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• 4.0 SUMMARY <br />A quantitative vegetation study was conducted during the 1981 growing <br />season of the U.S. Steel Somerset Mine in Gunnison County, Colorado. <br />The study was designed in accordance with the "Regulations of the Colo- <br />radio Mined Land Reclamation Division, 1980" to establish a standard <br />For measuring revegetation success and to generate information for <br />revegetation programs. <br />A vegetation map of the permit Brea was prepared. Vegetation types <br />present included: Mountain Shrubland, Juniper Woodland, Aspen, and <br />Conifer. Through meetings and site visits Dy CMLR reclamation special- <br />ists, it was Determined that The Two vegetation types with major di5- <br />turbances, Mountain Shrubland and Juniper Woodland, would be quanti- <br />tatively sampled. Minor vegetation types such as riparian were deemed <br />too insignificant for mapping and sampling. Furthermore, it was agreed <br />that all sampling would occur adjacent to existing disturbances as this <br />mine has been operational since 1902 with physical disturbances occurring <br />many years ago. Thus, the reference areas are represented in a zone <br />surrounding the existing disturbances. <br />Quantitative sampling of vegetation cover, production, and woody plant <br />density was completed in the Mountain Shrubland and Juniper Woodland <br />vegetation types. A statistically adequate sample was taken for cover; <br />however, production and woody plant density variation in these semi- <br />. grid vegetation types was extremely high and sampling was stopped at <br />predetermined values established by CMLR personnel. Tables 13, 14, 15 <br />and 16 provide summaries of the quantitative work. <br />Plant species were collected throughout the 1981 growin~f season. None <br />of the 133 species are listed by the federal government or the state of <br />Colorado as threatened or endangered. One restricted noxious weed <br />was found on The project site. <br />-46- <br />