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• 1995 Reclaimed Area <br />(Photographs 1-4) <br />Cover <br />(Table 1) <br />The most abundant lifeform in this reclaimed area was native perennial cool season grasses, <br />averaging almost 50 percent of total vegetation cover. Composing nearly two-fifths of this total <br />was Agassiz bluegrass (Poa agassizensis). Other major contributing native perennial cool <br />season grasses were thickspike wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus fm. dasystachya), basin wildrye <br />(Leymus cinereus), and western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithip averaging 8%, 6%, and 5.5% <br />of total vegetation cover, respectively. Other grasses in this lifeform were mountain brome <br />(Ceratochloa carinata), green needlegrass (Nassella viridula), Sandberg bluegrass (Poa <br />secunda), slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus), Letterman needlegrass (Achnatherum <br />lettermanii), and Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa). Each averaged less than 3% of total <br />vegetation cover. Bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata ssp. spicata) was also <br />present. Introduced perennial cool season grasses averaged 18% of total vegetation cover. <br />Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) provided nearly three-fourths of this total. Other contributors <br />were intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), smooth brome (Bromopsis inermis), <br />and hard sheep fescue (Festuca ovina var. duriuscula). Native perennial forbs made up 15.5% of <br />total vegetation cover. Nineteen species were present, with only eight contributing measurably to <br />cover. The most abundant species were western yarrow (Achillea lanulosa) with 5%, blue flax <br />(Adenolinum lewisi~) with 3%, American vetch (Nitta americans) with 2%, Rocky Mountain <br />penstemon (Penstemon strictus) with 2%, and James starwort (Pseudostellaria jamesiana) with <br />1 % of total vegetation cover. Introduced perennial forbs averaged over 6% of total vegetation <br />cover. Of this, about half was composed of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and half by cicer milkvetch <br />(Astragalus cicer) with a small presence of Canada thistle (Breea arvensis). Introduced annual <br />and biennial forbs provided 5.5% of total vegetation cover. Twolobe speedwell (Pocilla biloba) <br />and pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) each provided one third of this total. The balance was <br />composed of salsify (Tragopogon dubius ssp. major), hound's tongue (Cynoglossum ofFcinale), <br />and Jim Hill mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum). Introduced annual grasses averaged just over <br />3% of total vegetation cover. Cheatgrass (Anisantha tectorum) comprised more than four-fifths of <br />this total and the rest was composed of Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus). Native annual and <br />biennial forbs composed almost 2% of total vegetation cover. Five species were present, but <br />gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa) was the only species contributing measurably to the total. Native <br />shrubs averaged 0.5% of total vegetation cover. Four shrubs species occurred in this reclaimed <br />area, but big sagebrush was the only species quantitatively encountered. <br /> <br />