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<br />INTRODUCTION <br />Successional processes in plant communities aided by natural regeneration and <br />reinvasion are an important part of vegetation establishment and eventual recla- <br />mation success on strip mined lands. This is especially true of plant communities <br />that must be reestablished with hard to establish woody vegetation. The Seneca II <br />coal strip mine in northwestern Colorado is located in an area that can more <br />readily achieve reclamation success through proper reclamation techniques and <br />the ability of the naturally occurring vegetation to regenerate itself. <br />BACKGROUND <br />The Seneca II Mine is located in the mountain brush vegetation type occurring <br />west of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Climatic and soil conditions combine to <br />produce a vegetation community that has the capability of producing a large <br />amount of biomass beneficial to wildlife and livestock. White a large number of <br />fortis and grasses occur in the community, it is dominated by shrubs such as <br />Gambel's oak, serviceberry, chokecherry, snowberry, and big sagebrush. Aspen <br />stands and occasional conifers are also found within the overall community. <br />The area had been heavily grazed for a number of years prior to mining with a <br />resultant change in the plant community structure. Essentially grazing has caused <br />a disclimax (i.e. aman-caused climax) due to grazing pressure on one component <br />of the ecosystem (herbaceous) with benefits to another component (shrub). Range <br />condition has deteriorated, but the site still provides desirable wildlife habitat <br />components, especially for mule deer and elk. Shrub densities were measured <br />during vegetation studies carried out for the Seneca II permit application. The <br />estimated premine shrub densities averaged 3300 stems/acre based on these <br />studies. <br />Achieving a reasonable density of shrubs in the reclamation to restore wildlife <br />habitat and enhance grazing for livestock is an eventual goal of the reclamation <br />program at Seneca II. While reestablishing premine shrub densities in a relatively <br />short time by a concentrated planting effort is an alternative, it is a costly one <br />with questionable achievement of the desired goal. Amore feasible method is a <br />... , ~ ..- <br />