General description: This site is on an exposed ridge crest, an 

 ecotonal setting between forest and dry meadow along the south- 

 facing ridge extending east of Kings Hill. The north half of 

 plot contains both meadow and parkland species with dominants 

 including pine and Potentilla fruticosa . The south half contains 

 dry meadow species with dominants including Festuca idahonis and 

 intensive disturbance caused by burrowing animals. Elevation: 

 7880 ft, Slope: 15%; Aspect: S. 



Line Bearing: From the west end, 92 degrees (no declination), 

 nearly parallel to the slope for 20 m. Originally set up as 15 

 ft. radius circular plot. 



Instructions: Read from west to east facing uphill (north), the 

 X-Y axis read from the lower left. 



Kings Hill #2 USFS 



This is the plot established by Phillips in mid July of 1989, and 

 subsequently read in late August of 1990, 1991 and 1992 (Phillips 

 1990, Field and Lovelace 1991, Phillips 1992). It lies close to 

 the former plot and has similar high densities of Cirsium 

 lonqistvlum plants, but differs in having a more level slope, 

 less direct exposure to the sun, and lower apparent intensity of 

 burrowing activity compared with plot #1. View of the marker 

 cairn and plot center rod are apparent from the road. These plot 

 pairs signify the only intrapopulation comparison set. 



Location: Meagher County, T.12N R.8E Sec. 2 near the section 

 center at ca. SW1/4SW1/4NE1/4 . Located on southeast side of 

 Kings Hill. From Kings Hill Pass on Hwy 89, ca. 1 mile southeast 

 along Forest Service road #487. North end is marked by cairn 240 

 degrees from east-facing USFS sign, near a whitebark pine tree, 

 just south of (downslope) from the road. A copy of the original 

 USFS plot map is in Lewis and Clark NF files; copied in 

 monitoring project file. Quad: Kings Hill (4611076) . 



General description: This site is on an open ridgetop, part of 

 continuous meadow on a ridge extending east of Kings Hill. It 

 has thin turf buildup. It lies immediately above slopes covered 

 by whitebark pine parkland. Elevation: 7890 ft; Slope: 5%; 

 Aspect: SW. 



Line Bearing: The line bearing had been permanently marked at 

 the plot endpoints 74 ft apart, running at 274 degrees (18 

 degrees declination) . Originally, subplots were taken at 

 alternate 1 m. intervals to tally individuals in each size class, 

 beginning with the 0-3.3 ft interval, with no mapping of 

 individuals. Comparison of belt transect data started in 1993 

 with previous year's data can be made only by excluding even 

 numbered subplots, and by comparing just the tallies. 



