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e <br />ESPEY, NUSTON 6 ASSOCIATES, INC. <br />J <br />2.0 METHODS <br />2.1 PLANT COMMUNTTY MAPPING <br />During the spring of 1979, an extensive survey was made of the study <br />site. All habitat types were visited and vaziations in the dominance and distribution <br />of major shrub, grass and forb species noted. Principal habitat factors observed <br />included soil physical properties, elevation, slope and differences in available soil <br />moisture due to snow accumulation, drainage, soil chazacteristics and aspect. <br />Observations were also recorded on disturbance and successional characteristics. <br />Following the field observations, plant communities were identified and <br />mapped on a USGS base map (scale 1":200' and 1":500'). Plant communities were <br />first segregated according to life-form and then further differentiated on the basis <br />• of dominant and codominant graminoids as expressed by cover and productivity. <br />Field surveys were conducted to verify the precise limits of each community. <br />A photographic technique was used to delineate the acreage of each <br />plant community type within the mine plan and affected areas. All areas of each <br />vegetation type were clipped and weighed to the neazest thousandth of a gram and <br />converted to azea based upon known total azeas. <br />2.2 SAMPLING DESIGN -AFFECTED AREA <br />2.2.1 Location of Cover andLocation of Cover and Productivit~Sample SitesSites <br />The location' of productivity exclosures and cover transects was ran- <br />domly determined. A grid system was placed over the plant community map. The <br />southwest corner of the study site was used as the origin for an x-axis extending <br />east and a y-axis extending north. The coordinate system, 40 units by 40 units (each <br />• <br />K-4 <br />