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Sulphur flower (Eriogonum umbellatum), arrowleaf balsamroot, pacific aster (Virgulaster <br />• ascendens), and American vetch (Vicia americans) each accounted for 2-3% of total vegetation <br />cover. Present in low quantitative abundance were both native and introduced annual and <br />biennial forbs, and introduced perennial cool season grasses. Also present were introduced <br />perennial forbs. <br />Total vegetation cover for the area was 52.2 percent..Litter comprised 36.6 percent, bare soil <br />occupied 7 percent, and standing dead 4.2 percent. <br />PRODUCTION <br />(Table 21) <br />Herbaceous production averaged 1,946.8 Ibslacre. Alfalfa was not present. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Climatic Conditions <br />The year between the July 2002 sampling and the July 2003 sampling included a dry late fall and <br />early winter followed by alternating months below and above average (Figures 6a and 6b). July <br />• 2003 was extremely dry. When compared to other years in which monitoring has occurred back <br />to 1989, the cumulative 12 months previous precipitation total ranked 2003 in the lower third <br />relative to other years in that period (Figures 7a and 7b). For the cumulative 6 month comparison <br />(Figure 8a) and the cumulative 4 month comparison (Figures 9a), the 2003 value is in the middle <br />of the range since 1993. The cumulative six month (Figure Sb) and four month (Figure 9b) <br />precipitation values back to 1989 show that 2003 was just slightly below the 15-year average. <br />With regard to temperature, cumulative January through June 2003 warmth was only very slightly <br />below average meaning that statistically, warmth was also close to "normal." <br />Cover <br />Calculation of 90 percent of the cover performance standard appropriate for 2003 <br />sampling is demonstrated below. <br />Mountain Brush Reference Area herbaceous cover x 2 = 7.8 x 2 = 15.6 <br />Sagebrush Reference Area herbaceous cover x 2 = 29.1 x 2 = 58.2 <br />90 percent of the Cover Standard = 0.90[0.83(15.6) + 0.17(58.2)] = 20.6% <br />As can be seen in Figure 1, the allowable herbaceous cover of all reclaimed areas falls above the <br />• standard set by the Mountain Brush and Sagebrush reference areas. <br />13 <br />