Table 1 Characteristics of each sagebrush group including modal potential natural plant community, grass production, and sagebrush cover by community phase. The top portion of the table describes modal site characteristics. The bottom portion of the table identifies sagebrush cover thresholds for the different community phases in each sagebrush group. Scientific names for the community species are given in the footnote.
| Â | Warm-Moist Group | Cool-Moist Group | Warm-Dry Group | Shallow-Dry Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Modal plant association | Basin big sagebrush/basin wildrye | Mountain big sagebrush/Idaho fescue | Wyoming big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass-Thurber’s needlegrass | Low sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass |
Years producing at least 672 kg ha−1 | All | High and average production years | High production years | None |
Dominant soil moisture regime | Xeric | Xeric | Aridic | Aridic |
Dominant soil temperature regime | Mesic | Frigid | Mesic | Mesic to frigid |
General soil depth | Deep to very deep | Moderately deep to deep | Shallow to moderately deep | Very shallow to shallow |
Percent of area | 11 % | 16 % | 61 % | 12 % |
Sagebrush cover by community phase | ||||
Early Seral | <1 % | <1 % | <1 % | <0.25 % |
Mid Seral Open | 1 % to 10 % | 1 % to 10 % | 1% to 8 % | 0.25 % to 1 % |
Late Seral Open | 10 % to 25 % | 10 % to 30 % | 8% to 20 % | 1 % to 5 % |
Late Seral Closed | >25 % | >30 % | >20 % | >5 % |