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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 ie <br />mostly dominated by native cool season perennial grasses and big <br />sagebrush (Table 2). In general, increases in cover by big eagebrueh <br />have been somewhat offset by alight decreases in cover by cool season <br />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 eagebrueh <br />were somewhat lower than those measured in 1492. This is probably an <br />artifact of sampling rather than being a true reduction in this species. <br />Field observations suggest that big sagebrush is continuing to expand in <br />the 1984 area both by establishment of new individuals ae well ae <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 />suggest 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 1491 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 />