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2005 Edna Mine Vegetation Sampling Report <br />0 2. Reference Areas <br />As described in the sampling plan, snowberry/sage and oak mountain shrub vegetation <br />communities were the dominant vegetation communities within the mining disturbance <br />area. The mining disturbance acreage within these two vegetation communities was <br />measured in order to weigh vegetation parameter values based on their respective <br />reference areas. This analysis determined that 83% of the disturbed area was <br />snowberry/sage and 17% was oak mountain shrub. <br />Snowberry/sage and oak mountain shrub reference areas were sampled in 2005 for <br />herbaceous cover and herbaceous production. The mean herbaceous cover and <br />herbaceous production values from these areas were used to establish weighted values. <br />These weighed mean values were established using the following equation: <br />Xw=(. 83 *Xss)+(. 17 *Xom ) <br />Xw = weighted mean <br />Xss = herbaceous cover or production mean of snowberry/sage reference area <br />xom = herbaceous cover or production mean of oak mountain shrub reference area <br />See Table 2-1 for a statistical summary of the reference areas. The weighed mean of the <br />herbaceous cover standard was calculated to be 24.0% (83% of 24.1 + 17% of 23.7). <br />. The herbaceous production standard was calculated to be 80.3 g/m2 (83% of 87.6 + 17% <br />of 44.4). The West Ridge BRU: Topsoiled and Moffat BRU: Topsoiled vegetation <br />parameters were compared to the reference areas' weighed means to evaluate <br />vegetation performance on the reclaimed lands. <br />2.1. Supporting Documentation <br />Tables 2-1 through 2-5 summarize vegetation data and statistical tests for the <br />snowberry/sage and oak mountain shrub reference areas. Tables 2-6 and 2-7 provide a <br />list of the community plant species sampled at the respective reference areas. Figures 2- <br />1 and 2-2 are site photographs, and Figures 2-3 and 2-4 display transect location maps <br />for the reference areas. <br />• <br />Habitat Management, Inc. 3