Laserfiche WebLink
• documented average shrub density by year: <br /> Samnlino Year Stems/ acre <br /> 1985 378 <br /> 1987 300 <br /> 1988 314 <br /> 1989 288 <br /> Although these data were collected from different areas during these years, and the numbers are <br /> thus not strictly comparable, the trend of decreasing, or at least not increasing, shrub density is <br /> probably real and related to competition from the heavy herbaceous growth that comprises the <br /> high production discussed above. This places the apparent increases in shrub density in the <br /> Wadge Pasture under grazing in the spotlight; if the negative effects of heavy herbaceous <br /> competition are causing low shrub establishment and survival, then some control of herbaceous <br /> competitiveness such as may be realized through grazing could be key to approaching the <br /> performance standard of 1000 stems/acre. <br /> • Species Diversity and CompQsition <br /> Species density reflects the total number of species present (richness) in 100 square meters <br /> adjacent to cover sample transects. Species density data are graphically presented in Figure 4. <br /> As can be seen in Figure 4, as well as the data in Table 30, the total species density of the <br /> reference areas is in the range of 21 to 23 species/ 100 sq.m. In the older Wadge reclamation <br /> (Areas A, B, and C), the total species density averages about 6 to 16 species/ 100 sq.m.. In the <br /> younger reclamation, species density approaches and exceeds 30 species/ 100 sq.m. In the <br /> reclaimed areas in general, about one-half of the total species density is attributable to native <br /> species; in the younger areas (C and D) this native component comes to about 12 to 17 species/ <br /> 100 sq.m., approaching the 21 to 22 native species/100 sq.m. in the reference areas (Table <br /> 20). This bodes well for future species richness and diversity of, especially, the younger <br /> reclaimed areas. <br /> The major diffeience in species density between reclaimed and reference areas is again the low <br /> occurrence of shrub species in the average 100 sq.m. of reclaimed area as compared to reference <br /> area. Note, however, that the Wadge Pasture (Area D) and the developing Wolf Creek area(Area <br /> • E) show about 2 shrub species per average 100 sq. m., compared to 3.3 to 4.5 in the reference <br /> 22 <br />