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Seneca II -W, C-1982-057, SL7 Veg Review <br />July 30, 2020 <br />Page 3of5 <br />Woody plant density: <br />The Seneca II West Permit has five woody plant density success criteria. Two of which are mandatory <br />standards for the overall reclaimed land, and three other ( secondary) standards for the concentrated shrub <br />/tree establishment sites, which must meet two of the standards. (PAP Tab 22) <br />Mandatory Shrub Standard 1; Overall, non -fenced, reclaimed land, must achieve 200 stems per acre <br />Mandatory Shrub Standard 2; Volunteer (plus remnants of planting) shrub concentrations (outside fences) <br />shall equal 1000 stems per acre on at least 10% of the unfenced acreage. <br />Secondary Standard No. 1; Woody plant establishment areas, Upland, fenced; 945 woody stems /acre <br />average. Secondary Standard No.2; Woody plant establishment areas, Riparian, fenced and/or non- fenced <br />945 woody stems /acre average, riparian areas will contain at least 150 stems/acre of tree or tall shrub <br />species. Secondary Standard No. 3; Woody plant establishment area, with aspen, fenced, 945 woody stems <br />/acre (of which 150 stems /acre will be aspen). <br />Page 17 of the SL6 application provides results of the 2015 Woody plant density sampling. For the <br />Aspen plot, the woody plant success standard requires 851 stems per acre (90% of 945 s/ac). 150 stems <br />must be Aspen. SP measured 264.3 Aspen stems and 2696.4 stems per acre in the fenced Aspen plot. <br />The Division finds the Aspen plot is successful for 2015 woody plant density. <br />2015 Fenced Riparian plot 2884.6 stems/ac. Standard 90% of 945 (85 1) so meets the stems/acre. 150 <br />s/ac. must be tall shrubs or trees. <br />2015 Fenced Upland plot requires 851 s/ac. (90% of 945 s/a). In 2015 SP measured 2227.4 stems/acre. <br />Woody stem density was achieved for the Upland shrub plot for 2015. Sample adequacy was not <br />achieved on two of the fenced plots or the "background" area. SP applied a reverse null test to <br />demonstrate success achieved and conducted a square root transformation calculation to demonstrate <br />normalcy. The 2015 background Woody Plant Density data passed the square -root transformation test. <br />The reverse null test demonstrated that "background" WPD was achieved for the 2015 "background" <br />area. <br />2. A correction is needed for page 18 of the SL6 application. The discussion of the reclamation <br />success of the "planted concentration area woody plant density for 2011 is demonstrated". This <br />application is for 2015 and 2016 data. Please verify that the discussion applies to the 2015 data, <br />and this is just a typographical error. <br />The 2016 Woody plant density success evaluation is found on page 18 of the application. All areas; <br />background, and fenced concentration plots exceeded the required standard for both required 1 and <br />2 woody plant density standards. Sample adequacy not achieved. In 2016 the operator collected 75 <br />belt transects on the background (not concentrated plots) area. So they could do a direct comparison to <br />the standard. This is acceptable. <br />Fenced plots 2016. Aspen, and Riparian plots did not achieve statistical sample adequacy. The <br />operator demonstrated using the reverse null formula a square root transformation that the data met <br />normalcy. The concentrated woody stem area plots exceeded the required woody plant standard for <br />the 2016 data. <br />