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Wolf Creek, which as discussed above had very sparse cover in the early years. By • <br />comparison, the 1983 Wadge reclaimed area had the fewest native species (9.5 species per <br />100 m') of any reclaimed area in 1990. In 1987, the 1983 Wadge urea had much heavier <br />cover than the 1983 Wolf Creek area. <br />Whereas there was observed, in 1989, a slight decline in total species density in general, that <br />trend, as with cover and production appears to be reversed in 1990. In the \Ndge Pasture, for <br />example, species density in 1988, 1989, and 1990 was 19.8, 17.8, and 20.9 species per 100 <br />m', respectively. This may reflect a moderation of drought conditions during the spring of <br />1990. <br />Relative cover by lifeform is graphically presented in Figure 5; data en which this graph is <br />based are presented in Tables 1 through 13. Introduced perennial (orbs and grasses comprise <br />a large proportion of vegetation cover in all reclaimed areas. The smtdlest contribution by <br />' these lifeforms comes in the two-year old reclamation in which introduced annual and biennial <br />~ fortis are a very large proportion of total cover. Native species contrilbute the largest amount <br />of the vegetation cover in the 1983 Wolf Creek, 1986 Wadge Fall, and 1986 Wadge areas. <br />~ These areas, as discussed above, have either a history of slow-developing grass and alfalfa • <br />cover (1983 Wolf Creek) or have maintained a lower alfalfa cover (1986 Wadge Fall and 1986 <br />Wadge-, both conditions that allow competition-sensitive native plamt species a chance to <br />establish. <br />In no area does Cicer milkvetch appear to dominate stands; it's presence at 2. to 7 percent of <br />total vegetation cover is consistent with a meaningful contribution as a nitrogen fixer, without <br />excessive competition with other species. <br />i <br />Within the 1986 Wadge area, a shrub establishment trial was conduc7:ed on an area treated <br />~ with direct-haul topsoil, but not seeded. Two sample transects were placed in this area and <br />the data from this sampling is presented in Table 42. It is instructive to compare these data to <br />those from the 1986 Wadge area surrounding it: <br />Percent Relative Too-Lai er C vr~r <br />Life Form 1986 Wadae-Seeded 1986'Wadae-llnseeded <br />Native Ann. & Biennial Fortis 0.3 10.9 <br />Intro. Ann.&Biennial Forbs 22.2 7.3 <br />Intro. Annual Grasses 15.0 3.6 • <br />Native Perennial Forbs 8.6 12.7 <br />18 <br />