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~ . <br />VEGETATION ANALYSIS <br />EAGLE GYPSUM SITE <br />This report is submitted in compliance with the Mineral Rules and <br />Regulations, Rule 2.1.2(11)(a) requiring descriptions and measurement of <br />existing plant communities. <br />The Eagle-Gypsum Products' mine site contains a variety of site <br />conditions, soils, slopes, aspects, and plant communities. This will focus <br />on three important locations for future reclamation. The first is Site I, <br />Stockpile and Processing Area. The second is Site C which will be mined <br />and the resulting waste material will become fill material for the third <br />Site, E. <br />Various sampling techniques have been used in the past to collect <br />vegetation data, the primary focus of "historic" techniques has been range <br />productivity and the study of ecological systems. In contrast, the purpose <br />for sampling future mine sites such as this, is to determine percent plant <br />cover and principal species. This information then provides baseline data <br />for future revegetation work. <br />A point-intercept method of sampling was used in this study, with <br />multiple random points. The benefit of this technique is that it is <br />dimensionless and virtually bias free due to the combination of systematic <br />numbering with random starts and point sampling. Judgement on percent <br />cover is replaced by numeric counts of point intercepts. Due to the <br />scarcity of vegetation in this area, numeric data was preferred to <br />estimation. Visual and interpretive information are also included to <br />further describe vegetation types. <br />A 100' baseline was established in typical vegetation stands and a <br />systematic numbering system was used to establish transects at intervals of <br />2' or 10', depending on the site. A random numbers table was then used to <br />identify sampling points and a perpendicular point of intercept was read <br />for "vegetation hits". The following graphic illustrates the method used: <br />Stratified Random Sampling Method Using A Baseline <br />