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When sampled in 2013, "total plant cover" averaged 26.52 %, litter cover averaged 31.95 % <br />and "allowable plant cover" averaged 21.38 %. When sampled in 2007, during what was one of <br />the wettest years in decades, it was determined that total canopy cover averaged 39.00 %. All <br />warm season species contributed 30.86 % of the total plant cover or 79.13 % of the total <br />relative cover. <br />An undisturbed site very close to this reference area was sampled n 1980 and the total basal <br />cover averaged 19.35 %. All warm season species contributed a total of 11.92 % of the total <br />basal cover and accounted for 61.60 % of the total relative cover. <br />Forage Production. The results obtained from the sampling of the 30 forage production <br />transects are found in Table 21, Loadout Reference Area - 2014 Production. The total <br />perennial herbaceous forage production averaged 11.30 g/1/4 m` or 402.7 pounds of air-dry <br />forage per acre. Perennial grasses produced 9.70 g/1/4 m- or 345.7 pounds of air-dry forage <br />per acre and accounted for 85.8 % of the perennial herbaceous forage production. Perennial <br />fortis produced 1.60 g/1/4 m' or 57.0 pounds of air-dry forage per acre and accounted for 14.2 <br />% of the perennial herbaceous forage production. <br />The locations of the 30 forage production transects sampled on this site are shown on Map 20, <br />Loadout Reference Area - 2014 Transect Location Map. The sample adequacy calculations <br />in Table 2, 2014 Statistical Summary and Sample Adequacy Calculations, document that <br />the number of samples required to describe this site at the 90 % confidence interval with <br />respect to the parameter of perennial herbaceous forage production was 125.2 transects. <br />When sampled in 2013, forage production averaged 8.37 g/1/4 m' or 298.3 pounds of air-dry <br />forage per acre. When sampled in 2007, forage production averaged 41.36 g/1/4 mZ or <br />1,474.4 pounds of air-dry forage per acre. <br />Species Diversity. According to Table 20, Loadout Reference Area - 2014 Plant Cover the <br />four most dominant species contributed 63.94 % of the total relative cover on this site. There <br />were two warm season grass species with greater than three percent relative cover. <br />When an adjacent site was sampled in 1980, all warm season grass species contributed 11.92 <br />% of the total basal cover or 61.60 % of the total relative basal cover. The four most dominant <br />plant species contributed 9.93 % of the total basal cover or 51.32 % of the total relative basal <br />cover. <br />When sampled in 2013, the four most dominant species contributed 27.06 % of the total plant <br />cover and 63.94 % of the total relative cover on this site. When sampled in 2007, all warm <br />season species accounted for 30.86 % of the total plant cover or 79.13 % of the total relative <br />cover. The four most dominant plant species contributed 30.27 % of the total plant cover or <br />77.61 % of the total relative plant cover. <br />LOADOUT RECLAMATION <br />Plant Cover. The results obtained from the sampling of the 21 plant cover transects on the <br />Loadout Reclamation Study Area in 2014, are presented in Table 22, Loadout Reclamation - <br />2014 Plant Cover. "Total plant cover" averaged 47.24 %, litter cover averaged 27.95 % and <br />"allowable plant cover" averaged 39.10 %. <br />20 <br />