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RULE 4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS <br />Perennial Grass Perennial Forb <br />Annual Grass Annual Forb <br />Subshrub Noxious Weeds (if found) <br />All production samples will be returned to the lab for drying and weighing. Drying will occur at <br />1050 C until a stable weight is achieved (24 hours). Samples will then be re -weighed to the nearest <br />0.1 gram. <br />Determination of Woody Plant Density <br />Two sampling methods may be employed for monitoring woody plant density within Colowyo's <br />revegetated units. The first method, belt transects, may be employed when the size of the <br />monitoring unit exceeds one to two acres. At each sample site in such areas, a 2 -meter wide by <br />50 -meter long belt transect (or alternately 4 x 25 meter transect) should be established parallel to <br />the ground cover transect and in the direction of the next sampling point. All woody plants (shrubs <br />and trees) within each belt will be enumerated by species. Determination of whether or not a plant <br />may be counted is dependent upon the location of its main stem or root collar where it exits the <br />ground surface with regard to belt limits. A total of 5, 15 or 20 belt transects may be sampled for <br />each monitoring unit. <br />For bond release sampling with belts, sufficient samples must be collected to insure adequacy of <br />the effort (to facilitate valid testing) in accordance with one of the three methods under either Rule <br />4.15.11 (2), or Rule 4.15.11 (3). Depending on the selected protocol, care must be taken to collect <br />at least the minimum number of samples indicated (15, 30, 40, or 75, depending on the procedure <br />utilized). <br />The second method, total enumeration, may be employed for monitoring when the size of a unit is <br />less than approximately one to two acres in size. Total enumeration shall be the typical method <br />utilized for bond release purposes unless shrub patches are too large (e.g., greater than 10 to 15 <br />acres) to practically utilize this technique (in which case belts will be utilized). This method <br />involves total counts of woody plant populations as opposed to estimates of mean densities through <br />statistical sampling. Implementation of the total count technique would involve circumscribing <br />the boundaries of a target polygon with hip chain thread or similar visible designation. Once a <br />unit is circumscribed in this manner, a team of two or more biologists walking shoulder -to - <br />shoulder traverse the plot enumerating each plant by species. The person farthest inside the line <br />of observers trails hip chain thread, or other means, to mark their path to prevent missing or double <br />counting specimens on subsequent passes. The distance between observers should be 15 to 20 feet <br />or less depending on the height of grasses and the presence of low growing taxa such as rose or <br />snowberry. Each internal observer should also "zigzag" as the team progresses, occasionally <br />turning to view the area just passed to ensure visual coverage of the entire survey path. Constant <br />communication among crew members precludes double counting or missing of plants located <br />along the margins of observed paths. Results from total enumeration efforts can be compared <br />directly with success criteria without statistical testing. <br />Determination of Seedling Emergence <br />At each emergent density sample point (revegetation monitoring only), five one -square foot <br />quadrats should be blindly tossed to the ground and the number of emergents rooted within the <br />Rule 4 Performance Standards 4-79 Revision Date: 5/25/18 <br />Revision No.: RN -07 <br />