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current year aboveground biomass of herbaceous vegetation, as defined by DRMS Regulation <br />4.15.8(4). <br />Vegetation cover will be measured by a point intercept method that meets the provisions of <br />DRMS Regulation 4.15.11(1)(a)(I). The observational unit will be a series of points along a <br />transect at least 5 meters and typically 50 meters in length and at least 50 data points and most <br />normally 100 data points located at either regular or random intervals along the transect. A point <br />sampling device supported by a rigid frame will be used to ensure unbiased and vertical point <br />placement. <br />Herbaceous production will be measured by a quadrant sampling method that meets the <br />provisions of DRMS Regulation 4.15.11(1)(b)(I). The observational unit will be a circular plot <br />frame of at least one quarter square meters in diameter and large enough to encompass individual <br />plants of the larger species being sampled. Current year growth of perennial herbaceous non - <br />woody species will be clipped by plant life forms within each quadrant. The sampled plant <br />material will be bagged and taken to the laboratory for drying and weighing. Samples will be <br />oven -dried at 105 degrees C for a period of 24 hours or until a constant weight is attained, as <br />recommended on page 8 of the Vegetation Guideline. <br />Transect locations will be located by using a random number generating procedure to create up <br />to 50 random coordinate pairs within the reclamation study area. A geographic positioning <br />system (GPS) unit will be used to navigate to the sample points, in the order that the points were <br />randomly generated. Cover transects will be oriented along a random compass bearing from the <br />point of origin. Typically, if production sampling is done concurrently with cover sampling, <br />randomly located one - quarter square meter or larger quadrants will be placed along the transect <br />tape. Cover will be calculated as percent total cover for each transect, and the mean calculated <br />for the study area. Production will be calculated by multiplying the sample dry weight and <br />converted to pounds per acre. <br />Management Plan for the Irrigated Pasture Reference Area <br />Section 2.05.4(2)(e) Page 23 January 2012 <br />