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Vegetation Cover and Diversity <br />Quantitative measurements of vegetation cover and plant species frequency were <br />made in 2001 and 2002. <br />Vegetation cover data by species was collected by the point-intercept technique applied <br />by use of a laser point bar. The sampling design consisted of groups of ten points <br />sampled at 5 meter intervals perpendicular to a 50 points per transect. The 25 meter <br />transect stretched out either north, northwest, northeast, east, southwest, west, south <br />or southeast of the sample point location (the direction was randomly selected from <br />among the eight possibilities such that selection was regenerated if necessary until it <br />fell entirely within the sample site boundaries). Cover was identified by species, or as <br />rock, litter, or bare ground. For the purposes of estimating total vegetative cover, only <br />first hit data was used. The data was collected June 11, 2001 through June 14, 2001 <br />and again in June 13, 2002 through June 14, 2002. Transects occurred until sample <br />adequacy was met using standards outlined in Guidelines Regarding Selected Coal <br />Mine Bond Release Issues, April 18,1995. Each group of ten points, with a 10cm <br />interval between each point, was oriented such that the 10 points were projected <br />vertically downward perpendicular to the transect. At each point, the first contact of a <br />plant species was recorded as a "hit". In cases where vegetation was not contacted, <br />either bare ground (soil), litter, or rock hits were recorded. Each hit represented two <br />percent cover for a transect. For example, a plant species that was contacted 15 times <br />on a transect had an estimated cover of 30 percent for that particular transect. Since <br />the points were situated systematically along the randomly-located transects, each <br />transect (i.e., 50 data points) represented an observation in the sample. Therefore, the <br />estimated mean cover for a particular species in the vegetation type as a whole was <br />derived by summing the percent cover measured on each transect and dividing by the <br />total number of transects sampled. <br />Diversity was derived by taking the mean cover for a particular perennial species and <br />dividing it by the mean cover for all non-restricted/non-noxious perennial species and <br />multiplying by 100. <br />Vegetation Production <br />In the reclaimed area, production plots were YZ meter by 'h meter in size. All current <br />annual herbaceous production inside the production plots was clipped, separated <br />according to life form, and bagged. The four life forms were perennial grasses, <br />perennial forbs, annual species, and noxious weeds. All production samples were oven <br />dried at 110 degrees Fahrenheit to a constant weight. Biennial species were included <br />with annual species. The resultant weights were expressed in pounds per acre (Ib/ac). <br />Page4of26 <br />August 23, 2002 <br />