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Section 779.20 (c) Continued. <br />• material; and (iii) Indirect impacts res~ilti.ng _'ro^ changes in <br />physical attributes of soil materials causing insufficient or <br />poor revegetation. <br />Changes in topography (e.g., disruption of gross landscape features, <br />removal of natural shelters, or changes in micro-climate) will <br />directly impact wildlife until these landscapes are regraded and <br />successfully revegetated. Changes in specific topographical <br />features (e. g. loss of steep ravines) may affect: mule deer and <br />elk migratory pattercis; habitats necessary for elk calving or for <br />survival of big game during winter periods; or hunting, nesting, <br />feeding, and resting sites fur raptors. Steep ravines, and vege- <br />tation, are examples of natural shelters that will be physically <br />destroyed by co-.struction of ancill.sry facilities. Additional <br />wildlife shelter may be rendered uninhabitable by noise, dust, and <br />ground shock disturbances in the immediate ar=a (although as dis- <br />cussed previously, some species appear to be able to adapt to some <br />• of these disturbances (See Section 779.20). <br />Changes in microclimate also result from surface mining activity <br />requiring vegetation removal, topographic alteration, or destruc- <br />tion of natural features. Such changes are important since most <br />wildlife species interact with their environment in response to, <br />and are dependent upon, the microcli~atic conditions present. <br />Destruction or alteration of vegetational communities/habitat is <br />the major direct and indirect impact to wildlife. Direct impacts <br />can be stated as follows: (i) Destruction of food source upon <br />which primary consumer wildlife groups depend; (ii) Destruction of <br />cover upon which all wildlife species depend; (iii) Localized <br />destruction of wildlife species having low or limited mobility; <br />and (iv) Displacement of mobile wildlife species (including both <br />predators and primary consumers). <br />• <br />779-241 <br />