2016-07-18_REVISION - C1981019 (3)

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3.2 Reference Areas 3.2.1 Mountain Shrub Reference Area The Mountain Shrub Reference Area is comprised of approximately 18 acres of gently to moderately sloping vegetation that has a predominately northwesterly aspect (mesic) and easterly aspect (xeric) (Maps 5 and 6). Plates 9 and 11 in Appendix A show site conditions for 2013 and 2014, respectively. The Mountain Shrub Reference Area was expanded in 2005 to include the east -facing slope of the ridge to provide representation from the xeric subtype of the Mountain Shrub community. The purpose of this inclusion is to provide a better representation of the distribution of Mountain Shrub communities located on and around Colowyo properties. The xeric exposure tends to exhibit more elevated herbaceous parameters given a modest reduction in the overstory. 2013 Ground cover in the Mountain Shrub Reference Area (Table 1 and Chart 1) consisted of 43.00% live vegetation, 1.70% rock, 45.40% litter, and bare soil exposure of 9.90%. Perennial cover across the unit averaged 40.85% with annual and biennial cover averaging 2.15%. Dominant taxa were big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), roundleaf snowberry (Symphoricarpos rotundifoiius), and Gambel oak (Quercus gambe//ii) with 12.90%, 8.80%, and 5.80% average cover, respectively. With regard to diversity, the Mountain Shrub Reference Area exhibited 2 perennial grasses with between 3% and 50% relative cover (Table 2). Total relative cover for perennial forbs excluding noxious weeds in the Mountain Shrub reference area was 6.51%. Current annual herbaceous production in the Mountain Shrub Reference Area averaged 368.33 pounds per acre (Table 3). Perennial vegetation contributed 348.09 pounds per acre in 2013 with perennial grasses the dominant category (Table 3 and Chart 3). 2014 Ground cover in the Mountain Shrub Reference Area (Table 1 and Chart 1) consisted of 55.45% live vegetation, 0.3% rock, 38.95% litter, and bare soil exposure of 5.30%. Perennial cover across the unit averaged 51.55% with annual and biennial cover averaging 3.90%. Dominant taxa were roundleaf snowberry, big sagebrush, and Gambel oak with 11.60%, 10.30%, and 5.85% average cover, respectively. With regard to diversity, the Mountain Shrub Reference Area exhibited 2 perennial grasses with between 3% and 50% relative cover (Table 2). Total relative cover for perennial forbs excluding noxious weeds in the Mountain Shrub reference area was 10.82%. Current annual herbaceous production in the Mountain Shrub Reference Area averaged 654.07 pounds per acre (Table 3). Perennial vegetation contributed 385.97 pounds per acre in 2014 with perennial grasses the dominant category (Table 3 and Chart 3). July 2015 Page 16