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• In the early part of the summer (June, July) very few cattle were seen on <br />the property by any of the mine personnel (L. Jackson, Yampa Mining <br />Company, personal communication) . Occasionally, small groups (about <br />three to eight head) of cattle would wander through the property for a <br />day or two. In June, a band of about 100 sheep grazed for a couple of <br />weeks near the edge of the aspen reference area. The herder then re- <br />located the sheep out of the area. Some portions of the aspen stand were <br />heavily grazed and were therefore excluded from the reference area. <br />Incidence of cattle entry to the property was somewhat higher in August <br />and September, but animals were still seen only infrequently during this <br />period. <br />Data on utilization of herbaceous vegetation confirm the low incidence of <br />animal entry (Table 24). On the mine areas, 10-15$ of plants were <br />grazed, in the reference areas 14-21$ were grazed. Total herbaceous <br />utilization was considerably less than these figures since a plant was <br />considered grazed if it showed any sign of forage removal. Doubtless, a <br />significant portion of the grazing was done by deer and elk, as they were <br />present in the area in significant numbers. The influence of wildlife <br />grazing was not required to be excluded from clipping estimates, as this <br />would require constructing deer and elk-proof enclosures. <br />Given the low incidence of livestock observed on the mine property and <br />the low percentages of plants that were grazed, it was felt that livestock <br />grazing was an insignificant factor in decrementing standing crop biomass <br />estunates on the property. <br />3.8 Wet Meadow Vegetation Type <br />The wet meadow vegetation type occurred only in very limited areas a- <br />round the shop and office (Figure 1). The community had a grassland <br />aspect and no woody shrubs were present. Species composition, foliage <br />cover and biomass were noticeably variable within small areas, primarily <br />due to variability in duration and degree of water availability. The com- <br />munity trended from regularly damp areas dominated by sedge (Carex <br />nebrascensis), to slightly drier areas dominated by rush (Juncus <br />arcticus), to portions dominated by grasses and forbs. Moving away from <br />