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<br /> <br /> <br />• <br />Over the period of 1987 to 1991, the levels of herbaceous producton observed have varied as <br />follows: <br /> Herbaceous Production (oven-dry Ibs per acre) <br />AREA 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 <br />ALL 1988 2257 1343 2303 2204 2747 2947 2232 3170 2234 <br />Wadge Pasture ----- 3050 2201 2741 2874 3164 3567 2716 4570 3385 <br />Mtn. Br. Ref. 651 1126 416 615 724 1147 782 346 965 981 <br />Sagebrush Ref. 1372 1212 509 1252 1232 876 1454 1110 1460 1367 <br />From the above data, it is apparent that after a low point in 1989, a recovery in herbaceous <br />production occurred in 1990 and continued or stabilized in 1991. In 1992, reclaimed area <br />herbaceous production in the Mountain Brush Reference Area rose while that of the Sagebrush <br />Reference Area fell, while in 1993 the opposite was observed In 1994, substantial declines in <br />herbaceous production paralleling observed declines in cover trere observed. Variations in <br />herbaceous production in the Mountain Brush Reference Area may reflect year to year random <br />chance of samples falling in the heaviest oak-serviceberry stands, which tend to have relatively <br />little herbaceous production, because of the typically heavily shaded and, consequently, sparse <br />understory. In 1994, as mentioned above, the effects of acciderdal herbicide exposure may have <br />reduced herbaceous production also. Based on the observation ota near threefold increase in <br />1995 that was sustained in 1996, it would appear that anycdamage from herbicide to <br />herbaceous production had been largely recovered. <br />Herbaceous production data from 1996 show that overall herbaceous production was down from <br />the peak observed in 1995. Values for Wadge Pasture and 1989 reclamation were at least twice <br />the herbaceous production of the highest reference area. 1996 herbaceous production values <br />declined from 1995 values by 26 to 30 percent in reclaimed areas; Sagebrush Reference Area <br />herbaceous production declined by 6 percent while in the Mountain Brush Reference Area, the <br />observed herbaceous production increased by 2 percent. The abundant herbaceous production of <br />the reclaimed areas fluctuates more dramatically than that of the reference areas. Thus, in <br />1995, the increase in herbaceous production related to very favorable conditions was greater in <br />the reclaimed areas than in the reference areas, while in 19961he decline related to drier <br />conditions was proportionately (and absolutely) greater in the reclaimed areas. It is interesting <br />19 <br />