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3.2.2 Sagebrush Reference Area <br />The Sagebrush Reference Area is comprised of approximately 4.7 acres of gently to moderately <br />sloping vegetation that has a predominately northerly aspect. Plates 10 and 12 in Appendix A show site <br />conditions for 2013 and 2014, respectively. This reference area is located on a gently sloping ridge north <br />of the Administration / Facilities Area (Maps 7 and 8). <br />2013 <br />Ground cover in the Sagebrush Reference Area (Table 1 and Chart 1) consisted of 46.25% live <br />vegetation, 2.50% rock, 34.85% litter, and bare soil exposure of 16.40%. Perennial cover across the <br />unit averaged 41.25% with annual and biennial cover averaging 5.00%. Dominant taxa were mountain <br />big sagebrush, crested wheatgrass, and roundleaf snowberry, with 6.90%, 6.65%, and 5.05% average <br />cover, respectively. With regard to diversity, the Sagebrush Reference Area exhibited 5 perennial grasses <br />with between 3% and 50% relative cover (Table 2). Total relative cover for perennial forbs excluding <br />noxious weeds in the Sagebrush Reference Area was 15.78% (Table 2). Current annual herbaceous <br />production in the Sagebrush Reference Area averaged 451.53 pounds per acre (Table 3). Perennial <br />vegetation contributed 417.50 pounds per acre in 2013 with perennial grasses the dominant category <br />(Table 3 and Chart 3). <br />2014 <br />Ground cover in the Sagebrush Reference Area (Table 1 and Chart 1) consisted of 51.05% live <br />vegetation, 2.30% rock, 34.60% litter, and bare soil exposure of 12.05%. Perennial cover across the <br />unit averaged 37.65% with annual and biennial cover averaging 13.40%. Dominant taxa were Japanese <br />brome, big sagebrush, and western wheatgrass with 9.60%, 7.70%, and 6.15% average cover, <br />respectively. With regard to diversity, the Sagebrush Reference Area exhibited 3 perennial grasses with <br />between 3% and 50% relative cover (Table 2). Total relative cover for perennial forbs excluding noxious <br />weeds in the Sagebrush reference area was 8.12%. Current annual herbaceous production in the <br />Sagebrush Reference Area averaged 774.67 pounds per acre (Table 3). Perennial vegetation contributed <br />645.58 pounds per acre in 2014 with perennial grasses the dominant category (Table 3 and Chart 3). <br />July 2015 Page 17 <br />