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TIPPLE REFERENCE AREA <br />Plant Cover. The results obtained from the 15 randomized cover transects sampled on this site <br />in 2010 are found in Table 10, Tipple Reference Area - 2010 Plant Cover. Total plant cover on <br />this site averaged 33.93 percent and litter averaged 19.93 percent (Table 10, Tipple Reference <br />Area - 2010 Plant Cover.) <br />Shrubs and subshrubs were the most dominant plant life form on this site contributing 17.13 <br />percent of the total cover or 50.49 percent of the total relative cover on this reference area. <br />Perennial forbs were the second most dominant plant life form and contributed a total of 9.47 <br />percent or 27.90 percent of the total relative cover on this site. Perennial grasses were the least <br />dominant plant life form and contributed a total of 7.33 percent of the total cover and 21.61 <br />percent of the total relative cover on this site. <br />Wyoming Big Sagebrush was the dominant plant species growing on this site, contributing a <br />total of 6.87 percent of the total cover and 20.24 percent of the total relative cover on this site. , <br />Carpet Phlox, Douglas Rabbitbrush, Rubber Rabbitbrush and Bluebunch Wheatgrass, were the <br />other dominant plants on this site, contributing 19.64, 13.75, 10.81 and 9.43 percent, <br />respectively, of the total relative cover on this area. <br />When IME sampled this site in 2005 total plant cover was 25.27 percent. When sampled in 2009, <br />HSAE reported that the total plant cover averaged 26.60 percent. <br />The locations of the 15 cover transects sampled on this site are shown on Map 3, Tipple <br />Reference Area - 2010 Vegetation Transect Location Map. The sample adequacy calculations in <br />Table 2, Marr Mine - 2010 Statistical Summary and Sample Adequacy Calculations, document <br />that the number of vegetation transects required to characterize the total plant cover on this site <br />at the 90 percent statistical confidence interval was 8.1 transects. <br />Production. The results obtained from the sampling of the 30 production transects on Tipple <br />Reference Area are presented in Table 11, Tipple Reference Area - 2010 Production. Total <br />herbaceous forage production on this location averaged 5.85 g/1 /4m or 208.5 pounds of air -dry <br />forage per acre. Perennial grasses averaged 4.08 g/1 /4m and contributed 69.74 percent of the <br />total herbaceous forage and perennial forbs, contributed an average of 1.77 g/1 /4m' or 30.26 <br />percent of the forage produced on this site. No annuals, biennials or noxious weeds were <br />encountered in the production sampling of this site. <br />When HvIE sampled this site in 2005, total herbaceous forage production averaged 3.78 g/1 /4m <br />or 134.7 pounds of air -dry forage per acre and when sampled in 2009, ROE reported that total <br />herbaceous forage production averaged 4.64 g/1 /4m or 165.4 pounds of air -dry forage per acre. <br />The locations of the 30 production transects sampled on this area are shown on Map 3, Tipple <br />Reference Area - 2010 Vegetation Transect Location Map. Examination of Table 2, Marr Mine <br />- 2010 Statistical Summary and Sample Adequacy Calculations, reveals that sample adequacy at <br />the 90 percent confidence interval was equal to 25.9 transects. <br />10 <br />