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datum for purposes of statistical analysis. Absolute and relative plant cover, species diversity, <br />and plant life forms were determined based upon the observations collected in sampling the plarrt <br />cover. <br />As outlined in the Trapper Mine Permit and the Division's Guidelines, annual and biennial plant <br />cover in excess often percent of the total vegetative cover was excluded from the calculations of <br />"allowable cover." As directed by Trapper, litter in excess of the acceptable standard, <br />cryptograms and rock were excluded in calculating the values of "allowable cover." <br />The Trapper reclaimed rangelands cover success standard is based on "allowable cover." For <br />Range Site A, which includes Rangeland Reclamation Block AD&H-A/B, the "allowable cover" <br />standard is 52 % with at least 33 % of the rover coming from herbaceous vegetation. For Range <br />Site C, which includes Rangeland Reclamation Block AC&D-C, the "allowable cover" standard <br />is 47 % with at least 25 % of the cover coming from herbaceous vegetation. The "allowable <br />cover" standard at Trapper includes perennial plant cover (minus the cover from noxious <br />perennial weeds), and up to 10% relative affiual plant cover, and litter cover up to the maximum <br />allowed per Range Site (Range Site A =19%; Range Site C = 22%). The Cropland Reclamation <br />Block has no cover success standard. <br />Production. For the two Rangeland Reclamation Blocks and the Cropland Reclamation Block, <br />sampled using the simple random statistical sampling approach, all of the production iransect <br />locations were randomly located within the appropriate reclamation block and along each <br />transect a total of three randomly located one half square meter clip plots were clipped. The three <br />plots were clipped by life forms for perennial grasses and perennial forts. As recommended in <br />the Division's Guidelines, annuals and biennials and shrub production was not clipped. The three <br />clip plots were then averaged into a single transect datum for purposes of statistical analysis. For <br />each rechimation block sampled a m;n;mum of 30 production transects were used for sample <br />adequacy calculations. Following clipping the clipped materials were dried in a drying oven in <br />the Trapper Mine Coal Laboratory at 30 degrees C for a period of 48 hours. <br />The revegetation production success standards are the Reference Area value for the Cropland <br />Reclamation Block and 62.39 grams per square meter (g/m~ for the Range Site A (Rangeland <br />Reclamation Block ADBcH-AB and 47.46 grams per square meter (g/m~for Range Site C <br />(Rangeland Reclamation Block AC&D-C). <br />Shrub Density. Starting at each of the 30 transect locations described above for the production <br />sampling of Rangeland Reclamation Block AD&H-AB, the fifty-meter tape was laid out along a <br />predetermined and randomly selected alignment. Woody stem density was determined using the <br />center of the tape as a modified belt transect. The right-hand side of the transect was called Side <br />A and the left-hand side of the tape was called Side B. Data collected from each side were added <br />into a iransect value which represents the number of shrubs sampled in the 100 square meter <br />sample plot. These data are reported in the Results Section as to the number of shrubs per 100 <br />square meters as well as the number of shrobs per acre as outlined in the Pemut. <br />In addition, shrub survivaVdensity counts were taken on three Shrub Clumps, constructed within <br />