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• COMPARISON OF REVEGETATION ON TOPSOIL AND SPOIL MATERIALS This paper evaluates past revegetation at the Edna Mine as the OSM requested. It shows equivalence in cover between topsoiled and non- topsoiled areas and a dominance of grasses. These conclusions are not surprising since the overburden quality data dhow no toxic material and these areas were seeded with a mixture that included only grasses. Since the reclamation done ae part of this pernit uses a much more varied seed mixture with entirely different goals, it is inappropriate to assess this plan on the basis of past reclamation. This report briefly presents the results of a study to evaluate the success of reclamation efforts in two locations at the Edna Mine. Vegetationally, the mine is located in the mountain brush zone, bordering the aspen zone, at approximately 7,500 feet. Cover, production and species diversity data were obtained from two study locations, one in vegetation planted on spoil material and the other in vegetation planted in topsoil over spoil material. The two study locations were two acres in size. Within each site, cover datn were • obtained at 15 quadrats, two by one half meter in size, by visually estimating the canopy cover of each species to the nearest percent. Rock cover (greater than two centimeters square in size) and litter (both standing and ground) were estimated as well. Production data were also obtained at each quadrat by harvesting the above ground living biomass of each species and placing it in labeled paper bags. Baqs were returned to the laboratory where they were oven dried at 105 Centigrade in excess of 24 hours. Samples were weighted on a triple beam balnnce to the nearest tenth of a gram. Diversity of species at each site was determined by counting the number of different species in each cover data quadrat. Mean and standard deviation values were determined for cover and production of species. Cover values were expressed as a percentage while production was expressed in grams per square meter and pounds per acre. Table 4.4-F-1 presents the information gathered at the two sites. Covez of vegetation was somewhat higher on spoil material, being at 31 percent, than on topsoil, (30 percent). Grasses made up the majority of the • vegetative cover with forb species comprising a minor portion of the cover. Mid-term '94 4.4-D-1 September 15, 1994