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The dominant vegetation lifeform in the historic record vegetation community was <br />graminoids. The dominant graminoid species in the study area was Bromus inermis at <br />L5.60 percent mean cover (43.434 relative cover). The two sub-dominant graminoid <br />species in the historic record vegetation community were Poa pratensis with 11.07 <br />percent mean cover (26.91% relative cover) and Agropyron intermedium at 8.53 <br />percent mean cover (22.63% relative cover). One fort species, Conrowlus arrensis at <br />2.40 percent mean cover (5.50% relative cover), provided greater than 3% relative <br />cover. <br />Vegetative litter (prior years growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br />comprised 48.27 percent ground cover within the historic record study azea. Bare soil <br />accounted for 13.47 percent ground cover in the study area. No rock was encountered <br />in the study area. <br />Herbaceous Production <br />Results of herbaceous production sampling in the historic record vegetation community <br />are presented in Table 6. Mean total herbaceous production of the sampled quadrats on <br />the study area was 127.71 g/m2 (1138.41 Ib/ac). Herbaceous production quadrat <br />weights were fairly consistent, with the standard deviation being 36.05 percent of the <br />value of the herbaceous production mean. This consistency is likely due to the fact that <br />this community was once cultivated for grazing or agriculture, which required <br />maintenance of a relatively dense and uniform stand for forage production. <br />Woody Plant Density <br />No woody plant species were encountered during cover sampling. However, the total _ <br />number of woody plants present in the historic record study area was counted (Table <br />7). Sixty-two individual woody plants occurred in the vegetation community. The <br />dominant woody plant was Symphoricarpos rotundifolius (snowberry) with 58 <br />individuals. Gutierreaa sarothrae (snakeweed), Artemesia tridentata (big sagebrush), <br />and Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Rubber rabbitbrush) were the remaining woody plants <br />in the study area. Symphoricarpos rotundifolius is an invader from the adjacent <br />oakbrush community. Gutierrezia sarothrae and Chrysorhamnus nauseosus shrubs are <br />characterized as invaders of open spaces in early successional stages. Artemesia <br />tridentata is a wind borne invader from sagebrush communities to the north and west. <br />Species Composition <br />Within the historic record vegetation community cover sampling, two lifeforms were <br />represented; graminoids, and forts. The lifeforms included four species of perennial <br />grasses, one perennial fort, and one annual fort. Of the six species encountered <br />during cover sampling, two were native (Agropyron smithii and Erigeron tlagellaris) <br />and four were introduced (three grasses and one fort). As would be expected in a <br />vegetation community established for grazing and agriculture, introduced species <br />-14 <br />