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RULE 2 PERMITS
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<br /> perennials (grasses contributing 562 pounds per acre and forbs contributing 258 pounds per acre) and 11
<br /> percent (105 pounds per acre) due to annuals (grasses contributing 86 pounds per acre and forbs
<br /> contributing 19 pounds per acre). The remaining 0.3 percent (2.6 pounds per acre) was due to noxious
<br /> weeds(Table 2.04.10-62).
<br /> Woody plant density was 8,758 plants per acre with dominance by mountain snowberry(5,083 plants per
<br /> acre), Gambel oak (1,351 plants per acre), chokecherry (694 plants per acre), serviceberry (Amelanchier
<br /> alnifolia) (530 plants per acre), and mountain big sagebrush (519 plants per acre). The shrub lifeform
<br /> accounts for 83 percent (7,305 plants per acre) and sub-trees account for 17 percent (1,453 plants per
<br /> acre)of the total(Table 2.04.10-63).
<br /> In the mountain shrub reference area, average cover was 62.75 percent, with 0.5 percent rock, 26.3
<br /> percent litter, and 10.5 percent bare ground exposure. Dominant plant species and their ground cover
<br /> percentage included: mountain snowberry (15.8 percent), mountain big sagebrush (12.5 percent),
<br /> bluegrass(6.6 percent), cheatgrass (5.2 percent), and tailcup lupine (Lupinus caudatus) (3.0 percent). Of
<br /> the total plant cover, 88 percent (55.1 percent average cover) was due to perennial plants (excluding
<br /> noxious weeds). Annual species contributed 12 percent and noxious weeds contributed 0.0 percent of the
<br /> composition. Seven perennial species contributed at least 3 percent relative cover or composition (3
<br /> percent is the typical lower limit for plant diversity bond release evaluations), with two of those species
<br /> being grasses,two forbs, and three shrubs(Table 2.04.10-61).
<br /> The average herbaceous production within the mountain shrub reference area was 804 pounds per acre,
<br /> oven-dry weight, with 82 percent (663 pounds per acre) due to perennials (grasses contributing 588
<br /> pounds per acre and forbs contributing 75 pounds per acre) and 18 percent (141 pounds per acre) due to
<br /> annuals (grasses contributing 131 pounds per acre and forbs contributing 10 pounds per acre). Noxious
<br /> weeds were not found in any of the sampling quadrants in this community(Table 2.04.10-64).
<br /> Woody plant density in the mountain shrub reference area was 19,376 woody plants per acre with
<br /> dominance by mountain snowberry (11,101 plants per acre), mountain big sagebrush (3,097 plants per
<br /> acre), Gambel oak (3,144 plants per acre), and serviceberry (1,433 plants per acre). The shrub lifeform
<br /> accounts for 84 percent (16,279 plants per acre) and sub-trees account for 16 percent (3,097 plants per
<br /> acre)of the total (Table 2.04.10-65).
<br /> The comparison of the calculated t-statistic (t*) for the mountain shrub community baseline study area
<br /> and the mountain shrub reference area with the respective tabular t values indicates that in each case t* is
<br /> less than t. So, it can be concluded that the total vegetation ground cover and production for the mountain
<br /> shrub community baseline study area is comparable (equal) to the values obtained from the mountain
<br /> shrub reference area(Table 2.04.10-38).
<br /> Sagebrush—The sagebrush community baseline study area vegetation occupies 5,699.6 acres. It occurs at
<br /> lower elevations occupying the relatively flat uplands or benches (mesic sub-type) and steeper southeast-
<br /> facing slopes(xeric sub-type). The sagebrush reference area site occupies 30.9 acres(Map 4).
<br /> A total of 93 plant species were observed within the sagebrush community baseline study area, while the
<br /> reference area exhibited 35 taxa. No sensitive species or noxious weeds were observed within the
<br /> sagebrush community baseline area or the sagebrush reference area(Table 2.04.10-34).
<br /> The average ground cover within the sagebrush community baseline area was 55.24 percent, with 2.5
<br /> percent rock, 25.5 percent litter, and 16.8 percent bare ground. Dominant plant species and their ground
<br /> cover perrentagp inelnderl• mnnntain hig cagbnIch (17 n percent) western wheatgriss (4 4 percent),
<br /> Japanese brome (3.6 percent), and Sandberg bluegrass (3.3 percent). Of the total plant cover, 88 percent
<br /> Collom—Rule 2, Page 55 Revision Date: 12/20/19
<br /> Revision No.: TR-135
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