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<br />44ZU <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />poaching. The numbers of individuals affected in <br />different ways, however, cannot be stated. <br /> <br />(2) East Slope <br /> <br />There will be approximately 2,300 acres of montane <br />habitat that has been or will be permanently lost to <br />wildlife species. Species and their ecological relation- <br />ships are similar to those of the West Slope. The Project <br />completion will result in herd reductions for deer and elk <br />for management purposes. <br /> <br />There will be temporary disturbance of additional acreage. <br />This will result in the removal of climax flora and fauna <br />in some cases. This will result in an invasion by grazing <br />rodents and insectivores where the former habitat was <br />forest. Due to the openness of these areas,. avian <br />predators on small mammals will most likely replace <br />mammalian predators that were capable of taking large <br />and small mammals and birds. However, the effects here, <br />as on the West Slope, will be more severely felt by <br />highly specialized species, rather than the generalists. <br />In other words, species with adaptations to a very re- <br />stricted niche will more likely be eliminated than will <br />species that possess an extremely broad niche. A seed- <br />eating and browsing species, such as a squirrel, cannot <br />survive in grasslands, while a more generalist herbivore, <br />such as a deer mouse, can, although the latter may take <br />insects and spiders as well as feeding on seeds, conifer <br />mast, green vegetation, fruits, and fungi. The deer <br />mouse can also inhabit the forests. <br /> <br />In the foothills and plains, the permanent loss of <br />habitat totals 1,290 acres due to the inundation by <br />Pueblo Reservoir. This includes riparian timberlands <br />and grasslands; There will also be a loss of habitat <br />on the 4,900 acres of recreation lands surrounding the <br />reservoir. However, this loss will be restricted to <br />animals that are not compatible with the recreation <br />activities. Chief among these are big game species, <br />such as deer and antelope, and raptors. Cultivation <br />and human residence have essentially eliminated these <br />species from the area. However, there will also be <br />land set aside for the propagation of wildlife. Many <br />of these lands were disturbed range that did not support <br />a diversity of species prior to acquisition. <br /> <br />The two M&I water conduits will be buried and will result <br />in little permanent displacement of wildlife. There will <br />be temporary losses of about 2,500 acres of foothills and <br /> <br />IV-3D <br />