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• Therefore post-reclamation monitoring will involve measurement of total <br />herbaceous cover. Determination of revegetation success will involve a comparison <br />of vegetative cover data for reclaimed and reference areas utilizing the "t-test" <br />method (Larson, 1980). If the absolute value of cover for reclaimed areas is <br />greater than or equal to the calculated 90% confidence level for the reference area <br />value, then the means between the areas shall be determined statistically <br />equivalent and vegetative cover will meet regulatory success standards. <br />Vegetative productivity of reclaimed areas will be evaluated by clipping on quarter <br />square meter circular quadrats along the sample transect. All plant species will be <br />clipped, dried and weighed to determine total vegetative production. If the absolute <br />value of production from the reclaimed area is greater than or equal to the <br />calculated 90% confidence level for the reference area value, then the <br />corresponding means shall be determined statistically equivalent and vegetative <br />productivity for the reclaimed area will bejudged to be adequate to meet regulatory <br />revegetation standards. <br />Species diversity will be evaluated for revegetated areas utilizing data from <br />. vegetative cover sampling. Species diversity shall be considered adequate when <br />the four (4) dominant species, based on plant cover, comprise no more than 809'° <br />of the total species composition. The two (2) dominant warm season grass species <br />shall collectively comprise at least 6% of total plant cover composition. <br />Because woody plant occurrence on the grasslands type is very limited, woody <br />plant sampling data for the reclaimed refuse pile and loadout areas will be <br />compared with revised woody plant counts for the corresponding reference areas <br />as documented in the baseline vegetation data. Revised woody plant counts for the <br />refuse pile and loadout areas are 7.6 (6 trees and 15 shrubs on 2.75 acre area) <br />and 6.3 (2 trees and 1 shrub on 0.48 acre area) stems per acre respectively. If the <br />woody plant densities (calculated on a stems per acre basis using woody plant <br />sampling data) for the reclaimed refuse pile and loadout areas are greater than or <br />equal to the 909'o confidence interval for corresponding revised woody plant counts, <br />revegetation will be deemed adequate relative to woody plant density. <br /> <br />2.05.4 - 27 Revised 11/12/97 <br />Technical Revision No. 29 <br />