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• Vegetation Cover <br />Total vegetation cover of the reference azea was 42.80 percent. Based on cover <br />sampling, graminoids represented 20.80 percent mean cover (42.52% relative cover), <br />forbs accounted for 1.80 percent mean cover (2.99% relative cover), and shrubs <br />provided 20.20 percent mean cover (54.49% relative cover). <br />The dominant vascular plant species of the reference area (based on cover) was <br />Artemesia 6lifilia. Artemesia 6lifolia accounted for 20.20 percent of the mean cover <br />and 54.49 percent relative cover. There were two sub-dominant grass species; <br />Bouteloua gracilis with 8.40 percent total cover (18.94% relative cover) and Stipa <br />viridula with 8.20 percent total cover (15.61% relative cover). In addition to the above <br />species, Andropogon hallii (sand bluestem) was the only other species contributing <br />more than three percent relative cover (2.80% total cover and 5.32% relative cover). <br />Vegetative litter (prior years growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br />comprised an average 42.20 percent ground cover within the reference area. Bare soil <br />comprised 15.00 percent of the ground cover encountered in the reference area. No <br />rock was encountered during this yeaz's cover sampling. <br />Herbaceous Production <br />• Total herbaceous production at the Osgood Sand Reference Area was 55.36 g/m2 <br />(493.5 lblac). Perennial grasses accounted for the majority of reference area <br />herbaceous production, comprising 47.16 g/m2 (420.4 Ib/ac) or 85.2 percent of total <br />herbaceous production. Annual grasses were a minor component of herbaceous <br />production in the reference area contributing only 2.1 percent of the total herbaceous <br />production. Forbs accounted for 7.01 g/m2 (62.5 lb/ac) of the reference area <br />herbaceous production. Perennial forbs accounted for 4.35 g/m2 (38.8 16/ac) or 7.8 <br />percent of the total herbaceous production in the reference area. Annual forbs provided <br />2.67 g/m2 (23.8 Ib/ac) or 4.8 percent of the total production. <br />Species Diversity <br />Within the reference area three lifeforms were represented; grasses, forbs and woody <br />shrubs. The total number of species encountered during cover sampling within the <br />reference area was twelve. Graminoids accounted for five species, forbs six species, <br />and shrubs, one species. Of the species encountered in the reference area, eight were <br />native and four were introduced. Annual species outnumbered perennial species by <br />seven to five. Of the species encountered, four represented greater than three percent <br />relative cover; Artemesia 6lifolia (54.49%), Bouteloua gracilis (18.94%), Stipa <br />viridula (15.61%), and Andropogon hallii (5.32%). <br /> <br />-6- <br />