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Access where a random number generator was used to pick pairs of coordinates for sampling locations. <br />The numbers Q to ??9 `were also entered into Microsoft Access and a random number generator used to <br />select transect direction. <br />Sample paint locations were located from the resultant transacts being plotted on the raster digital aerial <br />hota. The observer then walked to that point using visible landmarks. Once the vicinity of the sample <br />p <br />point was found, an orange spire was thrown over the observer's shoulder to identify the exact location <br />where the sampling point would be located. <br />Vegetation Cover and Fre?uen? <br />Quantitative measurements of vegetation cover and plant species frequency were made in areas l A, l <br />B,1 ??9 and 2Q00 dryland pasture reference areas, <br />Vegetation cover data by species was collected in these areas by the paint-intercept technique applied by <br />use of an laser point bar. The data was collected September 24,19?'? through October 3,1999 and again <br />in C?ctober 4, 2000 through October 7, 2000. The sampling design consisted of groups of ten points <br />sampled at 10 ft. intervals along a l0Q ft, transect to achieve loo points per transect. Transacts occurred <br />for each area until sample adequacy was. met using standards outlined in Guidelines Regarding Selected <br />. ? Coal Mine Bond Release Issues, April ,l 8,1 X9.5,. Each group o? ten paints,, with a l0 cm interval between <br />. each point, was oriented such that .10 points were projected vertically downward for upward for <br />. overhanging canopy} perpendicular, to.the.transect. At each paint, the first contact of a plank species was <br />recorded as a "hit". If the hit. was a living perennial, the vegetation was moved to see if a subsequent <br />. perennial was "hit" and recorded separately as a second "hit". In cases where vegetation was not <br />contacted, either bare ground soil}, litter, or rock hits were recorded. each hit represented one percent <br />cover for a transect. For example, a plant species that was contacted 15 times on a transect had an <br />. estimated cover of 15 percent for that particular transect {151100} x loo}. Since the points were situated <br />. ? . ? ? , s stematicall alon the randomly-located transacts, each transect ?i.e.,100 data points} represented an <br />Y y g <br />observation in the sample. Therefore, the. estimated mean aver. for a particular species 1n the vegetation <br />,, ?? .. <br />. .. type as a whole was derived by summing the percent cover measured a? each transect and dividing by. <br />the total number of transacts sampled. <br />Vegetation Production ? . <br />Il?easurement of vegetation production for Area 3, a hayland pasture, was relayed by Stan Garvey who <br />cut and baled the hayland pasture in 1999 and 2000., The pasture had been mowed and baled using a <br />round baler. Bales were counted and an average weight per bale of 18x0 lbs. was used based on Mr. <br />Garveys accumulated experience of bale weights with his baler. This was multiplied by the number of <br />bales harvested and divided by the acreage of the hayland pasture to arrive at production expressed in <br />pounds per acre {lblac}. <br />Sam le Ada uac <br />The following formula was used to determine the sampling adequacy of the quantitative cover (perennial <br />non-restricted and non-noxious species} and production in the New Horizon I studies: <br />Nmin ?_ ?st)21(d?}2 <br />where, <br />Nmin = minimum sample size <br />s = sample standard deviation <br />t = single tailed t-value at the 90 percent confidence interval