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INTRODUCTION • <br />A focus of Seneca Coal Company's reclamation program has been the re-establishment of woody. <br />plants found in the mountain shrub community .type. Past attempts at re-establishing these <br />woody plants have achieved limited success and a number of factors have been identified which <br />influence plant survival. A series of studies-have been initiated in order to evaluate techniques <br />which will improve shrub and tree establishment on the site. This report summarizes work to <br />date on studies in progress: The report is organized into sections which provide complete reports <br />related to the following studies: 1) Section A: Annual Report on Shnib Establishment , <br />Monitoring; 2) Section B: Annual. Report on Topsoil Depth and Shrub Establishment Study; and <br />3} Section C: Mycorrhizae Benefits Study.. A brief summary of the objectives is found below. - <br />Section A: Shrub Establishment Monitoring <br />Since•1995; shrub establishment monitoring has:been conducted on a number of existing and , <br />newly"established-woody plant establishment plots at the Seneca II Mine and Seneca II-W Mine... <br />The purpose of long-term monitoring i§i . <br />- To estimate shrub density within the woody, plant establishment areas; <br />- To estimate grass and forb seedling density or cover within the plot; <br />' . To track stem density within the plots to determine if reclamation standazds will be met; <br />- To provide recomrnendations which will improve woody plant establishment acid <br />survival. <br />Section B: Topsoil Depth and Shrub Establishment Study <br />The Topsoil Depth and Shrub Establishment Study is being conducted to determine the effect of .` <br />topsoil applicationon,establishment of, Serviceberry (Amelanchier aln folia), Chokecherry <br />(Prunus virginiana), and Gambel's Oak (Quercus gamb'elii). These same species aze planted on <br />a non-topsoled' site (graded spoil). Topsoil.application potentially limits plant establishment by <br />encouraging plant competition and providing a substrate which may be inappropriate for the <br />species planted. Objectives of this study aze: <br />- To determine the effect of topsoil and no topsoil applications on the survival and <br />establishment of shrubs, and; <br />- To recommend whether topsoil application is advisable on woody plant establishment <br />azeas. <br />This"report documents the second of three yeazs of data collection for the site. Final results of <br />the study will be presented in Fall 1998. <br />Section C: Mycori•hizae Benefits Studv <br />In the Fall of 1997, a study was initiated to evaluate the benefits of mycorrhizal versus non- <br />mycorrhizal plant materials under reclamation field conditions and to determine the effectiveness <br />of two separate inoculationtechniques: The objectives of this-study aze: <br />- To evaluate the, survival and growth benefits of inoculated plant materials; and <br />- To determine which of the inoculation methods tested has provided. greater inoculation <br />"success. <br />- ~ _ ~ <br />2 <br /> <br />~~,„u ':'LS,~.A^vee<;..,.:.' .'aAh T. xta: ...Ae2...: x.,. Tt.k[:~: ~-.-~. <br />