Laserfiche WebLink
36.8 percent of total herbaceous production. Annual forbs provided 14.28 g/mz (127 lb/ac) <br />or 15.2 percent of total herbaceous production. Perennial forbs provided 0.87 g/m2 (81b/ac), <br />which was 0.9 percent of the total mean herbaceous production. <br />3.1.2.3 Species Composition <br />Cover sampling identified three lifefotms and sixteen species within the 1998 reseeded or <br />interseeded azeas. The lifefonns included eight species of perennial grass, one annual grass, <br />one perennial forb, five annual forbs, and one shrub species. Of the species encountered on <br />the 1998 reseeded or interseeded azeas, eleven were native and five were introduced. <br />Perennial species outnumbered annual species by ten to six. Both warm and cool season <br />species contributed to the seasonality of the 1998 reseeded or interseeded areas. Warm <br />season grazninoids outnumbered cool season graminoids by six to three. Cool season forbs <br />prevailed by five to one. <br />The 1998 reseeded or interseeded azeas had six species contributing greater than three percent <br />relative cover this yeaz. The species contributing greater than three percent relative cover <br />included three perennial grasses, one annual grass, and two annual forbs. These species <br />included Bromus tectorum (55.61%), Calamovilfa longifolia (18.37%), Amaranthus <br />retroJlexus (5.61%), Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama) (4.59%), Andropogon hallii (3.57%), <br />and Kochia scoparia (3.57%). <br />3.1.3 1999 RECLAMATION AREAS <br />• The 1999 reclamation areas encompass a total of approximately 18 acres of reclamation in <br />two distinct azeas within the Keenesburg Mine permit area. The azeas aze found on the south <br />and east sides of the mine; Area 5, a 2.6 acre pazcel south of the topsand piles, and Area 9, <br />15.3 acres of the former A Pit. Area 5 is neazly flat with a gentle slope (<1 °) to the north and <br />east. Area 9 slopes slightly to the north. Reclamation and coincident revegetation within this <br />azea took place in 1999. Replaced soils were sandy in texture. Specific sampling <br />information for the 1999 reclamation azeas is contained in Tables 6 and 7. <br />3.1.3.1 Vegetation Cover <br />Total vegetation cover of the 1999 reclamation areas was 51.4 percent. Graminoids provided <br />43.20 percent mean cover (86.88% relative cover), forbs accounted for 8.00 percent mean <br />cover (12.54% relative cover), and shrubs provided 0.20 percent mean cover and 0.58 relative <br />cover. Total cover values were variable between the individual azeas within the 1999 <br />reclamation areas. The lowest total vegetation cover of the parcels sampled was found in <br />Area 9 (40%) as was the highest (72%). No single species was encountered in all samples, <br />though Bromus tectorum was encountered in 90 percent of all transects, Calamovilfa <br />longifolia, was found in 80 percent of transects, and Grindelia squarrosa (curlycup <br />gumweed) a perennial native forb was present in 60 percent of transects. <br />Overall within the 1999 reclamation azeas, Bromus tectorum was dominant, with <br />contributions of 21.60 percent mean and 35.28 percent relative cover. Six additional species <br />contributed significantly to cover, including Calamovi fa longifolia with 9.80 percent mean <br />Coors Energy Company Keenesburg Mine Page 13 <br />2005 Revegetation Monitoring Report <br />