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2. Mixed Shrub Baseline Community <br />*** MS Baseline Area *** <br />General Information (MS): This community is largely restricted to higher <br />elevations and the steep sides of deeper ravines even as they cut through Juniper <br />Woodland. The cover was higher (range 56% - 82%) and more consistent than in <br />Juniper Woodland areas (the variance was less than half the Juniper Woodland <br />variance). Consequently, the minimum fifteen cover transects were sufficient to <br />provide an adeyuate sample (exceeding the calculated sample adequacy of 3.8). Fifty <br />production plots and fifteen woody plant quadrats were also sampled. <br />Absolute cover (MS): (Tables A3, B2) Whereas the juniper woodland areas <br />• had a fairly high contribution of cover from annual species, this was not the case with <br />the mixed shrub community. Annual species absolute cover dropped to 1.5% in the <br />baseline area and 0.4% in the reference area. An increase in the absolute cover <br />contributed by the shrub/tree lifeform (especially by Gambel oak and servicebeny <br />(Arrtelanchier alrtifolia)) brought with it a dramatic increase in total vegetative and total <br />non-noxious, perennial vegetative absolute cover versus the Juniper Woodland <br />community. The MS baseline community had an estimated 70.196 vegetative cover <br />and 68.0% non-noxious, perennial cover. The latter value is extremely high. The <br />operator should explore options other than using reference areas to determine success as <br />they become available (for instance, a technical standard based on literature sources). <br />As the regulations are presently written, a reference area is the only practical option. <br />• <br />13 <br />