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particular there is a tendency for many native species to manifest themselves in association with stress <br />in the form of drought. <br />There is a solid prospect that a slow increase in the abundance of these plants will accrue as the scars <br />of drought or other stress incrementally "age" the youthful reclamation sites. In light of this prospect <br />and the current reality of competition- suppressed forb and woody plant presence, it is appropriate to <br />place the benchmark for what will be taken to currently comprise adequately diverse reclamation in <br />the lower half of the spectrum of diversity of the Reference Areas. <br />Standards <br />The proposed assessment of adequately diverse vegetational composition at the Seneca II -W Mine <br />(including the South Extension Area) will take the form of the following four tests; success is to be <br />demonstrated by passing at least two of the three Alternative Tests (B, C, or D) plus the Mandatory <br />Test (A). <br />Mandatory TestA: No Overwhelming Dominant <br />No single plant species may exceed 60% relative cover. <br />Alternative Test B. Total Species Density Test <br />This overall reclamation diversity standard will be judged based on the species density values observed <br />along with cover sampling in the 100 sq.m. sample plots that accompany the standard cover /species <br />presence samples. Species density numbers will be subjected to sample adequacy assessment in the <br />usual CDMG manner. Experience has shown that species density almost always is adequately <br />sampled at the point that cover sampling is adequate and that is usually with the minim sample <br />number. <br />For purpose of establishing the range of species density within the Reference Area, the 75% range of <br />variation would be established as: <br />zxs <br />MR -66 51 Revised 10/09 <br />