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The average value for total vegetation cover was 45.4 percent. Standing dead, litter, and bare <br />soil were observed to average 2.8, 33.4, 18.4 percent respectively. Species density averaged <br />19.9 species per 100 sq. m. <br />Production (Table 13) <br />Total annual production averaged 854.7 pounds per acre in this area. Native shrubs accounted <br />for 57.2 percent (488.9 Ib/acre) of this total. Big sagebrush was the dominant shrub. Douglas <br />rabbitbrush made minor contributions. Native perennial cool season grasses contributed 21.3 <br />percent (182 Ib/acre) of all annual production. Mutton bluegrass, sun sedge, and thickspike <br />wheatgrass were the dominant species in this lifeform. Ten other species made relatively minor <br />contributions. Native annual and biennial (orbs accounted for 23.7 percent (116.0 Ib/acre) and <br />native perennial (orbs contributed 7.9 percent (67.8 Ib/acre) of total annual production. <br />Sagebrush-Grave/ Reference Area <br />(Photographs 21 through 23) <br />Cover (Table 14) <br />Native shrubs contributed 59.3 percent of total vegetation cover. Big sagebrush accounted for <br />more than three-quarters of this total and Douglas rabbitbrush accounted for the balance. Native <br />perennial grasses contributed 32.3 percent of total vegetation cover. Mutton bluegrass, <br />junegrass, and thickspike wheatgrass were major contributors to this category. Threadleaf sedge <br />(Carex filifolia), Sandberg bluegrass, needle-and-thread (Hesperostipa comata) and bottlebrush <br />squirreltail each contributed approximately one-twentieth of this total. Pinewoods needlegrass, <br />elk sedge (Carex geyen), sun sedge, and bluebunch wheatgrass were relatively minor <br />contributors. The native perennial forbs, yellow stonecrop and sulphur flower, contributed 3.0 <br />percent of total vegetation cover. Two species of lichen contributed a total of 3.0 percent of total <br />vegetation cover. Rocky Mountain beeplant accounted for 1.6 percent of total vegetation cover. <br />Moss, a bryophyte, comprised 0.6 percent of total vegetation cover. Fringed sage, a native <br />subshrub, and ball cactus, a succulent, were present but did not contribute to measurable cover <br />values. <br />Total vegetation cover was 33.4 percent. Standing dead, litter, bare soil, and rock contributed <br />5.6, 27.8, 30.4, and 2.8 percent respectively. Species density averaged 16.7 species per 100 sq. <br />m. <br />Production (Table 15) <br />Total annual production averaged 530.0 lbs./acre in this area. Native perennial cool season <br />grasses contributed 49.0 percent (260.5 Ib/acre) of this total. Mutton bluegrass accounted for <br />more than one-quarter and junegrass contributed more than one-fifth of production for this <br />lifeform. Eleven other species made measurable contributions. Native shrubs accounted for 32.6 <br />percent (173.1 Ib/acre) of this total. Big sagebrush and Douglas rabbitbrush each made <br />contributions. Native perennial forbs accounted for 11.8 percent (62.5 Ib/acre) of total annual <br />production. Carpet phlox and yellow stonecrop were the major contributors to this total. Eight <br />other species were present in measurable quantities. Native annual and biennial forbs accounted <br />for 6.0 percent (32.1 Ib/acre) of total annual production. Bushy birdbeak (Cordylanthus ramosus) <br />was the dominant species. Fringed sage, a native subshrub, accounted for less than one percent <br />(1.8 Ib/acre) of total annual production. <br />Discussion <br />Climatic Conditions <br />The Colorado Climate Center has operated a station in Walden since 1938. Station 58756 is <br />located at an elevation of 8100 feet (2468 m) and provided the temperature and precipitation data <br />that is discussed here and included in Figures 7 through 11. <br />f2 <br />