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1 <br />1 <br />Vegrmnon Sampling £or 1992 <br />' increase in perennial grass coverage and by the high percentage of annualforbs which eldst <br />on the plots. One aspect which is still deficient is the number of woody plants observed <br />' during the 1993 sampling. Woody plants are important because they represent one of the <br />revegetation success criteria. This aspect will be observed closely during the 1995 sampling. <br />' The following al <br />Sl <br />S2 <br />' S3 <br />S4 <br />e plot designations with <br />- 12/36" Topsoil/Subsoil <br />- 12/24" Topsoil/Subsoil <br />- 12/12" Topsoil/Subsail <br />- 12" Topsoil <br />associated coy <br />N1 <br />N2 <br />N3 <br />N4 <br />er depths as shown on Figure 1: <br />- 12(36" Topsoil/Subsoil <br />- 1284" TopsoiUSubsoil <br />- 12/12" Topsoil/Subsoil <br />- 12" Topsoil <br />' Table 2 presents a summary of the mean absolute and relative cover for each plot by major <br />life-form from the vegetation sampling in 1992. Table 3 presents an identical summary of <br />the data collected during the 1993 vegetation sampling. All vegetation field data for 1993 <br />' is contained in Appendix II. Photographs of the north and south test plots are contained <br />in Appendix III. <br />' Total vegetation cover on the four south test plots during 1993 varied from 26.0 percent on <br />plot 1 to 40.8 percent on plot 4. Non-vegetation cover was dominated by litter which ranged <br />from 35.6 percent on plot 2 to 41.2 percent on plot 3. Bare soil, which was the dominant <br />' form of non-vegetative cover during the 1992 sampling, ranged from a low of 19.6 percent <br />on plot 3 to a high of 37.6 on plot 1 during 1993. Rock components represented an <br />insignificant cover percentage. Of the mean relative vegetation cover during 1993, annual <br />' (orbs dominated the plots ranging from 35.4 percent on plot 1 to 71.9 percent on plot 3. <br />The majority of this cover was Burning-bush (Kochia iraltica) and Tall tumble-mustard <br />(Slsymbrium altissimum). The abundance of perennial grasses found during 1993 was at least <br />' three times greater than the sample taken in 1992. Also contributing a small portion of <br />vegetative cover during 1993 were annual grasses. Only two shrubs were recorded in the <br />belt transects during 1993, one saltbush (Atriplex gardneri) on plat 1 and one big sagebrush <br />' (Artemisia tridentata) on plot 3. At this point in time, total vegetative cover is greatest on <br />plot 4, which has the thinnest layer of subsoil. <br />' Total vegetation cover on the four north test plots during 1993 varied from 11.2 percent on <br />plot 1 to 50.8 percent on plot 3. Plot 1 cover was notably lower which may be due to <br />somewhat steeper slopes on the eastern edge of the plot. As in the southern plots, non- <br />' vegetative cover found during 1993 was dominated by litter wfiicli iiiiiged from~36:4 percent <br />on both plots 3 and 4 to 54.0 percent on plot 2. `Bare soil comprised a minor portion of <br />non-vegetative cover, ranging from 12.4~rcent on plot_3 to 44.0 percent on plot 1. Rock <br />' components represented an insignificant cover percentage. Of the mean relative vegetation <br />cover found during 1993, annual fortis dominated the plots ranging from 41.1 percent on plot <br />1 to 63.0 percent on plot 3. As on the south plots, the majority of this cover was Burning- <br />' bush and Tall tumble-mustard. The abundance of perennial grasses increased greatly from <br /> <br />18 <br /> <br />