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was found to average 30.06 percent (Table 6, West Ridge Topsoiled Reclamation Area Plant <br />• Cover). Perennial forbs contributed 50.83 percent of the relative cover on this site and annual <br />and biennial forbs contributed 26.14 percent of the total cover on this area. The dominate plants <br />growing on this area were Cicer Milkvetch, which accounted for 14.85 percent to the total cover <br />followed by Western Yarrow and Ox-eye Daisy, which contributed 9.13 and 8.72 percent of the <br />total relative cover, respectfully, on this site. Orchardgrass was the most abundant grass and <br />accounted for 9.95 percent of the total plant cover produced on this area. <br />Species Diversity. Examination of the relative cover data, indicate that there are only two grass <br />plants yielding greater than three percent relative cover. When the perennial forbs aze included, <br />there aze a total of six different species possessing relative importance values as measured by <br />relative cover of greater than three percent. When this reclaimed site is compazed to the other <br />reclaimed areas on this minesite, it can be determined that the grass component of this <br />reclamation stand is somewhat lower than that found on other sites. A partial explanation for the <br />limited grass cover on this site might be to the relatively young age of this reclaimed site. It <br />appears, that the contribution of grass as measured by relative cover values will increase as this <br />reclaimed stand matures. <br />WEST RIDGE NON-TOPSOILED RECLAIMED AREA <br />Plant Cover. The results obtained from the sampling of the twenty plant cover transects on this <br />site aze presented in Table 7, West Ridge Non-Topsoiled Reclaimed Area Plant Cover. The <br />uniformity of the planted species was the most variable on this site of the five reclaimed sites <br />• sampled and sample adequacy was not obtained (Table 2, Edna Mine Sample Adequacy <br />Calculations). Examination of the various sites sampled suggest that this reclamation unit <br />contains revegetation seedings of various ages. This appeazs to be the explanation as to why <br />some of the stands contain very well developed stands of mature Alfalfa ,while other azeas, <br />possess virtually no Alfalfa at all. <br />Total plant cover on this site was found to average 40.05 percent and allowable plant cover was <br />found to average 33.81 percent (Table 7, West Ridge Non-Topsoiled Reclaimed Area Plant <br />Cover). Over all of the transects sampled, perennial forbs, dominated by Alfalfa and Cicer <br />Milkvetch were the commonly found plants. The most cornmon grasses found on this site were <br />Western Wheatgrass and Intermediate Wheatgrass, which contributed 7.37 and 4.37 percent of <br />the total relative cover found on this site. Shrub establishment, as measured by plant cover, on <br />this reclaimed azea was the highest of any of the five reclaimed sites evaluated and Rubber <br />Rabbitbrush and Bitterbrush, were found more consistently in the transects than on any of the <br />reclaimed areas examined. The total relative cover from these two shrubs accounted for 3.37 <br />percent of the relative cover found on this site. <br />• <br />