Laserfiche WebLink
-10- <br />• <br />described previously for Dover quadrats. The number of production exclo- <br />sures established in each vegetation type and control area was determined <br />by techniques described under "Data Collection" above. Table 1 shows the <br />number of production exclosures placed in each vegetation type and con- <br />trol area. <br />Exclosures were left in place throughout the 1979 growing season. All <br />exclosuies were sampled on both affected and wntrol areas during the <br />period August 27 through September 7, 1979. All production samples were <br />collected late enough in the day to ensure that the vegetation surface was <br />dry. TYtii.S precaution ensured the accuracy of wet~areight determinations. <br />Production plots were sampled using a lmz welded aluminum frame quadrat <br />centered within each exclosure. All present-year vegetation growth fal- <br />ling within the lmz quadrat was clipped using pruning shears (shrubs) <br />and grass scissors (forbs and grasses). All shrubs wise clipped near <br />ground level to ensure accurate separation of the present year's growth <br />• in the laboratory prior to drying and weighing, bcperience has shown <br />that new growth can be separated accurately only in the laboratory where <br />envirorunental factors such as wind can be rontrolled. The current year's <br />growth clipped from each protected quadrat was bagged according to major <br />species or life form and properly labeled. Wet weights were recorded by <br />vegetative species and by life form for all species except shrubs using <br />spring scales at the titre of clipping. <br />Laboratory Techniques. The current year's growth was separated from all <br />shrub, sub-shn~b and cushion plant species in the laboratory. Shrub sam- <br />ples were dried at ambient air temperature for approximately 30 days prior <br />to Separation of new growth. This process greatly facilitated the separa- <br />tion procedure and ensured a oa~lete sampling of all leaves since these <br />would generally drop off the plant when dried. New twig y_rowth remained <br />easily di.~tinguishable from old growth (by its lighter Dolor) after 30 <br />days of air Cirying. Thus, accurate separation of both leaf and twig <br />material waG facilitated by this pre-drying technique. All samples were <br />• dried for 24 hours in a gravity drying oven at a constant temperature of <br />105°C. All samples dried in this manner were weighed to the nearest <br />0,1 gm (as specified in Wyoming DDQ Guideline #2, March, 1979) on an Ohaus. <br />triple beam balance. Production data were recorded according to major <br />