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was thoroughly dried, the string was removal and a flat surface was cut <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />~. <br />along the core with a razor blade. The annual rings were then counted <br />with aten-lxraer hand lens. <br />SHRUB DENSITY ESTIIdr'~7'ES <br />All shrubs within 2.5 meters on each side of the 50 m shrub density belt <br />transects were enumerated by species. Thus, each belt transect location <br />represented a shrub density sampling point 5 m wide by 50 m long, a <br />]mown area of 250 m2. The starting point of each transect was located <br />by a random method and the direction of each was also determined randomly <br />using a compass. Absolute counts of shrubs by species were recorded for <br />each ]mown area to obtain shrub density estimates (i.e., number of shrubs/ <br />hectare). <br />VEGETATION SPECIES CO.MpOSITION <br />Reconnaissance type surveys were conducted within each vegetation type <br />on all affected and control areas to obtain a complete listing of <br />vegetation species for the study area. Surveys were conducted by a plant <br />taXona~nist during a mi.nittnIIn of two days .each ?ronth throughout the <br />graving season (early f9ay through August) . A plant wucher collection <br />was prepared for all plant species identified during this study and has <br />been submitted to Seneca II Mine to be maintained on permanent file. As <br />additional species are verified, these will be added to the on-site <br />plant collection. For each plant collected, date, habitat, elevation <br />and associated species were reeor<led. Questionable plants were <br />positively identified at the Rocky L•buntain Herbarium in Laramie, <br />L4yoming or at the U.S. Forest Service Herbarium in Fort Collins, <br />Colorado. Taxonomic references consulted for plant identification <br />purposes included Hitchcock et al. (1959), Hitchcock and Chase (1971), <br />Harrington (1959), and Dorn (1977). <br />-14- <br />