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biennial cover averaging 7.9% and noxious weed cover averaged 0.1 %. Dominant taxa were mountain <br />big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), mountain snowberry (Symphoricarpus oreophilus), cheatgrass, <br />Letterman's needlegrass (Stipa lettermanii), and tailcup lupine (Lupins caudatus) with 12.3 %, 6.6 %, <br />6.2 %, 4.7 %, and 4.6% average cover, respectively. With regard to diversity, the Mountain Shrub <br />Reference Area exhibited 6 perennial grasses and 1 perennial forb with between 3% and 50% relative <br />cover. <br />3.2.2 Sagebrush Reference Area <br />The Sagebrush Reference Area is comprised of approximately 4.7 acres of gently to moderately <br />sloping vegetation that has a predominately northerly aspect (see Plate 4). This reference area is <br />located on a gently sloping ridge north of the Administration / Facilities Area. A total of 30 plant taxa <br />were observed in this reference area (see Table 3). Ground cover in the Sagebrush Reference Area <br />(Table 1) consisted of 57.9% live vegetation, 2.4% rock, 25.6% litter, and bare soil exposure of 14.2 %. <br />Perennial cover across the unit averaged 34.7% with annual and biennial cover averaging 23.2 %. <br />Dominant taxa were cheatgrass, mountain big sagebrush, prairie junegrass (Koeleria macrantha), <br />western wheatgrass, and Sandberg's bluegrass (Poa secunda), with 22.1 %, 9.6 %, 4.9 %, 4.3 %, and <br />3.7% average cover, respectively. With regard to diversity, the Sagebrush Reference Area exhibited 4 <br />perennial grasses and 0 perennial forbs with between 3% and 50% relative cover. <br />CEDAR CREEK ASSOCIATES, Inc. Page 10 Colowyo Coal Company <br />2008 Phase II Evaluation (Updated Dec -10) <br />