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Keenesburg Mine 2016 Vegetation Monitoring Report <br />better. The above average precipitation that came in the fall of 2013 and the spring of 2014 <br />should have benefited the cool season grasses, but the cheatgrass and the annual forbs were <br />likely able to take advantage of that moisture to outcompete the already stressed perennial <br />grasses. This weather pattern has continued for the past three seasons and in 2016 there was <br />finally a small resurgence of cool season perennial grasses and a decrease in cheatgrass. The pre - <br />emergent herbicide that was applied in the fall of 2015 also likely impacted the cheatgrass cover, <br />but may have allowed the prickly lettuce (a cool season introduced annual forb) to fill some of <br />that niche. While there was still a considerable component of weedy species in 2016, <br />Reclamation Area 29 did meet the vegetation cover standard for bond release. <br />Tahla 17• Rarlama*inn Area 2.9 Relative Caver Trendc 2006 -2016 <br />Life Form <br />Relative over % <br />2006 2007 2011 2012 2015 <br />2016 <br />Warm Season Perennial Grasses <br />27.0 <br />7.8 <br />64.3 <br />92.2 <br />29.3 <br />22.2 <br />Cool Season Perennial Grasses <br />15.5 <br />9.0 <br />6.8 <br />2.2 <br />0.0 <br />2.4 <br />Perennial Native Forbs <br />0.6 <br />1.0 <br />2.8 <br />1.5 <br />2.8 <br />Annual Native Forbs <br />13.2 <br />31.2 <br />10.4 <br />16.7 <br />0.8 <br />Annual Native Grass <br />0.3 <br />15.7 <br />5.6 <br />Annual Introduced Forbs <br />30.5 <br />26.8 <br />8.1 <br />10.6 <br />47.6 <br />Cheatgrass <br />13.8 <br />24.6 <br />9.1 <br />2.8 <br />26.3 <br />18.5 <br />Figure 7: Reclamation Area 29 Absolute Cover 2006 - 2016 <br />•11 <br />50.0 <br />0 <br />a� <br />40.0 <br />0 <br />U 30.0 <br />20.0 <br />d <br />10.0 <br />2006 2007 <br />■ Perennial Native Warm Grass <br />■ Perennial Native Forbs <br />■ Annual Native Grass <br />■ Cheatgrass <br />2011 2012 2015 2016 <br />■ Perennial Native Cool Grass <br />I% Annual Native Forbs <br />■ Annual Introduced Forbs <br />The trend observed on Reclamation Area 30 between 2009 and 2016 sheds some light on trends <br />observed in Reclamation Area 29 (Figure 8, Table 18). In 2009, the area was dominated by cool <br />Habitat Management, Inc. 26 October 2016 <br />