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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />ASPEN REGENERATION STUDY <br />(1987 PROGRESS REPORT) <br />INTRODUCTION: <br /> <br />This report contains the second years results of Colorado Yampa Coal <br />Company's (CYCC) ASPEN REGENERATION STUDY. The first years results are <br />found in the 1986 Progress Report. <br />As part of CYCC's wildlife mitigation plan for the Little Middle Creek <br />Tract (LMCT) an Aspen Regeneration study is being conducted at the mine. <br />The purpose of the study is to test several treatments which may have the <br />potential for improving aspen establishment when using live handled topsoil <br />on the LMCT. <br />Studies conducted at CYCC have shown that live handling topsoil is a <br />valuable technique, for improving native plant establishment, particularly <br />shrubs. The success of the live handling is accomplished without additional <br />seeding. Shrub densities on live handled sites have proven superior to <br />those on seeded sites. Although aspen is initially one of the woody species <br />that sprouts on live handled sites at CYCC, it does not persist as well as <br />some of the other shrub species. As a result, several treatments have been <br />designed to see if aspen establishment could be improved on the LMCT. <br />TREATMENTS: <br />Rotoclearing Verses Dozing: <br />Mining of aspen sites requires the removal of the trees before topsoil <br />can be moved. Currently this is accomplished at CYCC by knocking the trees <br />down with a large dozer and then treating the trees with a Madge-rotoclear <br />that is pulled by the dozer. The Madge-rotoclear chops the trees up and <br />mixes them into the topsoil. This technique has been very effective in <br />providing a natural mulch as it incorporates organic matter that otherwise <br />would be removed and lost. However, it was felt that the chopping and <br />mixing action of the rotoclear was reducing the size of 'the aspen root <br />segments in the topsoil. United States Forest Service (USES) aspen experts <br />felt that larger aspen root segments may result in increased aspen sprouting <br />and survival. Therefore, one treatment consisted of dozing the trees off <br />