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species contributed at least 3% relative cover or composition (30/o is the typical lower limit for plant <br />diversity bond release evaluations). Three of those species were grasses and one was a forb. <br />Review of Tables V11 and Chart V3 indicates that the average herbaceous production of this <br />reference area in 2005 was 1,476 pounds per acre, oven-dry weight. Ninety-nine percent (1,472 pounds <br />per acre) of the total herbaceous production is attributable to perennials, with grasses contributing 1,453 <br />lbs./acre and forbs providing 18 lbs./acre. Less than one percent (3 pounds per acre) of the total <br />production is attributable to annuals, with grasses contributing 3 lbs./acre and forbs providing 0 lbs./acre. <br />Noxious weeds contributed 0.1% or 1.3 pounds per acre to the average herbaceous production. <br />Perusal of Tables V12 and Chart V4 indicates that the estimated woody plant density in this area <br />was 6.7 woody plants per acre with the shrub lifeform accounting for 100% of the total. Rubber <br />rabbitbrush was the "dominant" woody species with 4 plants per acre. <br />3.7.2 Cropland <br />This minor community comprises 68.5 acres and is located in the northeast corner of the study area <br />next to the coal loadout and railroad loop (see Map V1). The land is leased by Mr. Wayne Counts who <br />plants row crops (typically wheat) on an every-other-year rotation. Intervening years the land is left <br />fallow, receiving only cultivation to reduce / remove weed invasion and preclude transpiration of soil <br />moisture. In 2005, Mr. Counts (pers. comm. to Mr. Steven R. Viert of Cedar Creek Associates, Inc., <br />August, 24, 2005), indicated that the dry-land croplands in the vicinity of the coal loadout (that had been <br />planted that year) produced at the rate of approximately 40 +/_ bushels per acre, but that this was an <br />exceptionally good year due to favorable weather and rainfall. In typical years, Mr. Counts indicated that <br />the normal production from these dry-land croplands was 30 +/_ bushels per acre. The portions of the <br />croplands internal to the vegetation study area were observed to be fallow during 2005. <br />3.7.3 Sage Grouse Target Habitat Reference Area <br />This reference area comprises 79.5 acres and is located on the flat upland between Collom and <br />Morgan Creeks (see Map V1) in an area that has received significant sagebrush reduction effort. As <br />indicated on Table V1, a total of 51 plant species were documented from this reference area with no <br />sensitive species being observed. The noxious weed Canada thistle was observed in this reference area. <br />Plates V31 and V32 provide photographic. documentation of this reference area at the time of sampling. <br />0 <br />CIEDARCMI KASB®CMUMS, ?vc. Page 33 2005 Collom Vegetation Survey