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one fort are also major components of this reference area plant community: prairie junegrass at 3.2% (7% relative cover), Idaho fescue at 1.84% cover, bluebunch wheatgrass at 1.6%, and hoods phlox at 1.76% cover. ' Reclaimed Area: The dominant plant lifeform on the reclaimed area was perennial grasses. Perennial grasses form the major lifefonn component with 31 percent ground cover (nearly 83% of the total ' vegetation cover) while shrubs were the major lifeform in the two reference areas. Forts make up 3.93% cover (10.45% relative cover) and shrubs total 2.59% cover (nearly 7% relative cover). ' Western wheatgrass and Russian wildrye together comprised over 13 percent ground cover (over 35% of the total vegetation cover). Thickspike wheatgrass made up between 5 and 6 percent ground cover (14 to 15 percent relative cover). These three species totaled just over 50 percent of the total vegetation cover. Big sagebrush comprised just under 2.5 percent cover (6.5% relative cover). ' Production: Production averaged 131 pounds per acre (147 kg/ha) on the alkali sagebrush reference area and 102.5 pounds per acre (115 kglha) on the big sagebrush reference area. Production ' on the reclaimed area far exceeded native rangeland production, averaging 615.5 pounds per acre (690 kg/ha). Shrubs were not sampled for annual production; the following comparisons ~ are for perennial grasses, forts, and half shrubs. Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area: The alkali sagebrush reference area actually produced more herbaceous plant material than the big sagebrush reference area. Visual observations would have indicated just the opposite. The dominant lifeform was perennial grasses, averaging 14.52 g/m' or 130 pounds per acre (99% relative herbaceous production). Big Sagebrush Reference Area: The big sagebrush reference area produced 11.494 g/m ' total herbaceous production or about 78 percent of the alkali sagebrush type and about 17 percent of the reclaimed area herbaceous production, Perennial grasses were the dominant lifefonn sampled for production, averaging 9.55 g/m' (85 pounds per acre) or 83 percent relative herbaceous production. Reclaimed Area: The reclaimed area produced significantly more annual herbaceous plant material than the two native rangeland reference areas. In fad, the reclaimed area averaged 470% more plant 6