Table 1. Land-cover classes and defining characteristics. Cover assignment Land-use/-cover characteristics Diagnostic features Introduced perennial grassland Conservation reserve program, agricultural margins Dominated by introduced perennial grass species; other plant species include colonizing native/introduced forbs, planted trees, and shrubs at low densities Introduced perennial grassland Pasture Dominated by introduced perennial grass species; other plant species include colonizing native forbs at low densities Native grassland Palouse prairie remnants Dominated by native perennial bunchgrasses; forb diversity is high; shrub and tree cover varies, characterized by co-dominant native species Seminative grassland Degraded prairie remnants Disturbed native grasslands; native bunchgrasses usually replaced by invasive introduced grasses; native forbs and shrubs still prominent components Agriculture Agricultural production Monoculture of important agricultural species in annual rotations, e.g., wheat, peas, etc.; other species include low densities of weeds and colonizing natives at field margins Agriculture Hay Long-term plantings of alfalfa for green-hay harvest; weeds and colonizing native species present at field margins Forest Native forests, logging Pinus ponderosa/Pseudotsuga forests; mostly restricted to north-facing slopes and the eastern Palouse, with a species-rich understory Park—grasslands Graveyards, golf courses Intensively managed introduced grasslands; forb, shrub, and tree species include native and introduced ornamentals and colonizers Mixed woodland Domestic woodlots Orchards and woodlots of native and introduced tree species managed for firewood, wildlife habitat, and fruit production Built Built—rural Structures, parking lots, roads, building sites, and degraded staging areas outside of city/town limits Built Built—urban Structures, parking lot, roads, building sites, and degraded staging areas within city/town limits Pond Sewage lagoons, conservation ponds Lacustrine water bodies, including stock ponds and sewage lagoons