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<br />'1 2. Vegetative characteristics <br />- a. Availability of important browse species <br />b. Protection offered by shrub density and shrub height <br />3. Weather patterns <br />a. Potential of site to accumulate deep snow during winter <br />b. FScposure of site to prevailing wind <br />4. Availability of water . <br />MANiNALIAtd PRF1)ATOR SURNF.Y <br />Nil ian predators were surveyed during October, 1979 by the scent-station <br />visitation technique (see Results, page 40). The United States Fish and <br />Wildlife Service (USFWS) has used this survey method for the past eight years <br />to determine indices~of predator abundance in the western United States. <br />•~.. <br />The scent-station visitation technique was developed in New York state by <br />Cook (1949), who suggested that records of fox sign at scent posts provided <br />a practical index to the relative abundance of foxes between areas and from <br />year to year. The scent-station visitation technique has been standardized by <br />the Denver Wildlife Research Center (Linhart and IQ'iowlton 1973) and has been <br />used each year since 1972 to survey predators in 17 western states. The results <br />of this program, including statistical analysis, are available frcm the Denver <br />Wildlife Research Center and were con~ared to data gathered at the project site <br />to determine predator abundance indices. <br />The scent-station visitation technique consists of a survey route prised <br />of 50 scent stations, located 0_3 mi apart. Due to the sma11 area enconpas:.ed <br />by the Nucla Mine study area, the mmilxr of stations in the predator survey <br />line was reauced to 45. This was the maxiicusci number of stations that could be <br />spaced at o.3 mi intervals traversing all vegetation and topographic types on <br />or within 2 miles of the study area. <br />L -9- <br />• <br />JUN 3 ! 1880 <br />(Revised AUgust2006) Attachment 2.04.10-10-16 <br />