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areas of deep loam and clay loam soils in .streamless .the . .drainage channels, but is_also present on the north slope in the deep loams as well as on the shallow gravelly loams of _ridgetops. ~- _ ~ The sagebrush-snowberry community floristically is .the most diverse community at the study stie. This is _._..' due principally to the great number of grass and forbs species present. Sixty-two species were identified i_n _.._,. " - the~invehtory: -6-shrubs, 40 forbs, 15 grasses and 1 sedge ~' (see Table 1-4): _ __ . . T-The shrub cover is generally dense, sometimes. ' "-:covering 94 percent of the; area. Shrub cover.averageii ;~.52 percent for the stand type. The shrub community is •-dominated by three .species: silver sagebrush, Artemisia 'cana; big sagebrush; and snowberry. None of the above species has a 100 percent consistency when considered . ."-together; however, the two'sagebrush species occur in .... __~ll. sampled stands. ~-snowberry was more abundant than -~ - -- ej.ther of these species, even when their cover was considered accumulative. In addition, snowberry was~a component of all-communities at the site, while sagebrush " _ ~~ is restricted to this community. .. , The dominance of individual shrubs in this community --'- ~ is variable. Moist areas on north slopes tend to be __-..-dominated by snowberry, with coverage as high as 82 percent.-- - Sagebrush species generally dominate drier sites, ridgetops; ''-and southern and western exposures: Silver sagebrush', occurs" in the more mesic of these habitats, while big sagebrush '••dominates the drier areas such as southwestern exposures. __, -Occasionally, both-species of sagebrush occurred together', -where both dry and moist habitats existed. Other shrubs represented in the community include two -species of rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus parryi, and Chrysothamnus . vtsoidiflorus; and; chokecherry. ~~~~ Total percent herbaceous vegetation cover varies from 11 •Co 63 percent (40 percent average). In general, as the shrub .density increases, the total herbaceous vegetation• -cover decreases. Grasses generally form the greater percent . of 'the herbaceous cover. Bluegrass, Poa agassizensis, the dominant herbaceous species, represents about one-fourth"- -the total herbaceous ground cover. Other dominant grasses, 1•in order of importance include: mountain brome; giant - • ~il:d-r-ye, which forms dense clumps through-the community; . another bluegrass, Poa amp la; slender wheatgrass, Agropyron .brachy.caulum; needlegrass, Stipa ap.; and nodding brome, - - ~ _ -... .J -23- - I