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the current year's above ground biomass in randomly located YZm' to lm` sample <br />plots. Production wil] not be evaluated within the concentrated tree and shrub <br />establishment sites. These location are intended to establish "islands" of higher shrub <br />and tree densities and are of small areal extent. Seneca Coal Company proposes to <br />suppress herbaceous competition within these clumps thus reducing herbaceous <br />productivity as well. The shrub and tree concentrated areas will be located within the <br />reclaimed shrub grassland vegetative type and will comprise approximately 7% of <br />the first permit term disturbance area. A productivity standard within the <br />concentrated shrub areas would be insignificant in comparison to the reclaimed area <br />as a whole. Herbaceous production in the reclaimed mesic drainage type will be <br />determined by comparison with the weighted mean herbaceous production of the <br />mesic drainage and improved pasture-subirrigated vegetation types. Production <br />standard of [he permanently reclaimed portions of the haul road corridor will be <br />based on weighted mean historical production records of the study area along the <br />haul road corridor. <br />Species diversity success standards for the Yoast mine area and haul road corridor is <br />as follows: <br />Five perennial (orbs will each have greater than 50% frequency. Frequency will be <br />determined by the percentage of samples in which a species is encountered. One <br />perennial forb will have greater than 3% relative cover, and two additional perennial <br />forbs will have greater than 1% relative cover. No one forb specie will have greater <br />than 40% relative cover. <br />Six perennial grass species will each have greater than 50% frequency. Two <br />perennial grasses will each have greater than 3% relative cover. Two additional grass <br />species will have greater than 1% relative cover. No one grass species will exceed <br />40% relative cover. <br />Three shrubs will each have greater than 5% frequency. One shrub species will have <br />greater than 1% relative cover. <br />Combined relative cover of the three forbs and four grasses will not exceed 80%. <br />Species diversity will not apply within the concentrated shrub establishment areas <br />since the goal of these areas is to provide pockets of shrub dominated vegetation. <br />Woody plant density standards have been determined from studies and standards <br />encountered a[ comparable surface mines in the North West Colorado region. The <br />overall woody plant density for reclaimed areas will be 450 stems per acre. <br />Concentrated shrub establishment sites will have a woody stem density standard of <br />?000 stems per acre. <br />Yoast Mine 34 ~larth 6,'_001 <br />