Table 6 — Perennial grass species: nutrient and mineral values with significant differences for study areas. Different letters in the 

 same row indicate a significant difference in mean value 



Perennial grass species 







Arlstlda 



Erioneuron 



Hllaria 





Muhlenbergia 



Stipa 







purpurea 



pilosum 



riglda 







porteri 



hymenoides 



Nutrient 



Units 



(n = 28) 



(n = 2g) 



(n = 29) 





(n = 22) 



(n = 22) 



Moisture^ 



Percent 





AD 



17.55 A 



OO./D 



B 





oo. yi 



b 



31.06 AB 



Nitrogen 



Percent 



1.12 



A 



A 



1.25 A 



1 .18 



A 





1 .23 



A 



1.25 A 



Phosphorus 



Percent 



0.08 



A 



0.07 A 



0.08 



A 





0.10 



A 



0.10 A 



Potassium 



Percent 



0.41 



A 



0.49 A 



0.97 



B 





0.87 



B 



1.19 B 



Zinc 



ppm 



13.42 



A 



15.38 A 



10.63 



A 





13.36 



A 



10.66 A 



Iron 



ppm 



305.65 



B 



1,194.52 C 



274.34 



AB 



140.23 



A 



177.44 AB 



Manganese 



ppm 



32.35 



AB 



53.53 C 



40.16 



B 





27.55 



A 



35.04 AB 



Copper 



ppm 



5.81 



A 



5.93 A 



5.26 



A 





6.12 



A 



5.47 A 



Calcium 



Percent 



0.35 



A 



0.76 C 



0.50 



B 





0.43 



AB 



0.54 B 



Magnesium 



Percent 



0.12 



A 



0.20 C 



0.15 



B 





0.13 



AB 



0.13 AB 



Sulfur 



Percent 



0.18 



A 



0.25 AB 



0.26 



AB 



0.28 



AB 



0.34 B 



Sodium 



Percent 



0.004 AB 



0.006 B 



0.008 C 





0.004 AB 



0.003 A 





Percent 



46.08 



C 



46.73 O 



42.58 



AB 



45.65 



BC 



41. Ol A 



TNC3 



Percent 



6.37 



A 



6.49 A 



6.11 



A 





6.56 



A 



6.44 A 







(n = 26) 



(n = 24) 



(n = 28) 





(n = 22) 



(n = 21) 



Fat 



Percent 



6.36 



A 



6.18 A 



6.65 



A 





6.22 



A 



7.55 A 















Study area^ 











Units 





City Creek 



Woodbury-Hardy 





Littlefiela 



Zinc 





Percent 



















Muhlenbergia porteri 







11 A 







9 



A 





20 B 



Iron 





ppm 



















Stipa hymenoides 







117 A 







256 



B 





158 AB 



Manganese 





ppm 



















Muhlenbergia porteri 







21 A 







41 



B 





20 A 



Calcium 





Percent 



















Stipa hymenoides 







0.44 A 







0.51 



A 





0.85 B 



Magnesium 





Percent 



















Erioneuron pilosum 







0.15 A 







0.28 



B 





0.20 AB 



Stipa hymenoides 







0.09 A 







0.14 



AB 





0.20 B 



Sulfur 





Percent 



















Stipa hymenoides 







0.26 A 







0.32 



A 





0.64 B 



^Based on fresh weight; all other values are dry weight. 



^Acid detergent fiber. 



'Total nonstructural carbohydrates. 



^This portion of the table illustrates the 7 significant differences among sites out of 75 comparisons made. 



calcium, magnesium, sodium, and ADF. Hilaria rigida 

 is high in moisture content, potassium, manganese, 

 calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Muhlenbergia por- 

 teri is low in iron and manganese and high in moisture 

 content, potassium, and ADF. Stipa hymenoides is 

 low in sodium and ADF and high in potassium, cal- 

 cium, and sulfur. 



Cured plants were significantly different than green 

 plants for all measured parameters except manganese 

 and sodium (table 7). With the exception of iron and 

 ADF the mean values were less for cured than for green 

 plants. Cured plants differed by study area only in 

 manganese, calcium, and magnesium with Littlefleld 



being high in calcium, manganese, and magnesium; 

 Woodbury-Hardy was low in manganese (table 8). 

 Green plants showed more significant differences 

 among the areas (table 8). Moisture content was low 

 at City Creek, potassium and zinc were low at City 

 Creek and high at Littlefleld, iron was high at Littlefleld, 

 and calcium, magnesium, and sulfur were low at City 

 Creek. When only annuals were considered, all param- 

 eters except iron, manganese, sodium, TNC, and fat 

 were significantly different (table 9). Green and cured 

 plants in the common annual grass, Bromus rubens, 

 differed in respect to nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, 

 zinc, magnesium, sulfur, and ADF (table 10). 



7 



