots sampled. <br />The remainder of the Swale/drainage type consists of virtually impenetrable thickets of willow. <br />The thickets comprise approximately 2 percent of the swale/drainage type, existing primarily <br />along the CC Ditch. The majority of the willow type ranges in size from approximately 0.1 to 1 <br />acres. In keeping with 1987 procedures, only qualitative estimates of herbaceous and shrub <br />cover were made in this component due to its inherent immeasurability and the lack of <br />pertinent information that would be achieved from quantitative sampling attempts. <br />Plant species frequency or presence was derived by dividing the number of plots or transects <br />at which a species occurred by the total number of plots or transects sampled in each of the <br />three vegetation types for which cover samples were obtained. Products were multiplied by <br />100 to express frequency as a percentage. <br />Venetation Production - 1999. Quantitative measurements of vegetation production were <br />made in the sagebrush - 1 (SG-1), sagebrush - 2 (SG-2), sagebrush reference area, dryland <br />pasture reference area, irrigated pasture, irrigated hayland, and Swale/drainage vegetation <br />types. <br />In 1999 no range exclosures were present. The observer picked pastures that had not been <br />subjected to current year grazing for sampling. <br />Production data was collected concurrently with measurements of vegetation cover and <br />frequency. In keeping with 1987 procedures, no attempt was made to sample production in the <br />cattail or willow component of the Swale/drainage primarily because of immeasurability. <br />(REVISED 9/99) 2.04.10 - 22 <br />