>:r:r.r)I.r:-A:;D-T!!READ--nLi;E grama grassland.-- Locatic,n: Montana: 



McCone County; borders con tor of E l:)oundary of Section 25, 

 T20\', R41E; 4T°2T' N. 10G"2' v; ; A^'S , Jordan (ML 13-1). Continuity: 

 New. Size: 25 ha = 61. S acres (square, surveyed). Description 

 of Plot: Rolling grassland, S aspect, dominated by Blue Grama, 

 Needle-and- tliread, and Thread-leaved Sed.c^e with patches of bare 

 earth and Little Bluesten scattered throughout. Grazing pressure 

 was heavy during the summer. Canopy cover estimates for a quadrat 

 located within the plot are: Needle-and-thread , 5; Litter, 3; 

 Blue Grama, 2; Thread-leaved Sedge, 2; Bare Soil, 1; Vi'estern 

 V/heatgrass, T; Rush- like Skeletonweed (Lygodesma juncea ) , T; Plains 

 Pricklypear ( Opuntia polyacantha ) , T; Scarlet Globemallow, T. 

 A wide north-south coulee i relief up to 3 m on downstream end) 

 transects the plot near its V/ boundary. The bottom of this coulee 

 is dominated by Needle-and-thread, Green Needlegrass, Blue Grama, 

 Western V/heatgrass, and Little Bluestem; banks are largely bare 

 earth. A few clumps of Horizontal Juniper and a single low (less 

 than 1.5 m in height) Silver Bufflaoberry clump are found, in this 

 coulee. A barbed wire fence forms the eastern boundary of the plot. 

 Edge: Similar grassland on all sides. Rocky scoria outcrops 

 are found 100 m to S of plot, and the Saltgrass floodplain of 

 Nelson Creole begins 200 m to S of plot. Elevation: 2460-2560 ft. 

 Coverage: April 28; May 23; June 18, 19, 27, 29; July 8, August 14; 

 8 trips, 0500-2120. Total man-hours: 15.7. Census: Horned Lark, 

 11 (44, IS); V/estern Meadowlark, 5 (20, 8); Chestnut-collared 

 Longspur, 5 (20, S), Vesper Sparrow, 2; Grasshopper Sparrow, 1; 



Golden Eagle, +; Prairie Falcon, +. Total: 7 species, 24 



n 



territorial males or females (06/km", 39 per 100 acres). 



237 



