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<br />measurements). In addition, the canopy cover in the aspen community in the reference area was <br />visually estimated to average 32%. <br />3.1.3 Study Area - Reference Area Comparability <br />Review of Table V2 indicates that the total vegetation ground cover and production for the Aspen <br />baseline study area is comparable to the values obtained from the Aspen reference area. These <br />comparisons of the "tabular" versus "calculated" t-statistics on Table V2 also indicate strong success <br />given the Students t-test indicated by the guidelines. A two-sided t-test for two independent samples <br />was considered appropriate and the decision rules for this test were: <br />If t* t(o.95,n1+n2-2) , conclude that the two areas are unequal, and <br />If t* < t(o.95,n1+n2-2), conclude that the two areas are equal (for a = 0.05). <br />The tabular t values for an a = 0.05 and n-2 degrees of freedom (d.f.) and calculation of the <br />comparison t* statistic for comparison are as follows: <br />101 <br />Variable tabular t value t* statistic <br />Vegetation Cover 2.0117 1.1656 <br />Production 2.0025 1.7208 <br />Comparison of the calculated t-statistic (t*) for the two areas with the respective tabular tvalues <br />indicates that in each case t* is less than t. This results in the conclusion that the total vegetation <br />ground cover and production for the Aspen baseline study area is comparable (equal) to the values <br />obtained from the Aspen reference area. <br />3.2 Bottomland Community <br />Ul <br />This community type comprises 603.4 acres (4.43%) of the vegetation study area as indicated on <br />Map V1. The Bottomland community is largely a physiographic type that exhibits an aggregate of <br />vegetation sub-types (wetland, sagebrush, riparian bottom, grassland, and occasionally mountain shrub <br />at elevation) that are found in the relatively flat alluvial / colluvial deposits along the numerous drainages <br />within the study area. The Bottomland community generally has deep soils with higher moisture levels <br />due to the external contributions from slope outwash, flood flows, lateral subirrigation, and the <br />occasional seeps and springs. As indicated on Table V1 (excluding the wetland subtype), a total of 92 <br />plant species were documented from this community type in the baseline study area and 39 taxa in the <br />MDAR C1P31EIEK AMOCIIAT EB, INC. <br />Page 15 <br />2005 Collom Vegetation Survey