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Cover values for all reclaimed areas are summarized by Table 8, Summary of <br />Mean Percent Herbaceous Cover for the Grassy Creek Mine. This comparison <br />suggests that herbaceous vegetative cover on all reclaimed areas is greater <br />than the corresponding cover value for the reference area. <br />A summary comparing herbaceous production for Pit 2 and the corresponding <br />reference area is presented as Table 9, Summary of Mean Herbaceous <br />Production for Pit 2 and the Sagebrush Reference Area. This comparison <br />suggests that herbaceous production on the Pit 2 reclaimed area is greater than <br />that associated with the corresponding reference area. <br />The results of herbaceous production sampling for the Pit 2 reclaimed area and <br />corresponding reference area are presented on Table 10, 1990 Production <br />Summary for the Grassy Creek Mine. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Project delays and the consequent deferral of vegetative sampling to tale <br />October resulted in some limitations relative to documentation for species that <br />mature earlier in the growing season. However, given additional effort to insure <br />collection and proper identification of all plant materials produced during .the <br />1990 growing season, this potential limitation is more academic in nature than <br />real. <br />Even though monitoring was completed later than the period normally <br />considered optimal for vegetation sampling, resulting data is considered to be <br />reliable and may even be slightly conservative. At the time that sampling <br />occurred, the tops of all of the grass species had matured, however, virtually of <br />species still had succulent growth extending approximately five inches above the <br />ground. Thus, sufficient active plant growth was available at the time of <br />monitoring to adequately characterize the vegetation parameters of interest. It <br />13 <br />