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Refuse Area #1 <br />RA-1 was first revegetated in 1990. Test plot observations from 1992 indicated many <br />perennial grass seedlings present with data showing an abundance of annual forbs, primarily <br />Russian thistle (Salsoa iberica) and Kochia (Kochia iranica) (92.4-99.8% relative cover). <br />Annual grasses comprised <0.5% of the relative cover. No perennial forbs were encountered <br />during cover measurements. No shrubs were found during shrub density studies. <br />The 1993 sampling showed a significant increase in the relative perennial grass cover (19.7- <br />52.3%). Annual forb cover decreased to 35.4 - 71.9%. Cheatgrass (Bromus lectorum) cover <br />increased to 6.3-15.7% of the relative cover. Again, perennial forbs and shrubs were <br />essentially non-existent. <br />In 1995, the test plots on RA-1 were sampled for a third time. This time annual grasses <br />(Cheatgrass) dominated the area with 37.3-75.9% of the relative cover. Perennial grasses and <br />annual forbs appeared to be decreasing with 1.8-46.1% and 9.7-35.6% relative cover <br />respectively. Perennial forbs did begin to show up in some of the samples. However, their <br />relative abundance was still very limited. Shrubs began to make a showing with stem <br />densities of 13 to 108 per acre. It was noted that most of the stems recorded were only in the <br />seedling stage. <br />Cheatgrass continued to dominate the site in 1996 and it was decided to re-revegetate the area <br />in 1997 with a fall planting. Dan Mathews of the DMG provided guidance into the agronomic <br />practices and seed mix to use for this project. In brief, the area was disked twice, once in the <br />spring and once in the fall of 1997 to control weed growth. Then a relatively diverse mix of <br />7 <br />perennial species was drill seeded at a rate 5 times the previous rate (99 vs. 20 PLS/ftz). ' <br />Straw mulch (bazley) was applied at a rate of I ton per acre and crimped. <br />During the 1998 inspection it appeared that the site had gotten off to a good star[. Many <br />perennial seedlings were present with Western and Intermediate wheatgrass currently <br />dominating the area. Other perennial grass species of note are Desert and Slender wheatgrass <br />