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studied). Western jumping mice (Zo us rinse s) and ermine (Mustela ermines) are • found exclusively in the Trout Creek riparian and chickarees (Ta miasciurus hudsonicus) and Gapper's red-backed vole (Clethrionomys a eri) are found ex- clusively in the aspen. Although these four mammals occur at low density or abundance, their specificity to habitat type would allow them to serve as good indicators of the health of these communities. Mountain Shrub - During density estimates, the mountain shrub ranked fourth in density and second in diversity by a slight margin over aspen and two other habitat types (Exhibit 2.7-8). During seasonal abundance estimates, this habitat ranked fifth in abundance and second in diversity (Exhibit 2.7-9). Sagebrush - The fourth habitat is the sagebrush which occurs as a dense vegetation area between The mountain shrub and the riparian zone along Trout Creek. It ranked fourth in density and seasonal abundance estimates (Exhibit 2.7-8, 2.7-9). Four rodent species occur in this habitat (Table 2.7-7, 2.7-8), with the deer mouse as the dominant capture. Unreclaimed - During density estimation, the pre-law mining area ranked fifth in density and diversity (Exhibit 2.7-8). On a seasonal basis it ranked second in abundance and fifth in diversity (Exhibit 2.7-9). Six rodents and one insectivore • were captured in the September grid trapping (Table 2.7-7). Only four rodent species were captured during the iransect trapping (Table 2.7-8). Deer mice are the dominant species in this type. The high diversity found in density estimates and the low diversity in abundance estimates are due to placement of the trapping grid and the transect. The grid traps were concentrated in seep areas and Thick aspen, mountain brush stands, plus bare ground. The seasonal Transects, with Traps spaced at 40m intervals, could not adequately sample these patchy areas of vegetation. Reclaimed Gross - The sixth habitat type is reclaimed grass. During September density estimates, trapping was done in two variations of reclaimed grass habitat. One was an area without topsoil disturbed four years previously and the second area was two years old and had topsoil. Reclaimed grass with topsoil supported the lowest density and the lowest diversity of any area on the mine permit area (Exhibit 2.7-8). Of The four rodents captured, single captures were made of two voles and one wood-rat, the remaining captures were deer mice (Table 2.7-4). The reclaimed grass without topsoil, with denser stands of grass, supported the second highest density and a low diversity • slightly above the other reclaimed grass (Exhibit 2.7-8). During seasonal abundance 2.7-37