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Ll <br />species in this area is big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), which had a mean cover of <br />21.2 percent in 1998. This species accounted for 68.7 percent of the cover by all species <br />t (Table_2). Thickspike wheatgrass (Agropyron dasystachyum) was the most prevalent <br />herbaceous and had a mean cover of 4.0 percent, which was 12.9 percent of the total by <br />all species. The remaining 18.4 percent of the cover was distributed among 27 other <br />' species (cable 2). Mean total vegetation cover was 31.1 percent, cover by litter and rock <br />combined was 35.5 percent, bare soil cover was 33.5 percent and total ground cover was <br />66.5 percent. Species diversity, as measured by the mean number of species per <br />t transact, was 9.4. <br />Mean total production (excluding shrubs) was 20.8 g/mz with thickspike <br />wheatgrass accounting for 47.5 percent of the total. Green needlegrass (Stipa virfdula) <br />accounted for 23.6 percent of the total and Russian wildrye (Elymus junceus) accounted <br />for 18.4 percent of the total. The remaining 10 percent of the biomass was distributed <br />among 17 other species ('Table 3). <br />1 Individuals of big sagebrush are abundant in this area. Mean density for this <br />species was 13,636 individuals per acre, which was 99.6 percent of all counted shrubs <br />(Table 10). Four other shrub species were encountered. <br />1988 Reclaimed Area. The area reclaimed in 1988 (Photo 2) is located in the <br />western two-thirds of the property and covers approximately 83 acres (Map 1). The <br />major species in the 1988 reclaimed area include Russian wildrye (17.4 percent mean <br />cover; 52.4 percent relative cover) and thickspike wheatgrass (9.8 percent mean cover; <br />29.7 percent relative cover). The remaining 18 percent of the cover was distributed <br />among 29 other species (Table 4). Big sagebrush was the third most prevalent species <br />with a mean cover of 3.3 percent and occurring along 100 percent of the transacts. <br />Mean total vegetation cover was 33.2 percent, cover by litter and rock combined was <br />t 46.0 percent, bare soil cover was 20.8 percent and total ground cover was 79.2 percent. <br />Species diversity had a mean value of 7.8 species per transact. <br />Mean total production in the 1988 reclaimed area was 70.0 g/m2 with Russian <br />wildrye and thickspike wheatgrass accounting for 89.8 percent of the total (Table 5). <br />The remainder of the biomass was distributed among six other species. <br />Mean total shrub density in this area was 2774 individuals per acre with big <br />' sagebrush accounting for 89.8 percent of the total. Seven other species were <br />encountered (Table 11). <br />Grassland Reference Area. The grassland reference area (Photo 3) is located on a <br />low ridge in the southwest portion of the site. The major species in this area include <br />needle-and-thread grass (Stipa tomato), thickspike wheatgrass, prairie Junegrass <br />(Koeleria maaantha), nailwort (Paronychia sessfliflora) and Hoods phlox (Phlox hoodii). <br />These five species accounted for 57.4 percent of the cover by all species, which was 25.6 <br />percent. The remaining 42.6 percent of the cover was distributed among 23 other <br />species (Table 6). A species of foliose ground lichen (Parmelia chlorochroa) had a mean <br />cover of 9.0 percent. Mean total vegetation cover was 28.4 percent, cover by litter and <br />rock combined was 37.3 percent, bare soil cover was 28.9 and total ground cover was <br />t 71.1 percent. Species diversity had a mean value of ]5.67 species per hansect. <br />Mean total production was 30.4 g/mz with 84.2 percent of the total being <br />attributable to cool season perennial grasses. Major species included thickspike <br />' wheatgrass, needle-and-thread grass and prairie Junegrass (Table ~. <br />' -3- <br />