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avoidance of vegetation trampled by investigators during sample site location. If more <br />production samples are necessary than cover samples (typical case for bond release <br />efforts), orientation protocol will be maintained except that no ground cover data will be <br />collected. From within each quadrat, all above ground current annual herbaceous <br />vegetation within the vertical boundaries of the frame will be clipped and bagged <br />separately by life form as follows: <br />Perennial Grass <br />Annual Grass <br />Subshrub <br />Perennial Forb <br />Annual Forb <br />Noxious Weeds (iffound) <br />All production samples will be returned to the lab for drying and weighing. Drying will <br />occur at 1050 C until a stable weight is achieved (24 hours). Samples will then be re- <br />weighed to the nearest 0.1 gram. <br />Determination of Woody Plant Density <br />Two sampling methods may be employed for monitoring woody plant density within <br />Colowyo's revegetated units. The first method, belt transects, may be employed when <br />the size of the monitoring unit exceeds one to two acres. At each sample site in such <br />areas, a 2-meter wide by 50-meter long belt transect (or alternately 4 x 25 meter transect) <br />should be established parallel to the ground cover transect and in the direction of the next <br />sampling point. All woody plants (shrubs and trees) within each belt will be enumerated <br />by species. Determination of whether or not a plant may be counted is dependent upon <br />the location of its main stem or root collar where it exits the ground surface with regard <br />to belt limits. A total of 5, 15 or 20 belt transects may be sampled for each monitoring <br />unit. <br />For bond release sampling with belts, sufficient samples must be collected to insure <br />adequacy of the effort (to facilitate valid testing) in accordance with one of the three <br />methods under either Rule 4.15.11 (2), or Rule 4.15.11 (3). Depending on the selected <br />protocol, care must be taken to collect at least the minimum number of samples indicated <br />(15, 30, 40, or 75, depending on the procedure utilized). <br />The second method, total enumeration, may be employed for monitoring when the size of <br />a unit is less than approximately one to two acres in size. Total enumeration shall be the <br />typical method utilized for bond release purposes unless shrub patches are too large (e.g., <br />greater than 10 to 15 acres) to practically utilize this technique (in which case belts will <br />be utilized). This method involves total counts of woody plant populations as opposed to <br />estimates of mean densities through statistical sampling. Implementation of the total <br />count technique would involve circumscribing the boundaries of a target polygon with <br />hip chain thread or similar visible designation. Once a unit is circumscribed in this <br />manner, a team of two or more biologists walking shoulder-to-shoulder traverse the plot <br />enumerating each plant by species. The person farthest inside the line of observers trails <br />hip chain thread, or other means, to mark their path to prevent missing or double counting <br />specimens on subsequent passes. The distance between observers should be 15 to 20 feet <br />4.15-31 Revision Date: 3/14/08 <br />Revision No.: TR-72