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3.3 Shadscale Comparison Reveaetation Areas <br />In 2011, average ground cover of the Shadscale Comparison Revegetation Areas consisted of 47.8% <br />live vegetation, 12.7% rock, 15.6% litter, and bare ground exposure of 23.9 %. Perennial cover across <br />the unit averaged 22.2% with annual and biennial cover averaging 25.6 %. Dominant taxa were <br />cheatgrass, four -wing saltbush, and annual wheatgrass with 21.1 %, 4.6 %, and 3.3% average cover, <br />respectively. Sub - dominant species included forage kochia, thickspike wheatgrass (Eiymus ianceoiatus), <br />and galleta (Hi /aria jamesi6 with 3.2 %, 2.8 %, and 2.0% average cover, respectively. Current total <br />annual herbaceous production in the Shadscale Comparison Revegetation Areas totaled 516.5 pounds per <br />acre with perennials contributing 257.7 pounds per acre. Woody plant density averaged 1,800 shrubs <br />per acre and was primarily comprised of four -wing saltbush, greasewood, and shadscale, although there <br />were nine other shrub species encountered during the sampling effort (Table 10). This unit exhibited <br />12.7% total perennial cool- season grass cover and 18 observed species; a total perennial warm - season <br />grass cover of 5.3% with four species observed; and a total perennial forb and sub -shrub cover of 10.8% <br />with 20 species observed. There were no species that exceeded 70% relative cover on the Shadscale <br />Comparison Revegetation Areas in 2011. <br />Shadscale Comparison Revegetation - 2011 & 2012 <br />2011 <br />2012 <br />Average Live Vegetation Cover <br />47.8 <br />28.2 <br />Average Rock Cover <br />12.7 <br />14.1 <br />Average Litter Cover <br />15.6 <br />31.2 <br />Average Bare Ground Exposure <br />23.9 <br />26.5 <br />Average Perennial Cover <br />22.2 <br />21.2 <br />Average Annual and Biennial Cover <br />25.6 <br />7.1 <br />Dominant Taxa and % Average Cover <br />Cheatgrass <br />21.1% <br />Cheatgrass <br />6.0% <br />Four -wing saltbush <br />4.6% <br />Four -wing saltbush <br />5.1% <br />Annual wheatgrass <br />3.3% <br />Forage kochia <br />3.8% <br />Sub - Dominant Taxa <br />Forage kochia <br />3.2% <br />Galleta <br />1.6% <br />Thickspike wheatgrass l <br />2.8% <br />Greasewood <br />1.4% <br />Galleta <br />2.0% <br />Shadscale <br />1.2% <br />Herbaceous Production Total (lbs /acre) <br />516.5 <br />225.4 <br />Perennial Production Total (lbs /acre) <br />257.7 <br />174.2 <br />Ratio of Total Production to Perennial Production <br />2.0 <br />1.3 <br />Woody Plant Density (shrubs /acre) <br />1,800 <br />1,717 <br />Species exceeding 70% Relative Cover (Y /N) <br />No <br />No <br />Perennial Cool- Season Grass Relative Cover <br />12.7 <br />15.5 <br />Perennial Warm - Season Grass Relative Cover <br />5.3 <br />7.0 <br />Forb and Sub -Shrub Relative Cover <br />10.8 <br />21.6 <br />In 2012, average ground cover consisted of 28.2% live vegetation, 14.1% rock, 31.2% litter, and <br />bare ground exposure of 26.5 %. Perennial cover across the unit averaged 21.2 %, with annual and <br />biennial cover averaging 7.1 %. Dominant taxa were cheatgrass, four -wing saltbush, and forage kochia, <br />with 6.0 %, 5.1 %, and 3.8% average cover, respectively. Sub - dominant species included galleta, <br />CEDAR CREEK ASSOCIATES, Inc. Page 20 Snowcap - Phase III Bond Release <br />Evaluation - 2012 <br />