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1 <br />' HI. RESULTS _ <br />' Seven lifeforms were encountered during the sampling of the reclaimed and reference <br />area. They included graminoids, forbs, succulents, suffrutescent shrubs, woody <br />' shrubs, and cryptogams. Forty individual species were identified during sampling. <br />The plant species encountered and their locations aze presented in Table 1. <br />UPLAND SAGEBRUSH REFERENCE AREA <br />' The Upland Sagebrush Reference Area represents approximately 2.5 acres of <br /> undisturbed native vegetation adjacent to the New Horizon Mine 1 area. The reference <br /> area sits atop a small knoll immediately southeast of Pond 6. Reference area slopes are <br />' gentle on top (0-2 degrees) and steeper on the sides of the knoll (up to 18 degrees). <br /> Soils were generally silty in texture, often with a significant rock component (up to <br />' S0%). The vegetation community was visually dominated by the shrub Artemesia <br />tridentata (Big Sagebrush). Pinus edulis (Pinyon Pine) and luniperus osteosperma <br /> (Utah Juniper) were widely scattered on the slopes of the knoll surrounding the <br /> reference area. Specific sampling information for the reference area is contained in <br />' Table 2. <br />Seven lifeform classes were represented within the reference area; graminoids, forbs, <br />succulents, shrubs, suffrutescent shrubs, trees, and cryptogams. Total vegetation cover <br />of the reference area was 22.67% (excluding cryptogams). cryptogams accounted for <br />' 3.3% cover, litter 16.8% cover, rock 8.2% cover, and bare areas 49'.0% cover. Based <br />on wver sampling, graminoids represented 9.0% mean cover, forbs accounted for <br />' 0.5% mean cover, succulents 0.7% mean cover, shrubs and suffrutescent shrubs 10.3% <br />mean wver and tree species represented 2.2% mean cover. <br />' The dominant vascular plant species of the reference area (based on cover) was <br />Artemesia tridentata (Big Sagebrush). Artemesia lridentata accounted for 8.8% of the <br /> mean cover and 38.9% relative cover. Subdominant species representing more than <br /> 3% relative cover were: Bouteloua gracilis (Blue grams) at 3.3% mean cover (14.7% <br />' relative cover), Hilaria jamesii (Galetta) at 2.2% mean cover (9.6% relative cover), <br /> Stipa rnmata (Needle and Thread) at 2.0 % mean cover (8.8% relative cover), <br /> Juniperus osteosperma (Utah Juniper) at 1.8% mean cover (8.1 % relative wver), and <br /> Sitanion hystrix (Bottlebrush Squirreltai]) and Guterreaa sarothae (Broom Snakeweed) <br /> at 0.8% mean cover and 3.7°Jo relative cover each. <br />' <br /> The total number of species encountered during cover sampling was eighteen (18). <br /> Graminoids accounted for seven species, forbs four species, succulents two species, <br />' shrubs and suffrutescent shrubs three species, and trees two species. Of the species <br /> encountered on the reference area, sixteen were native and two were introduced. <br /> Perennial species outnumbered annual species by fifteen to three. Seasonality of <br />' reference area species was split between cool season, warm season, and evergreen <br /> species. <br />' 7 <br />