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-6- <br />VEGETATION PRODUCTION, COVER, FREQUE[9CY AND SHRUB HEIGHTS <br />Sample Site Ipcation. Areas to be affected by mining activities were <br />delineated on aerial photographs (1" = 400'). Because of the small areal <br />extent of the two vegetation types subjected to quantitative sampling on <br />the affected area, a systematic technique was used for saa~le site loca- <br />tion. This entailed establishment of production exclosures and cover quad- <br />rats at predetermined paced intervals within the type in a manner to <br />ensure wcrq~lete coverage of the type. The dimensions of each such type <br />were carefully measured on the topographic base map. Sample points were <br />then equally spaced within the type delineation on the map. Each point sys- <br />tematically located in this manner was placed in the field by pacing first <br />from a recognizable landmark to locate the first point and then from located <br />points to place the remainder of sample locations. The control sites <br />were sampled in the same fashion. Each located sartq~le point was marked <br />with a wooden stake which identified the sample number and vegetation type. <br />All points were flagged above the vegetation to allow easy relocation. <br />One Dover quadrat and one production exclosure were situated at each <br />sample point. Cover quadrats were placed in a consistent manner with one <br />corner touching the south side of the sample location stake. Production <br />exclosures were situated Sm north of each sample location stake. This <br />technique ensured the unbiased positioning of both cover quadrats and pro- <br />duction exclosures around the sample point. <br />Data Collection. Cover was estimated using a 20x50cm (1/lOm2) steel frame <br />quadrat at each sample point in each vegetation type. A total of 154 <br />quadrats were sampled for Dover during this study as shown in Table 1. <br />This sample size and all production and Dover sample sizes wexe deter- <br />mired on the basis of several criteria: <br />1, Wyca[iing DEQ Guideline #2 (March, 1979) suggested that sample size be <br />established on the basis of pre-sample data. That is, a small number <br />of production and Dover samples are taken during the growing season <br />prior to actual baseline data collection. Some idea of natural vari- <br />• anon in the vegetation types to be studied is obtained from the pre- <br />sample data and this information facilitates the estahl.ishmant of <br /> <br />