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average cover. Devil's shoestrings (Polygonum arenastrum), twolobe speedwell (Pocilla biloba), <br />• slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus), and Jim Hill mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum) were <br />all relatively common. <br />Total average vegetation cover, for first hits, was 32.9%. Total average vegetation cover, for all <br />hits, was 33.6%. Standing dead, litter, bare soil, and rock each had 1.9%, 13.6%, 49.4%, and <br />2.3% cover, respectively (first hits). Average species density was 30.4 species/100 sq.m. <br />Production <br />(Table 10) <br />Total average production was 860.1 Ibs/acre. Introduced annual and biennial (orbs and native <br />perennial cool season grasses contributed the most with an average production of 344.4 and <br />315.8 Ibslacre respectively (together making up approximately 77% of the total production). <br />Woody Plant Density <br />(Table 11) <br />Total average density of woody plants was 48.6 individuals/acre, composed entirely of native <br />shrubs. Mountain snowberry (Symphoricarpos rotundifolius) was the most abundant, with 28.3 <br />individuals/acre. Big sagebrush (Seriphidium tridentatum) and Saskatoon serviceberry <br />(Amelanchier alnifolia) were also present with moderate to low densities. <br />Reference Areas <br />ASPEN REFERENCE AREA <br />(Photographs 25-28) <br />Cover <br />(Table 12) <br />Native perennial (orbs were most abundant, composing 42.8% of the total 128.9% vegetation <br />cover (all hits). Within this group, mountain bluebells (Mertensia ciliata), western aniseroot <br />(Osmorhiza occidentalis), and serrate groundsel (Senecio Serra) were most common, having <br />8.1%, 6.8%, and 3.3% cover, respectively. Native shrubs composed 39.7% of total vegetation <br />cover. Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) (1'6.1% cover), mountain snowberry <br />(Symphoricarpos rotundifolius) (13.5% cover), and chokecherry (Padaus virginiana ssp. <br />melanocarpa) (6.8%) were the dominant native shrubs. Native perennial cool season grasses <br />were common (16.3% cover), especially blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus), with 7.6% cover. <br />Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) was an important component of the vegetation, <br />contributing 25.5% to total cover. In general, this area had high cover values because of the <br />prevalence of shrubs and trees. Because of the existence of tree, shrubs and herbaceous layers, <br />cover data summed to a total percent cover of greater than one hundred. <br />11 <br />