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exclosures consisted of 2 inch x 4 inch welded wire fencing material reinforced with four <br />5-foot pieces of 3/8 inch diameter tabor spaced evenly around the surface, woven in and <br />out of the wire, and driven approximately 1 foot into the soil. The area protected by <br />each exclosure was about 1.4 m2, providing a buffer strip of 10 cm between the perimeter <br />of the exclos ure end sampling hoops. Each exclosure had a metal tag attached showing the <br />vegetation type and sample number. <br />Reference Area Selection. For the 1979 field season, the selection of the original <br />reference areas vas made after all sampling points were located in [he proposed mining <br />areas, based an similarity of slope, aspect, species composition, and percent cover <br />between the reference areas and the mining area. During resampling in the 1983 field <br />season, the 1979 aspen reference area could not be relocated. Per correspondence with <br />CMLRD (V. PfannenstieL to J. Herron, June 13, 1983) a new aspen reference area uas <br />established. The original reference areas for the aspen, sagebrush, and mixed brush types <br />were approximately two acres in size, marked with metal fence posts end tagged with <br />appropriate identification. Although an extended reference area approach is proposed for <br />use in testing revegetation success, the original reference areas have not been abandoned. <br />C. In the haul road study area the Sagebrush reference area is epprox imately tvo acres in <br />size. the neadov reference area is slightly smaller due to the limited availability of <br />the type. Four corners of the former tvo reference areas vere marked vith metal posts and <br />tagged vith appropriate identification. Because of its irregular shape, the meadow <br />reference area vas marked with tvo fence posts, one a[ either end of the meadow. <br />[over. In the mining area and associated reference areas, canopy cover (foliage area) was <br />collected in August 1979 (mixed brush end sagebrush vegetat(on types) and in July•Augusc <br />1983 (aspen vegetation type). Cover measurements vere taken on ell strata (herbaceous <br />component, shrubs, and trees). In the mixed brush and sagebrush types, tuo metal quadrat <br />frames (0.8 m x 1.0 m) were placed end to end within an exclosure with the long axis of <br />the quadrat parallel to the slope of the land, defining [he sample ores (0.5 m x 2.0 m). <br />In 1979, in order to meet sample adequacy for cover an the mined brush (affected area) <br />type, an additional 26 unexclosed met erg quadrats were located and sampled s[ the some <br />time the exclosed quadrats were sampled. In both the exclosed and unexclosed samples, <br />ocular estimates of canopy cover by species, percent litter end rock, and percent bore <br />• ground were recorded. Aspect and slope of all sampling points were recorded end ere <br />q Revised 04/2G/91 <br />