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<br />h1ETHODS <br />Representative areas of each vegetation type occurring on the <br />t4axwell t4ine and Allen ^line permit areas ~•,ere selected for the vege- <br />tation inventory. These reference areas reflected the vegetation that <br />had been disturbed by the mining operations or would be disturbed in <br />the future. Each reference area was fenced, with an opening left for <br />animals to enter. There had been no livestock grazing in the area, <br />but deer grazing v,as evident. Each reference area was of different <br />dimensions. Diagrams of each reference area are presented in Figures <br />1 and 2. <br />• ~ Sampling plots were randomly located in each reference area by <br />a random numbers table and 1P1 x 1P1 grid system. Production was esti- <br />mated within a 0.5 x 1.Obi plot by clipping major species and species <br />categories. The plants were oven-dried and measurements were conver- <br />ted to oven-dry weight values. Cover was estimated within a 20 x 50 cm <br />plot placed in the upper left hand corner of the 0.5 x 1.OF1 plot. <br />Cover was estimated by major species and species categories to the <br />nearest 1;~. Density ~•ras obtained by counting the number of individ- <br />ual trees, shrubs, and saplings ~•rithin one square meter for• shrubs or <br />within 100 square meters for trees. <br />The means (X) and standard errors (SX) for cover (herbaceous <br />and non-herbaceous) and production o-rere calculated and means (X) for <br />density per 100112 and 1h12 here calculated. Total means for. cover, <br />. production and density were calculated for each reference area. Sample <br />adequacy eras :^et at all times. <br />5 <br />