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<br />The preparation of PROBE data for analyses began with the initial <br />laboratory calibrati.on exercises prior to field site placement. The <br />documentation of those quality control measures used to gain usable data was <br />completed as a part of the Department's responsibilities. <br /> <br />The procedure and schedule of activities used to power-down, disassemble <br />and remove PROBE equipment are described. As part of the PROBE data handling, <br />the activities required to access the data are discussed. The gleaning of <br />errors from the data for analyses has been addressed as well as the exercises <br />required to select appropriate study cases. <br /> <br />As part of the second phase of the activities, analyses of data collected <br />from five previous years of rangeland impact studies were performed in Bozeman <br />by the Department and Montana State University scientists. The ecological <br />research was implemented during the first cooperative agreement to better <br />understand the short.-term impacts that might occur with a modified <br />growing-season rainfall regime. The impact studies addressed those aspects of <br />rangeland ecosystems which might be expected to alter quality and quantity of <br />range production and species. <br /> <br />The ecological studies were designed to study the short-term effects of <br />precipitation regimes on ecosystems native to eastern Montana. Sprinkler <br />irrigation treatments were used to simulate precipitation increases of 0, 6, 12 <br />and 25 mm/wk that were applied to the study plots. In addition, fall wet and <br />spring wet plots were set up and studied (Knudsen, et al., 1981). The study <br />plots were dominated by Agropyron smithii or Bouteloua gracilis grasses <br />depending on the research site. The studies were initially designed to include <br />5 years of data collection. Because of project termination, the data <br />collection ceased after four years, and conclusions were drawn from the <br />abbreviated data sets. <br /> <br />From the synopsis of the impact assessment analyses described above, some <br />of the results from those analyses are included in Appendices A - I of this <br />report. <br /> <br />Further analyses are still being conducted and reports on their results are <br />included as appendices to this report. Funding for continued analyses is also <br />being sought to better interpret the results from the impact assessment <br />studies. <br /> <br />3 <br />