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The total number of species encountered during cover sampling in Area 2 was 25. <br />Graminoids accounted for twelve species, fortis nine species, and shrubs and <br />suffrutescent shrubs four species. Of the species encountered on Area 2, ten were <br />native and 15 were introduced. <br />Perennial species outnumbered annual species by 19 to four. Two species were <br />biennial. Seasonality of Area 2 species was divided between cool season, warm <br />season, cool/warm season, and evergreen species. Graminoids were predominantly <br />cool season species with the notable exceptions, Bouteloua gracilis and Hilaria jamesii. <br />Five fort species were identified as cool season, three were considered cool/warm <br />season, and two were warm season. The shrub and suffrutescent shrub species were all <br />evergreen. <br />Vegetative litter (prior years growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br />comprised 18.4% ground cover within Area 2. Rock accounted for 3.5% ground <br />cover, in the form of small sandstone and siltstone material (< 10 cm diameter). Bare <br />soil comprised 56.1 % of the ground cover encountered in Area 2. <br />STATISTICAL COMPARISON OF RECLAIl~4ED AND REFERENCE AREAS <br />The collection of statistically adequate data for the parameter of vegetation cover allows <br />the statistical evaluation for compliance with the revegetation success criteria of the <br />mining and reclamation permit. The revegetation success criterion for cover is <br />established by sampling the Upland Sagebrush Reference Area for Area 2 and the <br />majority of Area 1 (where Rule 4.15.10 standards do not apply). The reference area <br />cover was measured at 22.7 percent live aerial vegetation cover. The correct <br />evaluation of the revegetation samples from the 1993 survey is accomplished through <br />the use of cone-tailed hypothesis concerning the mean (Zar, 1974). In this case, the <br />evaluation tests whether the sample cover mean from the revegetated areas is <br />statistically equal to 90 percent of the standard with 90 percent statistical confidence. <br />AREA 1 VEGETATTON COVER <br /> <br /> <br />The initial hypotheses to be tested for Area ]are: <br />HO ~ 14arcu ] > 0.9µroference nrex <br />Ha ~ µarea 1 ~ 0•9l'~reference area <br />