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<br />' ~ <br /> sagebrush in becoming more abundant and is clearly the dominant species <br /> in this area. <br /> Summaries for mean cover for the years 1989-1996 for each of the <br />' reclalmed areas and for the two areas combined are presented in Tables <br />' 2, 4 and 6, respectively. When examining these data it ie important to <br /> recognize that in 1991 the area was accidentally grazed by cattle prior <br />' to the time when the cover data were obtained. For the area seeded in <br /> 1984 (Table 2), there has been a high level of consistency among the <br /> five years of data collection. Mean total vegetation cover has remained <br />' close to 25-30 percent, except in 1991 when the Bite was grazed. The <br /> vegetation is mostly dominated by native cool season perennial grasses <br />' and big sagebrush (Table 2). I n general, increases in cover by big <br /> sagebrush have been somewhat of fset by slight decreases in cover by cool <br /> season perennial grasses. This decline has continued through the last <br />' two growing seasons. Between 1993 and 1994 mean cover by cool season <br />perennial grasses decreased from 13.7 percent in 1993 to 7.0 percent in <br />' 1996. During this same time period, big sagebrush increased from 8 <br />percent in 1993 to 22 percent in 1996. <br />' The area seeded in 1988 currently has higher mean cover values for <br />both native and introduced perennial grasses than the 1984 areas. Cover <br />by big sagebrush ie still quite low in the 1988 areas and had a mean <br />' cover value of 1.0 percent in 1996. <br />The mean total vegetation cover data for the two areas combined <br />suggest that following the initial year of sampling when mean total <br />' vegetation cover was 18.4 percent, the cover has increased to <br />approximately 30 percent (the value obtained in 1990, 1992 and 1993). <br />' The low value in 1991 was almost certainly related to livestock grazing. <br />' -4- <br />