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2.1.2 Vegetation Herbaceous Production Sampling <br />' One herbaceous production plot was randomly selected and located along each cover <br />transect within each soil depth treatment block within each test plot. Herbaceous <br />' production plots were one square meter in area. Five herbaceous production quadrats <br />were sampled in each of the North and South Areas on the RDA outside the test plots. <br />' Herbaceous production was estimated by the harvest method (Mueller-Dombois, 1974). <br />All current year above ground live herbaceous plant biomass was clipped within the one <br />t square meter quadrat. Perennial grasses were separated and reported by species. <br />Annual grasses were separated and reported by species (Bromus japorticus and Bromus <br />tectorum were combined because of identification difficulties, in accordance with <br />' Colorado DMG direction). Perennial, biennial, and annual forbs were separated and <br />reported by species. Succulents, suffrutescent, and woody plants were not sampled. <br />Production material was oven dried (105° C for 24 hours) until weights varied by no <br />' more than O.lg. Production values were reported in grams per square meter (to the <br />nearest 0.1 g) and pounds per acre. <br />2.1.3 Woody Plant Density and Height/Diameter Sampling <br />Woody plant density was sampled using belt transects. Each soil depth treatment <br />within each test plot served as a separate belt transect. One woody plant density belt <br />transect (2m x 25m) was sampled in each of the North and South Areas on the RDA <br />outside the test plots. Woody plants rooted within each soil depth treatment block were <br />counted in that belt transect. All woody plants were recorded and reported by species. <br />Woody plant density is reported by number per quadrat, number per acre, and number <br />per hectare. <br />Vertical height of the tallest woody plant in each soil depth treatment block and the <br />North and South Areas was measured (to the nearest cm) and reported by species. <br />Horizontal spread of the largest (greatest live girth of limbs) woody plant within each <br />soil depth treatment block and the North and South Areas was also determined and <br />reported by species. These measurements were taken to provide an indication of <br />woody plant growth potential. <br />2.2 Shadscale Shrubland Reference Area Vegetation Sampling <br />' The Shadscale Shrubland Reference Area located east and north of the Test Plots was <br />quantitatively sampled for vegetation cover and herbaceous production. Species <br />composition and diversity information was derived from the quantitative cover data. <br />' Sample sites within the Reference Area were randomly located by using a 25 foot grid <br />placed over the 24 acre area on a 1:400 scale map, from which 50 sample sites were <br />randomly selected. <br />1 <br />