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rnrnomnrmol srirmuis and rnpmrers <br /> transect were randomly determined. An "optical bar" was used to determine"hits" at <br /> 20 centimeter intervals. The optical bar is a frame holding five specially designed <br /> non-magnifying telescopes. The optical bar is mounted on a tripod and is used <br /> essentially like a point frame. The telescopes are aimed vertically toward the ground. <br /> The intersection of the cross-hairs in each telescope defines a"point"or hit. Each hit <br /> is recorded as a vegetation species, rock, litter or bare ground. Each transect was <br /> comprised of 50 hits. <br /> Sample adequacy was calculated for each sampled area for both vegetation cover and <br /> herbaceous production in accordance with the Division's guideline. An adequate <br /> number of samples was collected in all instances. Relative importance of species was <br /> determined for each sampled area using vegetation cover data. A double-tail t-test <br /> was used to compare vegetation cover of each reclaimed pit to the cover of the <br /> reference area. Because the means for herbaceous production for each reclaimed pit <br /> were higher than for the reference area, no statistical test was necessary for <br /> herbaceous production. <br /> Results <br /> Summary statistics and revegetation success criteria are shown in Table 1. Vegetation <br /> cover data are summarized in Table 2. Table 2 shows absolute and relative vegetation <br /> cover averaged over all transects for each sampled area. Raw data for herbaceous <br /> production and total vegetation cover are shown in Tables 3 and 4, respectively. <br /> A minimum of 15 quadrats and transects were sampled in each area. Variances <br /> relative to the means were larger for production than for cover, as is typically the <br /> case. As a result, additional quadrats were sampled in Pits 3 and 5 and in the <br /> reference area in order to ensure sample adequacy. (Initial adequacy calculations q <br /> were based on wet weights; drying tends to reduce variance.) von tN 1 <br /> All of the reclaimed pits had herbaceous production greater than the reference area (v` <br /> production. It was evident that all sampled areas, including the reference area, had n�a _ r <br /> been grazed during the 1989 season. It was estimated that utilization ranged from 5 �C <br /> to 15 percent. Average utilization was estimated to be 10 percent for all areas except <br /> Pit 5 which appeared to be more heavily utilized. Because the utilization was <br /> uniformly light, no adjustments to the production data were made. <br /> Vegetation cover for the reference area was higher than for the reclaimed pits. Only <br /> Pit 3 was not significantly different from the reference area for total vegetation cover,/ <br /> thereby meeting the success criterion for cover. <br /> The revegetation success criterion for species diversity is a technical standard. It <br /> states that for any sampled area to be considered successfully reclaimed with respect <br /> to species diversity, there must be at least four perennial grass species and one <br /> perennial forb species comprising 3 percent relative importance (cover)each, with no <br /> one species comprising more than 40 percent relative cover. None of the reclaimed <br /> pits meets this criterion. <br /> —2— <br />