2010-05-07_PERMIT FILE - C2009087 (49)

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J points will be randomly distributed by randomly selecting five (S) of the thirty (30) BBB subdivisions, and randomly locating an additional point within eacb. Sampling was conducted between July 15 and August 31, 2005 and will occur during the same period in 2006. Cattle grazing on BRB and reference area sites will be deferred until after the cover sampling is complete. Percent cover will be assessed at sample locations using a point - intercept method. Points will be projected using a Cover -point Optical Point Projector, Model 5. This optical device vertically projects a very fine point (approx. 0.07 mm); the projected point is intercepted either by plants, bare soil, rock (mineral matter > 1 cm diameter), standing dead (plant material produced during a previous growing season and still standing) or litter (fallen organic debris). These interceptions are tallied at fifty (50) systematically distributed locations along a 50 in transect and 50 cm to each side of the sample transect. Hence a total of 100 points are collected along each sample transect. The Cover - Point Optical Point Projector is mounted on a tripod and configured so that the axis of point projection is 50 cm from the center point of the tripod. Thus, if rotated 180 -, two points exactly one meter apart can be projected from a single tripod placement. Percent cover values that will be assessed include; % cover by plant species, % total vegetation cover, % litter, % standing dead, % rock, % bare ground, and % total cover (vegetation plus litter plus standing dead, plus rock). At each sample location, a random orientation will be determined using the blind spin of a meter stick or an azimuth derived from a glance at the second hand of a watch (and the value multiplied by six). A 50 -m tape will be extended from the sample point in the random direction. The tripod on which the optical point projector is mounted will be placed over the tape at 1 -m intervals. The arm of the projector will be oriented at 90 to the transect and adjusted to level using a bubble level so that the line of projection is vertical. After observing the point and tallying the interception, the mounting bar will be rotated 180- for observation of a second point. Then the tripod will be moved to the next 1 -m interval mark along the tape until a total of 100 points are tallied. At each sample point, after a "First Hit" interception by a plant species, the optical focus will be extended downward to determine whether there are any further interceptions on other plant species. If so, these will be tallied by species as "Other Hits ". Along each sample transect, the presence of less common species not hit during the point - intercept sampling will be documented by recording the presence of all plant species occurring within one meter on either side of the sample transect. Thus, from each 50 in cover sample transect comes a measure of species "density" that can be expressed as a number of species per 100 square meters. "First Hit" percent cover at every sample location will be calculated for each plant species as well as rock, bare soil, and litter by dividing the total number of intercepts for each by the total number of points (100). Relative plant cover will be calculated by dividing the First Hit cover of each plant species by the total First Hit vegetation cover. "All Hit" percent cover will be calculated for each plant species by dividing the total number of hits on a species (First Hits plus Other Hits) by the total number of points projected. Relative All Hit Cover will be calculated by dividing the All Hit cover for each species by the total All Hit vegetation cover. Cover data reporting will be organized by the following lifeform categories: - Native Annual / Biennial Forbs - Native Annual Grasses - Native Perennial Forbs - Introduced Annual / Biennial Forbs - Introduced Annual Grasses - Introduced Perennial Forbs ESCO Associates 13 -13 -4 TR40 * 03106 C ,