West Mojave Plan FEIR/S - Desert Managers Group

LaRue characterized substrates at the 19 sites as “sandy” for 16 sites (84%) and “rocky”for the remaining three sites (16%). This is consistent with numerous reports in the literature,and with observations for the other 1998 survey sites.The abundance and diversity of annual plants is directly related to the amount and timingof rainfall and temperature. Although rainfall data were not analyzed for Aardahl-Roush’strapping effort in 1985 or for LaRue’s in 1998, the numbers of annual plants were similar.Aardahl and Roush reported between 12 and 33 annual plant species (average of 22 species) ontheir 19 sites, compared to between 3 and 38 species (average 19.5) on the 102 sites where MGShas been observed; there were between 7 and 47 species (average 23 species) in previouslyidentifiedmedium and high quality habitats.Ord-Rodman Winterfat and Hopsage Survey (1998): During the 1998 survey, 34transects were surveyed in the Ord-Rodman mountains area to see if winterfat and hopsage maybe associated with MGS occurrence (LaRue, 1998 unpublished data). This area is to the south,east, and northeast of the known. Either winterfat and/or hopsage were found on 14 (41%) of the34 transects. These 14 sites were associated with (from west to east) Highway 247 in StoddardValley, Highway 247 in Lucerne Valley (to south of Cougar Butte), and along Camp Rock Road(both north and south of the bend that is located east of the Maumee Mine). Neither species wasfound on the 11 eastern-most transects, which were surveyed along Bessemer Mine and BoxCanyon roads between Highway 247 and the Rodman Mountains. These data are insufficient toconclude that winterfat and hopsage are uncommon or absent from the region, but they appear tobe less common in the survey areas as one proceeds to the east.Neither winterfat nor hopsage were as common as they were on the 48 high abundancetransects found within the range. When the numbers of winterfat and hopsage are combined forthe Ord-Rodman area, only 1 (3%) of the 34 transects had more than 100 individuals (158 plantswere observed on one transect located along Camp Rock Road, south of the NewberryMountains). Two adjacent transects had the next highest combined counts of 81 and 68, andwere located within several miles of each other, along Highway 247, several miles west ofBessemer Mine Road.As such, only 1 (3%) of 34 transects surveyed in the Ord-Rodman area, outside theknown MGS range, had more than 100 plants per transect, compared to 48 (15%) of 310transects found within the range. It would appear, pending more study (particularly closer to theknown range in western Stoddard Valley and Brisbane Valley), that winterfat and hopsage maybe more prevalent within the known range.3.3.3.4 MGS Associations with Regional Plant CommunitiesAs of July 2002, the CNDDB listed locations for 260 MGS occurrences; 252 of these arewithin the range and 8 are just outside; one of these is five or six miles east of Barstow, and wasprobably a round-tailed ground squirrel that was misidentified. Only the 252 records within therange are included in the following discussions. When these occurrences are compared to the 1996Chapter 3 3-155