Laserfiche WebLink
. Tota! herbaceous production for all species averaged 578.1 pounds per acre. No alfalfa was <br />observed in this native reference area. <br />Discussion <br />Climatic Conditions <br />Of the twelve months between the July 2000 and the July 2001 sampling, eight were <br />below average in precipitation (Figures 6a and 6b). In particular, during the period of <br />March through July 2001, every month had below average precipitation (Figure 6b). <br />When compared to other years that monitoring has occurred back to 1987, the , <br />cumulative 12 months previous precipitation total ranked 2001 at or very near the bottom <br />(Figures 7a and 7b). Similarly for the cumulative 6 month comparison (Figures 8a and <br />8b) and the cumulative 4 month comparison (Figures 9a and 9b), the 2001 ranking is as <br />the driest or very nearly the driest of the 15-year record. With regard to temperature, <br />cumulative January through July 2001 warmth was closer to average than any of the <br />previous 15 years, meaning that extra warmth probably did not exaggerate the low <br />precipitation situation. <br />. Cover <br />Calculation of 90 percent of the cover pertormance standard appropriate for 2001 sampling is <br />demonstrated below. <br />Mountain Brush Reference Area herbaceous cover x 2 = 6.8 x 2 = 13.6 <br />Sagebrush Reference Area herbaceous cover x 2 = 33.8 x 2 = 67.6 <br />90% of the Cover Standard = 0.90[0.83(13.6) + 0.17(67.6)[ = 20.5 percent <br />As can be seen in Figure 1 a, the total cover of all reclaimed areas except Wadge Pasture falls <br />below the total cover for the woody plant dominated Mountain Brush and Sagebrush reference <br />areas. Figure 1 b depicts the comparison of herbaceous cover which is the basis of the Phase III <br />revegetation pertormance standard. As can be seen there, the two maturing reclamation areas <br />(1994 and 1997) both well exceed the cover standard. The very young 1999 reclamation as well <br />as the 1997 Shrub Establishment area in which seeding was foregone to minimize shrub <br />competition both are short on perennial herbaceous cover at this point. The 1999 area can be <br />expected to progress toward higher perennial cover. The 1997 Shrub area is likewise expected <br />to slowly accumulate growth of herbaceous perennials giving the woody plants present a chance <br />. to grow unimpeded. <br />14 <br />