2015-03-23_REPORT - C2009087

• Permit No: C2009087
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 3/23/2015
• From: Peabody Sage Creek Mining, LLC
• To: DRMS
• Annual Report Year: 2014
• Permit Index Doc Type: Annual Reclamation Report
• Email Name: JLE
• Email Name: DIH
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Summary of Sampling Design
__ Not applicable — vegetation aspects of Phase 11 bond release are concerned with cover
values and review of the status of species diversity.
Cover Sampling
Cover data were collected along 50 m transects using a point- intercept method in which data
were recorded as interceptions of a point with either plant species, litter, standing dead plant
material, soil, or rock. Plant material produced during the current growing season and still
standing was tallied by species. Litter was considered to be any organic material that had fallen,
or had begun to fall to the soil surface. Standing dead was any dead plant material that was
produced in previous years but which was still standing and had not lodged or broken off to
become litter. Inorganic materials greater than 1 cm in diameter were considered rock. The
cover sampling points were optically projected using a Cover -Point Optical Point Projection
Device developed by ESCO Associates. The 50 m transects were randomly located and oriented
in the reclaimed and reference areas. One hundred points were collected along each transect. A
pair of points were collected every meter with points sampled on opposite sides of each transect,
0.5 m from the transect.
First hit interceptions were used to calculate absolute top layer foliar cover (see FIRST HIT
AVERAGE COVER column in data tables) by dividing the number of interceptions for a particular
species or ground cover type by the total number of points taken (100). First hit relative
2
Phase 11 Bond Release Block
Action
Reference Area
(BRB PSCM -3)
Quantitative Cover Sampling
Min. 15 samples
Min. 15 samples
Quantitative Production
NA **
NA **
Sampling
Woody Plant Density Sampling -
NA **
NA **
Background
Woody Plant Density Sampling —
NA **
NA **
Concentration Areas
Sampled in 2014 for
Sampled in 2014 for
Species Density Sampling
informational purposes
Phase III Bond Release
Success Demonstration
Hypothesis Testing for Cover
NA
Approach
__ Not applicable — vegetation aspects of Phase 11 bond release are concerned with cover
values and review of the status of species diversity.
Cover Sampling
Cover data were collected along 50 m transects using a point- intercept method in which data
were recorded as interceptions of a point with either plant species, litter, standing dead plant
material, soil, or rock. Plant material produced during the current growing season and still
standing was tallied by species. Litter was considered to be any organic material that had fallen,
or had begun to fall to the soil surface. Standing dead was any dead plant material that was
produced in previous years but which was still standing and had not lodged or broken off to
become litter. Inorganic materials greater than 1 cm in diameter were considered rock. The
cover sampling points were optically projected using a Cover -Point Optical Point Projection
Device developed by ESCO Associates. The 50 m transects were randomly located and oriented
in the reclaimed and reference areas. One hundred points were collected along each transect. A
pair of points were collected every meter with points sampled on opposite sides of each transect,
0.5 m from the transect.
First hit interceptions were used to calculate absolute top layer foliar cover (see FIRST HIT
AVERAGE COVER column in data tables) by dividing the number of interceptions for a particular
species or ground cover type by the total number of points taken (100). First hit relative
2