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species. About 20 different species of fortis were encountered on the mine • and reference areas, most of which occurred in relatively small amounts. Due to the high foliage cover estimates, litter and bare ground percent- ages were not measured as high values. Bare ground averaged 4.3$ and 6$ on the mine and reference areas, respectively, while litter cover aver- aged 31.0$ on the mine area and 20.3$ on the reference area. 3.6.3 Woody Plant Density All woody shrubs or seedlings were counted in 2 x 25m quadrats. Table C.5 contains these results for both areas. Four quadrats were counted on the mine area and three were counted in the reference area. The mean density per quadrat was somewhat higher on the reference area (173.3 ± 5.9) than on the mine area (147.0 123.4). Both areas were sampled sufficiently to meet statistical requirements. Chokecherry accounted for approximately half the total shrubs counted on each site; snowberry com- prised nearly all of the remainder. Serviceberry, Gambel oak and goose- berry occurred in very low numbers. 3.7 Utilization of Vegetation by Grazing Animals The need for grazing utilization estimates was to document any possible animal influences on standing crop biomass estimates. These influences might have been considerable had large numbers of animals been present on the property, since no grazing enclosures were used. By estimating the percentage of plants which were grazed, an approximate index of utilization or forage removal was obtained. Generally livestock utilization of the mine property was very light during the 1980 growing season. Firstly, access to the property is somewhat difficult, since the mine is at nearly the highest point of land in the immediate vicinity; sheep and cattle have to walk up more than 1000 ver- tical feet from some of the surrounding valleys. Secondly, there are essentially no surface water sites on the mine property, livestock have to return to lower elevations to drink. Thus, there are natural barriers • discouraging large numbers of animals from entering the property.