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Lorenciro Canyon Mine - Veeerarion Techdcd ReOOrt • Shrub density for this study area was calculated to be 7,895.81 woody stems per hectare. Gambel oak dominated the woody stem count and mountain mahogany was second. Production in this study area totaled 126.21 pounds per acre. This measurement was found to be within a 90 percent confidence interval for production as compared to the reference area. Thus, the null hypothesis was accepted. Oak/Pinyon Reference Area Donunant perennial grasses in the oak/pinyon reference area included narrow-leaf sedge and blue grams at 1.9 and 3.2 percent cover, respectively. The dominant perennial forb was cudweed sagewort. Two annual forbs, annual buckwheat and black medic, were observed during the cover transect data collection. Gambel oak accounted for 11.3 percent of the vegetative cover within the oak/pinyon commurtiry. Litter was lower in this area, comprising 39.7 percent of the cover in any one transect. Rock and bare ground were low. Shrub density for this reference area was calculated to be 11,438.67 woody stems per hectare. Production in this reference area totaled 127.34 pounds per acre. Coniferous Forest Disturbed Area • Originally, a refuse azea was proposed in a coniferous forest area in Bonita Canyon. Therefore, the area proposed for disturbance and a reference area in the coniferous forest community type were quantitatively sampled. The understory was moderately vegetated in these partially-closed canopy forests. Litter build-up was high and was as much as one-foot thick in some areas. Dominant understory grasses include blue grams and bluegrass at 6.5 and 4.3 mean absolute cover. Dandelion was the only annual forb hit within the sample transects. Dominant forbs include trailing fleabane, wooly cinquefoil, and hymenopappus at 2.1, 0.7, and 0.7 mean absolute cover respectively. An occasional shrub layer or mid-story strata was observed and is dominated by fringed sage. Litter accounted for 55 percent of the total cover and bare ground and rock were negligible. Tables V-12 to V-15 present the raw quantitative data. The overstory was dominated by Gambel oak, one-seed juniper, and mountain mahogany. However, the ponderosa pine was visually dominant and this led to the categorization of this community type as coniferous forest and not oak/pinyon pine. These deciduous species dominate the woody stem count because they sucker and create numerous individuals over time. Coniferous species occur as distinct individuals and aze counted as such. Woody stem density was 112 stems per hectare. Production was calculated at 94.62 pounds per acre. Results are reported ¢t this document on this community type, but no t-test was run to compaze this area to the coniferous forest reference azea. LJ Veg.475/April 2a. 19Y1 18 ([evised 4/24/97)