Data from: Long-term monitoring of summer ranges provides evidence for inter-annual variability but not directional change in forage resources at the US Sheep Experiment Station

The US Sheep Experiment Station (USSES) is a USDA-ARS research location based in Dubois, Idaho (44° 31.499'N, 111° 47.040'W). The station's land base includes approximately 16,000 acres of summer grazing range in Southwest Montana. This land area is a complex of montane and sub-alpine rangelands. This dataset includes long-term monitoring data of indicators vegetation composition at the US Sheep Experiment Station Summer Range. Long-term monitoring plots were established by USSES Range Scientist Bill Laycock in 1959. Relative percent composition was monitored during peak growing seasons during 1959, 1978, and 1994 but the data were never published. The dataset includes the original digitized data for 60 plots on four plot types (open conifer, perennial tall forb, sagebrush-dominated, and grassland sites) across three grazing allotments on the area used by the USSES for summer grazing in Montana. Site location and species were confirmed with site visits by lead author in 2022-2024. The dataset also includes a modern summary of the composition by weight, species look up table, weather data from the local Lakeview, Montana weather station, and site data including location, slope, site type, and aspect.