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• Idaho Fescue and Carpet Phlox were the other dominate plants on this site, contributing 10.44, <br />8.73, 8.35 and 3.41 percent, respectively, of the total relative cover on this area. <br />The locations of the 15 cover transects sampled on this site are shown on Map 1, Big Sagebrush <br />Reference Area -Vegetation Transect Location Map. Copies of the individual field data sheets <br />for the plant cover sampling of this site are found in Appendix A -Copies of Big Sagebrush <br />Reference Area -Plant Cover Field Data Sheets. The samgle adequacy calculations in Table 2, <br />Mao Mine Sample Adequacy Calculations, document that the number of samples required to <br />describe this site at the 90 percent confidence interval was 7.6 transects. <br />Production. The results obtained from the 30 production transects sampled on this site are <br />presented in Table 4, Big Sagebrush Reference Area -Production The average total production <br />on this site was determined to equal 8.68 g/1/4mz or 309.4 pounds of air-dry forage per acre. <br />Perennial grasses contributed an average of 6.38 g/I/4mz or 73.50 percent of the total herbaceous <br />forage production Perennial forts, contributed an average of 1.67g/I/4mz or 19.24 percent of <br />the total herbaceous production. Annuals, consisting almost totally of an annual native Beeplant, <br />contributed a total of 0.62 g/1/4mz or 7.14 percent of the total herbaceous production <br />Table 20 of the Kerr Permit reports that in 1980, the herbaceous production on this reference <br />area was reported to equal 4.76 g!1 /4mz or 169.6 pounds of air-dry forage. In 1996, RMR <br />reported that the total herbaceous production averaged of 2.76 g/1/4mz or 98.4 pounds of air-dry <br />forage per acre. In 1999, ESCO reported that the average herbaceous forage production on this <br />• site averaged 10.25 g/1/4mz which is the equivalent of 365.3 pounds of air-dry forage per acre. <br />In 2005, the production on this site was found to average 1250 g/1/4mz or 445.5 pounds of air- <br />dry forage per acre. The slightly lower production value obtained in 2006 is believed to be <br />largely due to the fact fewer samples were located in the dense area of Wyoming Big Sagebmsh. <br />Although examination of Table 2, Marr Mine Sample Adequacy Calculations, reveals that the <br />forage production on this site at the 90 percent confidence interval was determined to equal 62.2 <br />transects, Kerr instead used the reverse null approach and written guidance received from the <br />RMS stating that sampling could stop after 30 transects to demonstrate success of reclaimed <br />production. The locations of the 30 production transects are shown on Map 1, Big Sagebn~sh <br />Reference Area -Vegetation Transect Location Map. Copies of the original field data sheets for <br />this area are found in Appendix B -Copies of Big Sagebrush Reference Area -Production Field <br />Data Sheets. <br />ALKALI SAGEBRiJSH REFERENCE AREA <br />Cover. The results obtained from the 15 cover transects sampled on this site yielded an average <br />total plant cover value of 31.00 percent and litter averaged I9.13 percent (Table 5, Alkali <br />Sagebrush Reference Area -Plant Cover.) <br />Shrubs dominated the plant cover on this site, contributing 22.87 percent of the total cover or <br />73.77 percent of the total relative cover on this reference area. Perennial grasses contributed a <br />• total of 5.20 percent of the total cover and 16.77 percent of the total relative cover on this site. <br />7 <br />