Appendix F. IJreedinp IJird Census Reports. 



SILVERSAGEBRUSH FLAT. — Location: Montana; HcCone County; SE 



quarter of Section 31, T20N, n45E; 47°25' N, 106 1 W, AMS , 



Jordan (NL 13-1). Continuity: New. Size: 24 ha = 59.3 acres 



(rectangular, 30 X SO m, paced). Description of Plot: Silver 



Sagebrush (Artemisia cana ) flat following an ephemeral tributary 



of Nelson Creek, bordered on either side by grassland (see Figure 



1). The longer axis of the plot follows the tributary, and the 



sagebrush flat covers the central 100-200 m along this a.xis. 



Grassland accounts for approximately 60fo of the plot, and is 



dominated by Needle-and-thread ( Stipa comata ) , Blue 



Grama ( Bouteloua gracilis ) , Thread-leaved Sedge (Carex f ilifolia ) , 



and Western Wheatgrass ( Agropyron smithii ) . Several patches of 



Little Bluestem ( Andropogon scoparius ) are found near the SW 



corner of the plot. Saltgrass ( Distichlis stricta ) is dominant 



in the northwestern corner of the plot. Gentle banks up to 1.5 m 



in height separate the upland grassland from the sagebrush. Silver 



Sagebrush forms a dense shrub layer about 1.0 m in height, and 



patches of V/estern Snowberry ( Symphoricarpos occidentalis ) and 



Arkansas Rose ( Rosa arkansana ) of similar height are interspersed 



throughout. Canopy coverage estimates for a quadrat in the Silver 



Sagebrush are: Litter, 5; Silver Sagebrush, 5; Western Wheatgrass, 



5; Prairie Sandgrass ( Calamovilfa longifolia ) , 1; Bare Soil, T; 



Blue Flax ( Linum perenne ) , T; Crested Wheatgrass ( Agropyron 



cristatum ) , T; Green Needlegrass ( Stipa viridula ) , T; Kentucky 



T; 

 Bluegrass (Poa pratensis ),». Plains .Muhly ( Muhlonhergia cuspidata ) , 



T; Saltgrass, T; Western Snowberry, T; Yarrow ( Achillea 



millefolium ) . T. Estimates for a quadrat located in Western 



Snowberry are: Litter, 5; Western Snowberry, 4; Awned Wheatgrass 



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