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1 <br /> <br />2), there has been a high level of consistency among the five years of <br />' data collection. Mean total vegetation cover has remained close to 25 <br />percent, except in 1991 when the site was grazed. The vegetation is <br />' mostly dominated by native cool season perennial grasses and big <br />' eagebrueh (Table 2). In general, increases in cover by big eagebrueh <br />have been somewhat offset by slight decreases in cover by cool season <br />t perennial grasses. Over time, it is likely that this trend will <br />continue, especially if big eagebrueh continues to expand and form <br />' dense, continuous stands. The 1993 mean cover values for big sagebrush <br />' were somewhat lower than those measured in 1992. This ie probably an <br />artifact of sampling rather than being a true reduction in this species. <br />' Field observations euggeet that big eagebrueh ie continuing to expand in <br />the 1984 area both by establishment of new individuals as well as <br />' through increasing size of existing plants. <br />The area seeded in 1988 currently has higher mean cover values for <br />both native and introduced perennial grasses than the 1984 areas. Cover <br />' by big sagebrush is still quite low in the 1988 areas and has a mean <br />cover value of less than one percent. <br />' The mean total vegetation cover data for the two areas combined <br />' euggeet that following the initial year of sampling when mean total <br />vegetation cover was 18.4 percent, the cover has increased to <br />' approximately 30 percent (the value obtained in 1990, 1992 and 1993). <br />The low value in 1991 was almost certainly related to livestock grazing. <br />' There have been some other interesting changes over the last four years. <br />Big sagebrush has increased from 1.4 percent mean cover in 1989 to a <br />high of 4.0 percent in 1992. The mean cover value for big eagebrueh in <br />' 1993 was 2.6 percent, which probably reflects differences in sampling <br />' -4 <br />