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sagebrush also contributed quantitatively to cover. Native perennial cool season grasses and <br />• graminoids averaged 28.7 percent of total vegetation cover. Within this, fescue (Festuca <br />saximontana) composed half the total. Montana wheatgrass (Elymus lanceolatus fm. albicans) <br />and Agassiz bluegrass (Poa agassizensis) combined to compose 3/10'"sof the lifeform total. <br />Total vegetation cover was 62.5 percent. Standing dead, litter, and bare soil each composed 4.8, <br />26.2, and 6.5 percents of total vegetation cover. Species density was 26.8 species per 100 sq.m. <br />PRODUCTION <br />(Table 21) <br />An average of 1025.1 pounds per acre of herbaceous production was collected in 2004. Alfalfa <br />did not contribute to this total. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Climatic Conditions <br />~ The year preceding sampling in July 2004 included a fall with two wet months ((September and <br />November); 2004 proceeded up to sampling in late July with mostly below average monthly <br />• precipitation (Figures 6a and 6b). April 2004 was about average, which may have prevented <br />2004 vegetation growth from being much lower than it was. When compared to other years in <br />which monitoring has occurred back to 1989, the cumulative 12 months previous precipitation <br />total ranked 2004 in the lower third relative to other years in that period {Figures 7a and 7b). The <br />cumulative six month (Figure 8b) and four month (Figure 9b) precipitation values back to 1989 <br />show that 2004 was about 20 to 25% below the 15-year average. With regard to temperature, <br />cumulative January through June 2004 warmth was only very slightly above average meaning <br />that statistically, warmth was also close to "normal" <br />Cover <br />Calculation of 90 percent of the cover performance standard appropriate for 2004 <br />sampling is demonstrated below. <br />Mountain Brush Reference Area herbaceous cover* x 2 = 13.3 x 2 = 26.6 <br />Sagebrush Reference Area herbaceous cover' x 2 = 33.1 x 2 = 66.2 <br />90 percent of the Cover Standard = 0.90 [0.83(26.6) + 0.17(66.2)] = 30.0% <br />*Herbaceous cover adjusted to subtract noxious weeds and annual cover>10% of remainder <br />• 12 <br />