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critical e11:~ winter ran ;e. Since C-?2G~~4 supp~•rts a <br />• high nua;bur of elk during the winter, ovcrcro::_zng and <br />habitat overuse would probably result as these animals <br />move onto :adjacent land. <br />The mine itself would interfere with the elk m_~ration <br />route that passes through the tract. Animals -awing <br />through the area would probably not be signifi,:antly <br />affected because ti+ey would be able to pass on one <br />side or the other of the mine. <br />Small mammal, bird, amphibian, and reptile habitat <br />would be destroyed. Or.ce reclamation would b~ begun, <br />[his habitat c.~ould be restored. Re-,opulaton cf the <br />reclaimed area would be fairly rapid due to the short <br />• reproduction cycle of most of these animals. =he <br />diversity of small mammals, birds, amphibians, and <br />reptiles in the reclaimed areas would be lower than <br />in the original vegetation types due to the d'_" erences <br />in density and height of mountain shrub and aspen <br />habitat. When shrubs and trees are re-establisied, <br />the species diversity would probably eventually in- <br />crease to the pre-mining level. <br />Predators on the tract will be forced to te-~pozarily <br />move out of the area as their prey base is depleted. <br />Higher concentrations of. predators and s++rvivi-g <br />prey in adjacent areas may result fron+ this dis- <br />• placement. <br />137 <br />