The 1:4800 scale vegetation map, an extremely accurate map, prepared 

 to meet the Department of State Lands requirements, was based on perhaps 

 two thousand observations as ground truth. These observations consisted of 

 recording the dominant community type and marking the location on a map. 

 The base map used a scale of 1:4800 and had 10 foot (3.0 m) contour inter- 

 vals. The aerial photographs were taken in 1975. Color infra-red trans- 

 parencies were enlarged to 1:4800 scale prints. 



The 1:12,000 scale vegetation map was based on approximately 225 recon- 

 naissance plots, 1:12,000 color intra-red transparencies and true color 

 prints taken in 1975. Additional field observations were used as ground 

 truth. The base map was a 1:24,000 topographic map enlarged to 1:12,000. 

 When they were available;, 7.5' topographic maps were used as a base. For the 

 unmapped portions of McCone County, the vegetation was mapped on overlap to 

 1:25,000 panchromatic air photos taken in 1974-1975. 



The 1:24,000 scale vegetation map was based on approximately 325 recon- 

 naissance samples which served as ground truth and a variety of panchromatic 

 imagery. The scales and dates of the aerial photographs were: McCone 

 County 1:40,000 1970; Garfield County 1:21,000 1968; Roosevelt County 

 1:21,000 1967 and Valley County 1:40,000 1969. 



Copies of the maps made as a result of this study are available from 

 the DNRC, Helena. 



Range Condition 



The Department of State Lands suggests in its vegetation guidelines 

 submission of range trend and range condition as determined by the Soil 

 Conservation Service range site system or a comparable method although the 

 Soil Conservation Service range site system is primarily designated to be a 

 tool for range management. Hemmer has stated that range trend need not be 

 determined in this case. 



The Soil Conservation Service system of range evaluation has been outlined 

 by Dyksterhuis (1949, 1958), and more recently by Shi f let (1973). The Soil 

 Conservation Service National Range Handbook (USDA 1976) is definitive in 

 this respect. 



The range site is the basis of this system. "A range site is a distinc- 

 tive kind of rangeland that differs from other kinds of rangeland in its 

 ability to produce a characteristic natural plant community. A range site 

 is the product of all the environmental factors responsible for its develop- 

 ment.* It is capable of supporting a native plant community typified by an 

 association of species that differs from that of other range sites in the 

 kind or proportion of species or in total production." (USDA 1976). The 

 statistical considerations raised by the latter part of this definition are 

 not addressed (See Appendix C for a discussion of problems in classification). 

 In fact, range sites are usually identified on the basis of soils and moisture. 



* This raises the question of what non-living entity is not the product of all 

 the environmental factors responsible for its development. 



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