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Keenesburg Mine 2014 Vegetation Monitoring Report <br />2.2 Sample Timing <br />Vegetation monitoring occurred on August 12 — 13, 2014 which was consistent with the timing <br />of monitoring in previous years. Monitoring also coincided with vegetation anthesis and <br />maximum development of the majority of plant species found in the reclaimed and adjacent <br />native areas. <br />2.3 Vegetation Cover <br />Point - intercept methods were used to collect vegetation and ground cover as well as and species <br />composition data. Each 25 meter transect represents a single sampling unit. Two data points were <br />recorded at one -meter intervals along each transect, 0.5 in to each side of the transect at a right <br />angle. A laser bar was used to determine hits, with the beam being projected vertically to the <br />ground surface. Each point- intercept was assigned an absolute cover value of 2 %. <br />"First -hit" point- intercepts (the first item that the laser beam intercepts) were recorded as either: <br />live vegetation (by plant species), litter, rock, or bare ground. Litter includes all dead plant <br />material. Subsequent "hits" on vegetation (prior to interception of the ground) were also <br />recorded. Vegetation cover is reported in absolute percentages from the point- intercept data <br />using all 50 ground cover observations for each sample point. Additional interceptions were used <br />to calculate relative cover of individual plant species and life forms. The quantitative cover data <br />also provided the basis for calculation of species composition and relative importance. <br />2.4 Herbaceous Production <br />Herbaceous production was sampled at all 15 sample locations using 0.5 square meter circular <br />plots. For samples 1 -10 where cover data was also collected, the plots were located adjacent to <br />the start point to the right of the transect. At sample points 11 -15, the plot was centered on the <br />sample point. <br />Within each production plot, all herbaceous growth within the plot's vertical projection was <br />clipped, separated by growth form, and placed in labeled paper bags. Current year's herbaceous <br />growth of shrubs was collected in the same manner, but no woody tissue was harvested. The <br />bags containing the clipped material were returned to the Habitat Management office and dried at <br />30 degrees Celsius until weights varied by no more than 0.1 gram. Herbaceous production is <br />reported in grams per square meter. <br />2.5 Species Composition <br />Species composition information was derived from quantitative vegetation cover data. Relative <br />cover information provided a basis for evaluation of the importance of each encountered plant <br />species and lifeform and for comparison to the final revegetation success criterion. The table <br />presenting data summaries for total vegetation cover also contains the relative cover by species, <br />and a column depicting the numerical ranking of significant species by relative cover ( >3 %) <br />within each reclamation area. <br />During the course of cover sampling, all plant species occurring within one meter of either side <br />of the cover sample transect were noted as present within each sample. These species are <br />presented on the complete species list (Appendix A). <br />Habitat Management, Inc. 5 September 2014 <br />