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www.bio-geo.com <br />Table 7. Summary and comparison of vegetation cover data measured at Dryland Pasture reclaimed <br />area and Dryland Pasture reference area, 2008. <br />Cover is mean absolute % cover unless <br />otherwise noted. Dryland Pasture <br />Reclaimed Area 2008 Dryland Pasture <br />Reference Area 2008 <br />Nonve etated* 78.2 81.7 <br />Noxious weeds* 0 0 <br />Annual grasses 4.4 0.7 <br />Annual forbs 2.4 8.9 <br />Total annual plants absolute cover 6.8 9.6 <br />Total annual plants (relative cover, = <br />absolute cover of annuals / absolute cover of <br />all vegetation excluding noxious weeds 31.1 52.5 <br />Shrubs 0 5.1 <br />Perennial grasses 14.1 0.6 <br />Perennial forbs 1.0 2.9 <br />Total mean cover of desirable plants 21.9 18.3 <br />Standard deviation of z 6.5 4.4 <br />Q =90% of the standard 16.5 <br />Number of samples 20 15 <br />Sample adequacy demonstrated Yes Yes <br />*Not counted toward total cover of desirable plants <br />As in 2007, the amount of nonvegetated cover (mostly bare ground) was similar for the 2 areas, <br />and total mean cover and the variance of the means were also similar. However, differences <br />exist between the 2 areas in plant species composition. Shrubs, mostly snakeweed, comprised <br />about 31 % relative cover in the reference area, but no shrubs were measured in the reclaimed <br />area. Total cover of perennial herbaceous vegetation was much greater in the reclaimed area <br />than in the reference area, unlike 2007 when total cover of perennial herbaceous vegetation <br />was similar between the 2 areas. The largest difference in 2008 was the much lower cover of <br />the perennial forb groundsel, apparently due to climatic conditions in spring 2008. Annuals <br />contributed substantially to cover in both areas, but unlike the previous year, in 2008 the relative <br />cover of annuals in the reference area exceeded the relative cover of annuals in the reclaimed <br />area. Therefore, all of the annuals were included in the 2008 total cover of desirable plants in <br />the reclaimed area, and no adjustment to total cover was necessary. <br />Comparison to standard. Sample adequacy was demonstrated in the reclaimed area and the <br />reference area. Mean cover in the reclaimed area (21.9%) exceeds Q (16.5%). Therefore, no <br />statistical comparison is necessary and revegetation is deemed successful for cover in the <br />Dryland Pasture reclaimed area for 2008. <br />Production, Dryland Pasture 2008 <br />2008 data for each production plot are shown in the following tables in Appendix A: <br />Table A15: Production, Dryland Pasture reference area, 2008 <br />Table A16: Production, Dryland Pasture reclaimed area, 2008 <br />18