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• rare and endangered species. No rare or endangered species were found <br />during this study, nor in the study conducted in 1977 by 3R Corporation. <br />Their study identified some additional species, as it encompassed a larger <br />area. <br />In general, the flora was representative of the montane regions of north- <br />western Colorado. Most of the plant communities on the mine property <br />were dominated by shrubs. Only the aspen community was dominated by <br />large trees. The variety of shrub species generated several different <br />community types, each with somewhat different associations of forb and <br />grass species. The moderate amounts of precipitation in the region en- <br />abled many herbaceous species to flourish. Diversity of forbs was high in <br />most communities as a total of 48 species were found. Diversity of grasses <br />and grass-like species was considerably lower than forbs as only 22 spe- <br />cies were found. Only two tree species were present and 12 shrubs <br />species occurred. <br />• 3.2 Sample Locations <br />Figure 1 is a map of the mine permit azea which shows the proposed min- <br />ing pit limit. The 1977 vegetation map (3R Corporation, 1977) is super- <br />imposed to show which areas of each community will be disturbed by mining. <br />The map also shows the 1980 mining disturbance limit. Terrain south of <br />this line has already been mined through and only areas north of the ]ine <br />remained undisturbed and suitable for sampling within the mine plan area. <br />Outside the area to be mined, approximate boundaries are shown for each <br />of the four reference areas: aspen, Gambel oak, sagebrush and choke- <br />cherry. The sampled portion of the wet meadow community is also shown. <br />Approximate sample site locations are shown on the map for herbaceous <br />cover-woody plant density guadrates. Since biomass clipping plots were so <br />numerous, they were not shown. <br />3.3 Aspen Vegetation Type <br />The aspen vegetation type was not extensive within the mine permit area. <br />It was generally restricted to ]ow-lying draws, shallow ravines, north- <br />facing slopes, areas of deep snow accumulation, or generally, zones which <br />recevied significatn moisture input. On the mine plan area, sampling <br />