2015-10-13_REVISION - C1981014 (12)

Home Browse Search

achieved for both the Loadout Reference Area "allowable plant cover" and for the Loadout Reclamation, the ultimate successfulness of the revegetation efforts with respect to "allowable plant cover" can be made by direct comparison. Since the "allowable plant cover" value from the Loadout Reclamation Area (39.10 %) exceeds that of the Loadout Reference Area (28.67 %), and since sample adequacy was achieved for both the Loadout Reference Area (N=15 and Nm=13.9) and for the Loadout Reclamation (N=21 and Nm=20.2), it can be concluded that the second year's Phase III revegetation monitoring demonstrates that the Loadout Reclamation can be deemed to be successful respect to the parameter of "allowable plant cover." On the Loadout Reclamation Area, the perennial herbaceous forage production averaged 24.85 g/ 1/4M2 or 885.8 pounds of air-dry forage per acre with a standard deviation of 13.21 g/1/4m2 or 470.8 pounds of air-dry forage per acre. Application of the sample adequacy equation to these data means that the number of samples needed to characterize the parameter of perennial herbaceous forage production for the Loadout Reclamation Area at the 90 % confidence interval was 81.5 samples. Since sample adequacy was not achieved for the forage production sampling of the Loadout Reference Area (N=30 and Nm=125.2) nor for the Loadout Reclamation (N=30 and Nm=81.5), the reverse null statistical approach must be used. Application of the "reverse null" statistical approach documents that the perennial herbaceous forage production for the Loadout Reclamation, the tc value equals 2.6802. Since the calculated the tc value (2.6802) from the Loadout Reclamation exceeds the tt value (0.854), it can be concluded that Loadout Reclamation, satisfies the revegetation success standards for perennial herbaceous forage production. The Southfield Mine Permit contains two species diversity standards for the Southfield Loadout Area. The four most dominant species can "comprise no more than 80 % of the total species composition" and in the recent approval of TR -45 it was approved that the number of warm season grass species on the reclaimed area possessing greater than 3 percent relative cover had to be equal to or greater than the number warm season grass species on the reference area possessing greater than 3 percent relative. This issue will be discussed latter. Examination of the data presented in Table 22, Loadout Reclamation Area - 2014 Plant Cover, reveals that for the Loadout Reclamation Area, the four dominant plant species collectively contribute 69.16 % of the total plant cover. Since this value is less than 80 %, the four dominants species diversity test has been satisfied for the Loadout Reclamation Area. With respect to the successfulness of revegetation efforts relative to shrub density on the Loadout 2014 Reclamation Study Area, there is a technical standard of "6.3 stems per acre" or 0.1557 woody plants per 100 square meters. Examination of Table 24, Loadout Reclamation - 2014 Shrub Density documents that there are 13.17 shrubs per 100 square meters or 533.0 shrubs per acre. However, since sample adequacy was not achieved for the woody plant density sampling on the Loadout Reclamation (N=30 and Nm=213.9), the reverse null statistical approach must be used. Application of the "reverse null" statistical approach documents that with respect to the woody plant density for the Loadout Reclamation , the tc value equals 4.198. Since the calculated the tc value (4.198) from the Loadout Reclamation exceeds the tt value (0.854), it can be concluded that Loadout Reclamation, satisfies the revegetation success standards for woody plant density on this site. Warn Season Species Diversity. According to the permit revisions approved in connection with TR -45, the warm season grass species revegetation success standard "will be based on a weighted average factor, based upon the acreages of the four currently approved reference 29