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• order. However, orientation protocol was always maintained (i.e. in the direction of the next point to be <br />physically sampled). If the boundary of an area was encountered before reaching the full length of a <br />transact, the orientation of the transact was turned 90° in the appropriate direction so the transact could <br />be completed. In this manner, boundary transacts were retained entirely within the target unR by <br />~oundng" off the boundaries. Production quadrats were always oriented 90° to the right (clockwise) of <br />the ground cover transact and placed one meter from the starting point so as to avoid any trampled <br />vegetation. Because sample adequacy for ground cover measurement is typically reached well in <br />advance of production measurement, any sample point evenly divisible by 3 was skipped for cover. This <br />protocol was maintained for all revegetation sample points, however, with regard to the reference area, <br />ground cover sampling ceased once both a minimum and adequate sample had been collected. <br />2.2 Determination of Ground Cover <br />Ground cover at each sample point was determined utilizing the point-intercept methodology as <br />illustrated on Fgure 1. As indicated in this figure, Cedar Creek utilizes new state-of-the-art <br />instrumentation it has pioneered to fadlttate much more rapid and accurate collection of data. A transact <br />. of 10 meters length was extended in the direction of the next sampling location from the flagged center of <br />each systematically located sample point. At each one-meter interval along the transact, a Waser point <br />bar' was situated parallel to, and approximately 4.5 to 5.0 feet vertically above the ground surtace. A set <br />of 10 readings was recorded as to hits on vegetation (by species), litter, rock (>2mm), or bare soil. Hits <br />were determined at each meter interval by activating a battery of 10 low-energy specialized lasers ' <br />situated along the bar at 10 centimeter intervals and recording the variable intercepted by each of the <br />narrowly focused (0.020") beams (see Rgure 1). In this manner, a total of 100 intercepts per transact <br />were recorded resulting in 1 percent cover per intercept. All reclaimed area vegetation as well as the <br />majority of reference area vegetation (especially herbaceous and shrub strata) was subject to sampling. <br />This methodology and instrumentation fadlitates the collection of the most unbiased, repeatable, and <br />predse ground cover data possible. Identification and nomenclature of plant species follows Weber and <br />Wittman's Colorado Flora: Western Slone -Revised Edition; 1996: University Press of Colorado. Niwot. <br />Colorado. <br />Lasers utilized for this instrument are state-of-the-art and of specialized design to emit a unique electro-magnetic <br />wavelength visible under full sunlight, a condition previously not possible with portable low-energy lasers. <br />~cva Ae~IDa,°IIO~, roc. Page 6 North Thompson Greek Mines Phase II & III Bond Release Evaluation <br />