Laserfiche WebLink
<br />b. MAMMALIAN <br />(1) DESERT COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus audubonii) <br />In the area of impact we estimated s population density of 1.8~ <br />cottontails per hectare which contrasts markedly with Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife's estimate of .02 cottontails per hectare <br />in the study area. Rabbit populations fluctuate greatly from <br />year to year and this range of density estimates is not <br />unexpected. Disease seems to be the major controlling factor <br />among cottontail populations and they adapt extremely well to <br />hunting pressure. The large habitat svailable to cotton tails <br />in this area should make any impact by the activities associated <br />• with mining and transporting coal minimal except on the waste <br />disposal site where favorable habitat will be destroyed or <br />altered. The small areas of 2 to 6 hectares impacted at a time <br />should keep this perturbation minimal. We do not foresee any <br />serious impact to desert cottontails in this areea but we do <br />recommend habitat restoration on the proposed xaste disposal <br />site to hasten its return to production. <br />In general, on a low to high perturbation scale of 0 to 10 we <br />estimate impact to be 1. <br />(2) RODENTS AND SMALL MAMMALS <br />Although small mammals do not qualify as prime species they <br />• represent a significant part of the ecosystem. The majority are <br />II.H-114 <br />