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(Cercocarpus montanus), and Saskatoon serviceberry. Native perennial cool season grasses <br />made moderate contributions to cover with 12.2 percent. Also observed in the area was the <br />noxious weed hound's- tongue. <br />Total average vegetation cover for all hits was 43.5 percent. For herbaceous vegetation, total <br />average cover for all hits was 17.3 percent. Cover by standing dead, litter, bare soil and rock <br />averaged 2.7, 20.9, 27.2 and 9.5 percent, respectively. Average species density was 26.2 <br />species per 100 sq. m. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Climatic Conditions <br />The year preceding sampling in July 2010 included well below average moisture from late <br />summer in 2009 to early spring of 2010. This dry sequence was ended by a two month ,,Spike" of <br />precipitation in April and May 2010 (Figures 4a and 4b). When compared to other years in which <br />monitoring has occurred back to 1987, the cumulative 12 months total precipitation prior to <br />sampling ranked 2010 as the second lowest of the 24 years of record (Figure 5b). Total <br />precipitation for the previous six months was slightly above average for the period of record back <br />to 1987 (Figure 6b). The cumulative four month precipitation values back to 1987 (Figure 7b) <br />show that 2010 was still slightly above the 24-year average as well. With regard to temperature, <br />cumulative January through June 2010 warmth was well below average, the fourth coldest on <br />recorded in the past 25 years (Figure 9). <br />Sample Adequacy Calculations <br />Sample adequacy of allowable herbaceous cover was achieved in each of the four reference <br />areas as well as the Phase II bond release block (see below and Table 9). Summaries of the <br />allowable herbaceous calculations for each area as they were needed for sample adequacy <br />calculation are as follows: <br />ASPEN EXTENDED REFERENCE AREA: <br />ANNUAL DEDUCTION CALCULATION: <br />Total All Hit Vegetation Cover 159.10 <br />Noxious Weed Cover _ 0.80