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the shrub areas may be less than that for the other parts of the mine. A reduction in <br />the herbaceous cover is intended to reduce competition and encourage the <br />establishment of shrubs and trees. <br />Reclamation success for production in the mine azea will be evaluated by comparing <br />herbaceous production in the reclaimed area to the weighted herbaceous production <br />in the reclaimed areas to the weighted herbaceous production value determined from <br />the extended reference area. Herbaceous production will be estimated by clipping the <br />current yeaz's above ground biomass in randomly located 2m2 to 1 m2 sample plots. <br />Production will not be evaluated within the concentrated tree and shrub establishment <br />sites. These locations are intended to establish "islands" of higher shrub and tree <br />densities and are of small areal extent. Seneca Coal Company proposes to suppress <br />herbaceous competition within these clumps thus reducing herbaceous productivity <br />as well. The shrub and tree concentrated azeas will be located within the reclaimed <br />shrub grassland vegetative type and will comprise approximately 7% of the first <br />permit term disturbance azea. A productivity standazd within the concentrated shrub <br />areas would be insignificant in comparison to the reclaimed azea as a whole. <br />Herbaceous production in the reclaimed mesic drainage type will be determined by <br />comparison with the weighted mean herbaceous production of the mesic drainage and <br />improved pasture-subinigated vegetation types. Production standazd of the <br />permanently reclaimed portions ofthe haul road corridor will be based on weighted <br />mean historical production records of the study azea along the haul road corridor. <br />Species diversity success standazds for the Yoast mine azea and haul road corridor is <br />as follows: <br />Five perennial forbs 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 azeas is to provide pockets of shrub dominated vegetation. <br />Yoast Mine 36 August 3, 2005 <br />