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to be physically sampled). If the boundary of an area was encountered before reaching the full length of a <br />transact, the orientation of the transact was turned 90° in the appropriate direction so the transact could <br />be completed. In this manner, boundary transacts were retained entirely within the target unit by <br />°bouncing" off the boundaries. Production quadrats were always oriented 9d° to the right (clockwise) of <br />the ground cover transact and placed one meter from the starting point so as to avoid any trampled <br />vegetation. Because sample adequacy for ground cover measurement is typically reached well in <br />advance of production measurement, any sample point in the revegetated area evenly divisible by 3 was <br />skipped for cover. This protocol was maintained for all revegetafion sample points. With regard to the <br />reference area, points evenly divisible by 2 were skipped for cover and ground cover sampling ceased <br />once both a minimum of 15 antl an adequate sample had been collected. <br />2.2 Determination of Grountl Cover <br />Ground cover at each sample point was determined utilizing the line-transact point-intercept <br />methodology as illustrated on Figure 1. As indicated in this figure, Cedar Creek utilizes new state-of-the- <br />art instrumentation it has pioneered to facilitate much more rapid and accurate collection of data. A <br />. transact of 10 meters length was extended in the direction of the next sampling location from the flagged <br />center of each systematically located sample point. At each one-meter interval along this transact, a <br />"laser point bar" was situated parallel to, and approximately 4.5 to 5.0 feet vertically above the ground <br />surface. A set of t0 readings was recorded as to hits on vegetation (by species), litter, rock (>2mm), or <br />bare soil. Hits were determined at each meter interval by activating a battery of 10 low-energy <br />specialized lasers" situated along the bar at 10 centimeter intervals and recording the variable <br />intercepted by each of the narrowly focused (0.02") beams (see Figure 1). In this manner, a total of 100 <br />intercepts per transact were recorded resulting in 1 percent cover per intercept. All reclaimed area <br />vegetation, as well as the majority of reference area vegetation (especially herbaceous and shrub strata) <br />was subject to sampling. This methodology and instrumentation facilitates the collection of the most <br />unbiased, repeatable, and precise ground cover data possible. Identification and nomenclature of plant <br />species follows Weber and Wittman's Colorado Flora: Western Slooe -Revised Edition: 1996: University <br />Press of Colorado. Niwot. Colorado. <br />. ~~ Lasers utilized for this instrument are stateof-Ihe-art and of specialized design to emit a unique electro-magnetic <br />wavelength visible under full sunlight, a condition prevausty not possible with portable low-energy lasers. <br />Q;saam a azs®csa x~, me Page 7 rionn rnompaon Creels Mlnea Phase 116111 Bond neleaee Evaluatbn <br />