2017-06-07_PERMIT FILE - C2010089A (2)

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line 180 degrees. Where the 50 -meter tape could not be placed within a narrow vegetation polygon due to boundary constraints, then the transect alignment was changed 90 degrees at the point where the boundary line was crossed to ensure that the entire transect alignment was located within the area to be sampled. Plant Cover Plant cover was evaluated by randomly sampling ten previously identified intervals along the outstretched 50 -meter transect tape. At each designated sample point, an inclined metal ten -point frame, one meter in height was positioned perpendicular to the tape and a sharpened metal rod was dropped. Each designated interval was sampled at approximately ten -centimeter intervals along the ten -point frame. Even transect random numbers were sampled on the right-hand side of the tape and odd numbers were sampled on the left-hand side of the tape. In the wetland vegetation type, due to the long, often linear alignment of these polygons, where the transect alignment would have resulted in multiple bends in the 50 meter transect tape, a shorter 5 meter transect length was used. In these instances, the random sample intervals generated for the 50 meter transect length were converted to decimeters. Each observation was recorded as to the specific plant species encountered as the sharpened rod was dropped. If no plant cover was encountered, then the observation was recorded as to the presence of plant litter, rock, bare ground, lichens or cryptograms. Plant material produced in the 2009 growing season which was still attached to the plant was considered as living plant material and the dead plant material which had fallen to the ground was considered to be litter. The 100 data points collected along each transect were then summarized into a single datum for purposes of statistical analysis. Absolute and relative plant cover, species diversity, and plant life forms were determined based upon the observations collected in sampling the plant cover. Production Along the transect alignment described for plant cover, three randomly located circular one- quarter square meter plots were clipped along each vegetation transect line. These plots were clipped by life forms for perennial grasses and perennial forbs. As found in the requirements of Rule 4.15.11, shrub, subshrubs, annuals and noxious weeds were not clipped, since they cannot count toward revegetation production success standards. The production samples were taken along the same transect used for cover and shrub density sampling. The three clip plots were then averaged into a single transect datum for purposes of statistical analysis. For each area sampled, a minimum of 30 production transects were used for sample adequacy calculations. Section 2.04.10 Page 7 of 36 June 2016 (TR -14)