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and shrub density at the 90 percent confidence interval or until the required reverse null <br />standard, as defined in Section 4.15.11 of the regulations was satisfied. <br />Transect Locations. The locations as well as the bearings of all of the cover, production and <br />shrub density transects sampled in this evaluation for each reclamation site and corresponding <br />reference area sampled are shown on the enclosed maps. The specific details corresponding to <br />each reclamation area or reference area sampled will be discussed in connection with the <br />discussion pertaining to each site. <br />ALKALI SAGEBRUSH REFERENCE AREA <br />Cover. The results obtained from the 15 cover transects sampled on this site are found in Table <br />3, Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area - 2010 Plant Cover. Total plant cover on this site averaged <br />37.60 percent and litter averaged 23.66 percent (Table 3, Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area - <br />20 10 Plant Cover.) <br />Shrubs dominated the plant cover on this site, contributing 24.67 percent of the total cover or <br />65.60 percent of the total relative cover on this reference area. Perennial grasses contributed a <br />total of 8.53 percent of the total cover and 22.70 percent of the total relative cover on this site. <br />Perennial forbs contributed a total of 4.40 percent of the total cover or 11.70 percent of the total <br />relative cover on this site. <br />Alkali Sagebrush was the dominant plant species growing on this site, contributing a total of <br />14.67 percent of the total cover and 39.00 percent of the total relative cover on this site. Douglas <br />Rabbitbrush, Prairie Junegrass, Wyoming Big Sagebrush, and Carpet Phlox were the other <br />dominants on this site, contributing 17.73, 9.92, 8.69 and 6.36 percent, respectively, of the total <br />relative cover on this area. <br />Table 26 of the Ken Permit states that in 1980, total plant cover on this site averaged 38.0 <br />percent. When RMR sampled this site in 1996, they reported that the total plant cover averaged <br />50.16 percent. In the 1999 sampling of this site, ESCO reported that total plant cover averaged <br />33.4 percent. When IME sampled this site in 2005, they reported that total plant cover averaged <br />31.07 percent. In 2009, RVIE reported that the total plant cover on this site averaged 32.13 <br />percent. <br />The locations of the 15 cover transects sampled on this site in 2010 are shown on Map 1, Alkali <br />Sagebrush Reference Area - 2010 Vegetation Transect Location Map. The sample adequacy <br />calculations in Table 2, Marr Mine - 2010 Statistical Summary and Sample Adequacy <br />Calculations, document that the number of samples required to describe this site at the 90 <br />percent confidence interval was 2.8 transects. <br />Production. The results obtained from the sampling of the 30 production transects on the Alkali <br />Sagebrush Reference Area are presented in Table 4, Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area - 2010 <br />Production. Total herbaceous forage production on this location averaged 3.55 g/1 /4m or 126.5 <br />pounds or air -dry forage per acre. Perennial grasses averaged 2.79 g/1 /4m and contributed <br />