VEGETATION AND HABITATS 



The relatively cold, wet spring and high soil moisture had a marked 

 effect on vegetation and habitats of the study area in 1978. Plant phenology 

 was at least one week behind that of 1977; this was especially noticable 

 in the case of silver buffaloberry ( Shepherdia argentea ), which was only 

 beginning to leaf out in mid-May. Grasshopper populations were markedly 

 down from summer 1977 levels, probably as a result of winter kill; they 

 were rate until mid-July, by which time they were common but not nearly 

 as abundant as in 1977. This combination of increased soil moisture and 

 reduced grasshopped grazing pressure resulted in luxuriant grassland dev- 

 elopment which was truly remarkable in comparison to the 1977 condition. 

 Where most blue grama ( Bouteloua gracilis )/needle-and-thread ( Stipa comata ) 

 grasslands averaged only 2-15 cm high in 1977, the same areas in 1978 

 supported vigorous grasses nearly 1 m in height. Needle-and-thread 

 development was most spectacular, and the needle-and-thread/blue grama 

 grassland breeding bird census plot resembled a mature wheatfield from a 

 distance. Stockponds in the area were full or nearly full throughout the 

 1978 season, and supported much higher densities of waterfowl than in 

 1977. 



A quantitative description of 1977-1978 changes in vegetation, as 

 well as photographs of representative grassland types, has been presented 

 in the 1978 vegetation monitoring study annual report (DNRC 1979). 



