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Evaluation Parameter <br />Phase III BRB -1 <br />Reference Areas <br />Quantitative Cover Sampling <br />Min. 15 samples <br />(and to adequacy *) <br />Min. 15 samples * <br />Quantitative Production <br />Sampling <br />Min. 30 samples * <br />Min. 30 samples <br />Woody Plant Density Sampling <br />— Background <br />Min. 30 samples * <br />NA <br />Woody Plant Density Sampling <br />— Concentration Areas <br />Min. 50 samples * <br />NA <br />Species Density Sampling <br />Min. 15 samples <br />Min. 15 samples <br />Success Demonstration <br />Approach <br />Hypoth. Testing for cover, production <br />and woody plant density <br />3 of 4 specified tests for species <br />diversity <br />NA <br />Summary of Sampling Design <br />* Or to fifty samples or use of upper 90% confidence limit after 15 samples <br />Cover Sampling <br />Cover data were collected along 50 m transects using a point- intercept method in which data were recorded <br />as interceptions of a point with a plant species, litter, standing dead plant material, soil, or rock. Plant <br />material produced during the current year and still standing was tallied by species. Litter was considered to <br />be any organic material that had fallen, or had begun to fall to the soil surface. Standing dead was any dead <br />plant material that was produced in previous years but which was still standing and had not lodged or <br />broken off to become litter. Inorganic material greater than 1 cm in diameter was considered rock. The <br />cover sampling points were optically projected using a Cover -Point Optical Point Projection Device <br />developed by ESCO Associates. 50 m transects were randomly located and randomly oriented in the <br />reclaimed and reference areas. One hundred points were collected along each transect. At each meter <br />along the 50 m length, points were projected 0.5 m to the right and 0.5 to the left of the transect, thus <br />minimizing trampling effects. <br />First hit interceptions were used to calculate absolute top layer foliar cover (see FIRST HIT AVERAGE <br />COVER column in data tables) by dividing the number of interceptions for a particular species or ground <br />cover type by the total number of points taken (100). First hit relative vegetation cover was calculated by <br />2 <br />