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• grassland type. Mesie conditions, in part sustained by the communities themselves, have <br />played an important role in the establishment of the tell shrub communities. This, <br />combined with other site conditions, has maintained their presence. <br />The highly competitive and well established stands of vegetation (seeded or unneeded) <br />established in reclaimed areas helps stabilize sites end return a functioning ecosystem. <br />However, these stands also slow the establishment of tell shrubs. McLendon end Redente <br />(1990) found in studies on succession patterns in a disturbed sagebrush community, that <br />after 12 years a disturbed sagebrush site initially domi noted by grasses, continued to be <br />dominated by grasses. Seneca 11 Mine observations of 15-year-old reclaimed areas adjacent <br />to undisturbed native tell shrub stands indicate that little or no extension of these well <br />established shrub clonal communities has occurred in the reclaimed areas. Monitoring of <br />revegetation et the nearby Seneca II Nine since 1985 shows initial reestablishment of <br />shrubs may be favorable, but the density quickly drops off as the perennial herbaceous <br />species establish. Tall shrub species are the most affected by the declines. The trend <br />by 1993 shows somewhat of a leveling off in shrub density since the late 1980s. This is <br />in spite of a large shrub end tree plant program and maximum use of direct haul topsoil. <br />• The composition of shrubs in reclaimed areas Sends to predominate with big sagebrush end <br />snowberry. Any increase in reclaimed area shrub density usually comes from these two <br />species. These to species also occur in native plant communities with a high composition <br />of perennial herbaceous species. This, combined with site changes resulting from mining <br />disturbance, may ultimately result in these two species being the dominant shrubs in the <br />reclaimed plant communities and hence, one may anticipate a sagebrush grassland community <br />dominating reclaimed Landscapes many years from now. <br />The only effective means of stabilizing reclaimed sites quickly is to use seed mixes with <br />e high composition of perennial grass species. On the other hand, to provide any <br />opportunity for shrub establishment, growth, end development, current technology requires <br />that herbaceous competition in woody plant areas must be reduced or eliminated. The <br />density requirements currently specified by ODMG end CDOY would require large areas <br />without an effective vegetative cover in order to reduce competition and enhance shrub <br />establishment. This results in large scale erosion end landform instability, low <br />productivity, and greatly reduced utility for wildlife or livestock. Successional <br />processes would be hindered or disrupted and successful retlametion for other vegetation <br />. parameters may not be achieved. <br />47 <br />