2015-10-13_REVISION - C1981014 (12)

Home Browse Search

which contributed 2.81 % of the total plant cover or 8.99 % of the total relative plant cover. The fourth most dominant species was Sharp Piptatherum, which contributed 1.74 % of the total plant cover or 5.58 % of the total relative plant cover. Blue Grama, was the fifth most dominant plant and contributed 1.42 % of the total plant cover or 4.54 % of the total relative plant cover. The locations of the 31 cover transects sampled on this site are shown on Map 18, Old Portal Reference Area - 2014 Transect Location Map. The sample adequacy calculations in Table 2, 2014 Statistical Summary and Sample Adequacy Calculations, document that the number of transects required to characterize the "total plant cover" was 27.5 transects and 28.3 transects for "allowable plant cover" at the 90 % confidence interval. When sampled in 2013, "total plant cover" averaged 13.26 %, litter cover averaged 50.26 % and "allowable plant cover" averaged 13.26 %. When sampled the total basal cover was 19.1 %. Actually the numbers in their table add up to 11.39 %. All warm season species contributed 34.42 % of the total basal cover. Forage Production. The results obtained from the sampling of the 31 forage production transects are found in Table 16, Old Portal Reference Area - 2014 Production. The total perennial herbaceous forage production averaged 14.36 g/1/4 m' or 511.8 pounds of air-dry forage per acre. Perennial grasses produced 11.26 g/1/4 m' or 401.3 pounds of air-dry forage per acre and accounted for 78.4 % of the forage production. Perennial forbs produced 3.10 g/1/4 m' or 110.6 pounds of air-dry forage per acre and accounted for 21.6 % of the forage production. The locations of the 31 forage production transects sampled on this site are shown on Map 18, Old Portal Reference Area - 2014 Transect Location Map. The sample adequacy calculations in Table 2, 2014 Statistical Summary and Sample Adequacy Calculations, document that the number of samples required to characterize this site with respect to the parameter of forage production at the 90 % confidence interval was 616.3 transects. When sampled in 2013, forage production averaged 1.92 g/1/4 m'or 6.48 pounds of air-dry forage per acre. Species Diversity. According Table 15, Old Portal Reference Area - 2014 Plant Cover, the four most dominant species on this site contributed 78.30 % of the total relative cover and there was one warm season grass with more than three percent total relative cover. The contribution of all warm season species on the Old Portal Reference Area yields an average season plant cover value of 1.83 % or 13.79 % relative cover. When this site was originally sampled in 1980, all warm season grass species contributed 3.92 % of the total basal cover or 34.42 % of the total relative basal cover. The four most dominant plant species contributed 5.69 % of the total basal cover or 49.96 % of the total relative basal cover found on this site. When sampled in 2013, the four most dominant species accounted for 9.52 % of the total plant cover and accounted for 71.79 % of the total relative cover and warm season species contributed 1.74 % of the total plant cover or 12.86 percent of the total relative cover on this site. Shrub Density. The results obtained from the sampling of the 30 shrub density transects are found in Table 17, Old Portal Reference Area - 2014 Shrub Density. Woody plant density averaged 44.90 woody plants per 20 m2 or 9,085.5 woody plants per acre. 17