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4-118 <br />Total percent vegetation cover is similar in the reference <br />area (56.7 percent) and the affected area (64.5 percent). <br />Cover is dominated by big sagebrush in the shrub stratum and <br />cheatgrass in the herbaceous stratum of both reference and <br />affected areas. See Tables 4.8-7 and 4.8-21. <br />Production in the reference area is quite similar to the <br />affected area, averaging 43.8 g/m2 or 390 pounds per acre <br />compared to 407 pounds per acre in the affected area. Cheat- <br />grass is the dominant producer in both the reference and affected <br />areas. See Tables 4.8-8 and 4.8-22. <br />Total shrub density is very similar in reference and affected <br />• areas, averaging 4,823 and 4,190 shrubs per acre, respectively. <br />See Tables 4.8-9 and 4.8-23. <br />Species richness is slightly higher in the reference area <br />(index = 13.60) as is equitability of cover (index = 0.73). <br />Equitability is low in this vegetation type because of the domi- <br />nance of big sagebrush in the shrub stratum and cheatgrass in the <br />herbaceous stratum. See Table 4.8-6. <br />4.8.12.3 Shadscale Shrubland Reference Area <br />The Shadscale Shrubland reference area, as the affected area, <br />occurs on steep, rocky, south-facing slopes on the Torriorthent <br /> rock outcrop complex. The reference area is located within the <br /> permit area of McClane canyon a~~roximately <br />near the mouth of the <br /> _ <br />