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for 24 hours to remove all moisture and then weighed to the hundreth <br />of a gram on a Satorius 3716 top loading digital balance. During <br />1979, MRC conducted similar drying and weighing in their own labor- <br />atory, except samples were dried at 80°C for 24 hours. <br />Cover. Cover was estimated in each vegetative type using a <br />SOm transect. One end of the transect was placed at the exclosure <br />site and the direction of alignment was determined by taking a <br />random compass bearing. Percent cover by species was determined <br />by recording all hits on vegetation as a pin penetrated downward <br />through the canopy at five meter intervals along the transect. <br />During the 1979 program vegetation (by species), bareground and <br />litter were recorded for each transect. During the 1980 sampling <br />program rock fragment coverage was also recorded. <br />Woody Plant Density. A lOm by lm (belt transect) portion of <br />the SOm cover transect was utilized to obtain woody plant density <br />• estimates. Woody plants (half-shrubs and shrubs) were counted <br />within this lm x lOm belt. The first lOm of the transect from the <br />exclosure site was used to obtain density estimates. Density <br />estimates were made by species. <br />RESULTS <br />Areal Extent of Vegetation Types <br />Two vegetation types (big sagebrush and alkali sagebrush) <br />are included in the permit area. Approximately 335 acres, 84 <br />percent of the permit area is big sagebrush. Approximately 65 <br />acres, 16 percent is alkali sagebrush. <br /> <br />-9- <br />