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recorded as live vegetative material (identified to genus and species), litter, rock, or baze ground. Shrubs <br />were not counted as a component of the herbaceous cover data. Transect length was 50 ft. long. <br />Transect orientation was determined randomly by randomly generated numbers between 1 and 360 <br />degrees. Transects were not permitted to overlap or extend within 10 feet of revegetated area <br />boundaries, to minimize impacts from "edge effect". Ten point-intercept observations of the lasers were <br />measured every ten (10) feet along the transect. <br />For statistical purposes, each cover transect served as a sample unit. The data were summarized by <br />computing mean cover, relative cover (percent of total vegetation cover attributed to each species), and <br />species composition. Species composition information was computed from vegetation cover data using <br />a ratio of individual species cover to total live vegetation. <br />Production <br />Live herbaceous production was collected using a harvest method. All of the current yeazs growth <br />included within a''h Meter quadrat was clipped at both ends of the cover transect. Full shrubs, <br />succulents, noxious weeds, and cushion plants were not clipped. Production clippings were sepazated by <br />life form and placed in paper bags, then weighed wet (fresh) in the field to assure sample adequacy. <br />Paper bag weight was subtracted from the biomass calculations. Life form categories included Perennial <br />grasses, perennial forbs, annual and biennial species. Fresh vegetation biomass adequacy calculations <br />determined that a minimum of 35 samples were needed to achieve adequacy. Additional biomass <br />quadrats were harvested until adequacy was achieved. Production standazds are based on air dry weight. <br />Plant biomass was dried at 110°F for a minimum of 72 hours to a constant weight, then re-weighed to <br />determine dry biomass production on this site. Paper bag weight was subtracted from biomass <br />calculations. The minimum number of samples required to achieve sample adequacy on the dried <br />vegetation was 33 samples. Sample adequacy was achieved for vegetative production. <br />Shrub Density <br />Shrub density data were collected using a belt transect approach. All shrubs occurring within one meter <br />on either side of the 50 foot cover transect line were counted on the basis of species. Stem count was <br />recorded by species and reported as stems per acre. <br />Sample Adequacy: <br />Sample adequacy calculations were made for vegetative cover and productivity. The following formula, <br />accepted by the CDMG, was used for these calculations: <br />z z <br />Nmin= t S <br />(d Xbar)Z <br />Where: <br />Nm;~ minimum sample size <br />t= the "T" distribution value at the 90% confidence level <br />s= sample standard deviation <br />sz= sample variance <br />