Laserfiche WebLink
• <br /> <br />uplands or benches (mesic sub-type), some steeper north-facing slopes (mesic sub-type) and steeper <br />southeast-facing slopes (xeric sub-type). As indicated on Table V1, a total of 93 plant species were <br />documented from this community type in the baseline study area and 35 taxa in the reference area. No <br />sensitive species or noxious weeds were observed within either of these areas. Plates V25 through V30 <br />provide photographic documentation of this community in the study area, as well as the reference area, <br />at the time of sampling. <br />3.6.1 Sagebrush Baseline Study Area <br />Review of Table V8 and Chart V1 indicates that the average vegetation cover of the Sagebrush <br />community was 55.24%. Litter and rock provided an average of 25.5% and 2.5% of the ground cover, <br />respectively, while bare ground exposure averaged 16.8%. The dominant plant species were mountain <br />big sagebrush, western wheatgrass, Japanese brome, and Sandberg bluegrass with 17.0%, 4.4%, 3.6% <br />and 3.3% of the ground cover, respectively. Perennial plants (excluding noxious weeds) contributed <br />88% of the total plant cover (48.7% average cover) while annual species and noxious weeds contributed <br />12% and 0.0% of the composition, respectively. Perusal of Table V10 indicates that a total of 7 <br />perennial species contributed at least 3% relative cover or composition (3% is the typical lower limit for <br />plant diversity bond release evaluations). Four of those species were grasses, one was a forb, and two <br />were shrubs. <br />Review of Tables V11 and Chart V3 indicates that the average herbaceous production of this area in <br />C <br />2005 was 774 pounds per acre, oven-dry weight. Ninety percent (694 pounds per acre) of the total <br />herbaceous production is attributable to perennials, with grasses contributing 506 lbs./acre, forbs <br />providing 149 lbs./acre, and sub-shrubs adding 40 lbs./acre. Ten percent (77 pounds per acre) of the <br />total production is attributable to annuals, with grasses contributing 49 lbs./acre and forbs providing 28 <br />lbs./acre. Noxious weeds contributed 0.4% or 3.3 pounds per acre to the average herbaceous <br />production. <br />Perusal of Tables V12 and Chart V4 indicates that the estimated woody plant density in this area <br />was 4,156 woody plants per acre. The shrub lifeform accounts for 99% of the total (4,152 plants per <br />acre) with trees contributing the remaining 1% of the total (3.2 plants per acre). Mountain big <br />sagebrush was the dominant woody species with 2,378 plants per acre followed by mountain snowberry <br />and low rabbitbrush at 740 and 589 plants per acre, respectively. <br />CIEI(DA1Pd =IZIK AMCUT ES, INC. <br />Page 29 <br />2005 Collom Vegetation Survey <br />s