2018-08-30_PERMIT FILE - C1982057 (2)

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Combined shrub and herbaceous basal cover measured in the haul road study area was 16 • percent; basal cover on the reference area was estimated to be 14 percent (Tables 5-27 and 5-28). Low Sagebrush contributed the majority of the shrub basal cover (7 percent on the reference area; 10 percent on the haul road corridor). Average herbaceous cover was nearly equal (6 percent) on both the reference and haul road corridor areas. Grass species showing highest cover and frequency on both the corridor and reference areas were slender wheatgrass and junegrass (Koeleria cristata). The most frequently encountered forbs on both areas were textile onion (Allium textile) and mulesear. Combined herbaceous and shrub production was estimated to be 41 g/m= (366 16/acre) on the reference area (Table 5-30) and 34 glmz (300 76/acre) on the haul road corridor (Table 5-29). Low Sagebrush contributed approximately half of all production on both areas. Average herbaceous production was estimated to be 17 g/mz (152 lb/acre) on the reference area and 15 g/mz (139 lb/acre) on the corridor area. Slender wheatgrass contributed the highest yield among grasses; textile onion and mulesear the highest among forbs on both areas. Estimated shrub density on the reference area was a very high 18.5 stems/4m~ (18,731 stems/acre); estimated density on the haul road corridor area was also high at 17.6 stems/4mz (17,820 stems/acre) (Tables 5-31 and 5-32). Over 80 percent of the shrub density was contributed by low sagebrush. Meadow. The Meadow vegetation type occupies 14.1 acres (adjusted for permit area changes) in the haul road corridor study area. The adjusted acreage resulted from a haul road realignment in 1989 (see revised Exhibit 10-2 and Table 10-2). It occurs in narrow strips along drainages and is dominated by grasses. Permanent water from hillside seeps exists in a small area at the eastern end of the haul road study area. These seeps receive additional ground water from summer fallowing of wheat ground above these areas. This area was treated as an inclusion within the meadow study area and mapped as Meadow because of its small size. This area is predominately bare ground. The dominant grass growing on the reference area is Nuttall alkaligrass (PUCCinellia airoides) with meadow barley (Hordeum bra chyantherum) the dominant grass in the study area. Dominant forbs • included western ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya) in the reference area and cluster tarweed 26