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Graminoids were the predominant life form in the study area. The dominant graminoid <br />species in the study area was Bromus inermis at 36.67 percent mean cover (55.40% <br />relative cover). There were two subdominant species in the historic record vegetation <br />community, one grass and one fort. The sub-dominant grass was Poa pratensis with <br />10.13 percent mean cover (14.204'o relative cover) and the sub-dominant fort was the <br />annual Convo/w/us ar~ensis at 8.27 percent mean cover (11.22% relative cover). <br />Three forb species accounted for significant cover (relative cover greater than 3%); <br />Taraxacum otEcina/e (dandelion) at 2.80 percent mean cover (3.69% relative cover), <br />Erigeron Dagellaris (daisy) with 2.67 percent mean cover (4.4040 relative cover), and <br />Copious caudatus (lupine) with 1.60 percent mean cover and 3.84 percent relative <br />cover. <br />Vegetative litter (prior years growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br />comprised 25.33 percent ground cover within the historic record vegetation <br />community. Bare soil accounted for 7.87 percent ground cover in the study area. No <br />rock was encountered during cover sampling. <br />Herbaceous Production <br />Results of herbaceous production sampling in the historic record vegetation community <br />are presented in Table 5. Mean total herbaceous production of the sampled quadrats on <br />the study area was 184.94 g/m2 (1648.51 lb/ac). Herbaceous production quadrat <br />weights were relatively consistent, with the standard deviation (47.12 g/mz) being <br />25.48 percent of the value of the herbaceous production mean. <br />Woody Plant Density <br />A census of woody plants present in the historic record study area was undertaken, with <br />results presented in Table 6. Seventy-four individual woody plants occurred in the <br />historic record vegetation community. The dominant woody plant was Symphoricarpos <br />romndifolius (snowberry) with 68 individuals. Chrysothamnus nauseosus (rubber <br />rabbitbrush), Gutierrezia sarothrae (snakeweed), and Artemesia tndentata (big <br />sagebrush), were the remaining woody plants in the study area. Symphoncarpos <br />rotundifolius is an invader from the understory of the adjacent oakbrush community. <br />Gutierrezia sarothrae and CTrrysothamnus nauseosus shrubs are characterized as <br />invaders of open spaces in early successional stages. Artemesia tndentata is a wind <br />borne invader from sagebrush communities to the north and west. <br />Species Composition <br />Within the historic record vegetation community cover sampling, three lifefotTns were <br />represented; graminoids, forbs, and shrubs. The lifeforms included four perennial <br />grass species, one annual grass, eight perennial forbs, one annual forb, and one woody <br />shrub. Of the fifteen species encountered during cover sampling, eight were native, <br />including one grass, six forbs, and the woody shrub. The seven introduced species <br />-7- <br />