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<br />brush, seeded, and had a good establishment of herboceous cover. The few mountain <br />snowberry plants established in this area were probably a result of seed transported by <br />animals. <br />The small areas of graded spoils which were topsoiled from topsoil stockpiles were highly <br />variable in shrub establishment. There were localized heavy stands of mature big sage- <br />brush adjacent To those transects with high densities of big sagebrush which most pro- <br />bably contributed to establishment. In addition it may be possible that seed in the soil <br />which was stockpiled less than one year maintained an adequate level of viability. Big <br />sagebrush seed can remain dormant in the soil for periods of up to four years and sub- <br />species vaseyana requires a period of stratification (two to three months) for proper <br />germination (Tisdale and Hironaka 1981). <br />The areas of graded spoil where topsoil was replaced by direct haul methods had good <br />establishment of shrubs in terms of total numbers and number of species. It has already <br />been shown that high levels of residual sagebrush seed in the soil can be expected, and <br />thus good establishment of sagebrush is possible. Big sagebrush was the most common <br />shrub established in direct hauled areas and exhibited the best vigor and highest densities <br />where the herbaceous vegetation was not established or had low cover. Many of the big <br />sagebrush plants in areas that were reclaimed three years ago or longer were producing <br />seed. <br />The remaining dominant shrub species which reproduce by both seed and root sprouting, <br />established at lower levels in direct hauled topsoil areas. The exception to this was <br />mountain snowberry. This species is an extensive colonizer, reproducing by seed and <br />extensively by rhizomes (USDA, USFS 1974). Tisdale and Hironaka (1981), however, in a <br />review of the literature on the sagebrush-grass region found That little has been published <br />on the ecology of mountain snowberry. Additionally, the literature pertaining to mixed <br />brush species and their ability to regenerate after severe mechanical disturbance of a <br />site is somewhat sparse. Valentine (1971) summarized that recovery of mixed brush <br />species when sprayed with herbicides or treated mechanically was good. The relatively <br />low numbers of common chokecherry, Saskatoon serviceberry, and Gambel oak becoming <br />established in the early periods of reclamation may be due in part to the loss of the root <br />crowns where sprouting usually occurs. Brushy vegetation at the Seneca II Mine is re- <br />moved with a bulldozer and consequently plant materials near and just below the soil <br />surface are removed as well. It should be noted that in many cases it appeared that the <br />above species and mountain snowberry were sprouting from vegetative materials. <br />-9- <br />