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wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithil), sheep fescue (Festuca brachyphylla ssp coloradensis) and <br />basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus). Introduced perennial forb cover total was composed mostly of <br />alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Introduced perennial cool season grass cover was predominantly <br />composed of intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) <br />Total average vegetation cover for first hits was 56.4 percent For herbaceous vegetation, total <br />average cover for first hits was 55 3 percent Cover by standing dead, litter, bare soil and rock <br />averaged 0 33, 25.5, 16 4 and 1.4 percent, respectively Average species density was 27.0 <br />species per 100 sq. m. <br />WOODY PLANT DENSITY - BACKGROUND <br />(Table 2) <br />Total average background woody plant density in 2009 Phase II Bond Release Block was 331.8 <br />stems per acre Big sagebrush (Seriphidium tridentatum) was the densest at 206.4 stems per <br />acre Mountain snowberry (Symphoricarpos rotundifolius, including some western snowberry S. <br />occidentalis) contributed 59 5 stems per acre to the total. Six other species of shrub were <br />present, each with densities of fewer than 100 stems per acre. Because of the extremely <br />heterogeneous nature of the presence of shrubs across the Phase II BRB landscape, with <br />shrubless areas commonly encountered in addition to areas with dense shrub presence, <br />achievement of statistical adequacy for the "background" sampling of shrub density is virtually <br />impossible <br />Reference Areas <br />ASPEN REFERENCE AREA <br />(Photographs 17 -20) <br />Cover <br />(Table 3) <br />Native shrubs and native perennial (orbs were the predominant lifeforms observed in the Aspen <br />Reference Area, comprising 36 6 and 31 2 percent respectively of total first -hit vegetation cover. <br />Of this, Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolla) comprised 16 4 percent, mountain <br />snowberry (Symphoricarpos rotundifollus) comprised 14.2 percent, mountain bluebells (Mertensia <br />c1hata) comprised 7.7 percent and western aniseroot (Osmorhtza ocadentalis) comprised 5 1 <br />percent of total first -hit vegetation cover. Native perennial cool season grasses were also <br />common (6 4 percent cover of total first -hit vegetation cover) Quaking aspen (Populus <br />tremuloides) was an important component of the vegetation, comprising 22 7 percent of total first - <br />hit vegetation cover In general, this area had high cover values because of the prevalence of <br />9 <br />