REP07979 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

(15.79%), Stipa viridula (12.03%), Calamovilfa longifolia (7.52%) , Andropogon hallii and Chenopodium album (5.26%), and Agropyron smithii (3.76%). • Cool season plants dominated the reference azea with seven species, while there were three warm season species, one succulent, and one deciduous species. Graminoid seasonality was evenly split between warm and cool season species with three representatives each. All forb species were cool season, the evergreen was succulent, and the shrub species deciduous. 1995 RECLAMATION AREAS The 1995 reclamation azeas encompass a total of approximately 32 acres of reclamation in six distinct azeas within the Keenesburg Mine permit azea. The azeas aze found throughout the disturbance azea of the mine and include; a road corridor from the northwest comer of the long term spoil storage azea to the northwest boundary of the permit azea (Area 24), an azea between the sediment pond and the 1985 reclamation azea which was used for spoil storage (Area 27), an azea west of the sediment pond (Area 28), the former tipple azea north of the shop building (Area 1), the east third of A pit (Area 8), and an azea immediately east of the western pazcel reclaimed in 1987 (Area 16). In 2002, sampling was undertaken in each of the six distinct pazcels reclaimed in 1995. Vegetation cover transects and herbaceous production quadrats were distributed within the areas based on size. The 1995 reclamation azeas aze neazly flat with a gentle slope (cl°) to the north and east. Reclamation and coincident revegetation within this azea took place in 1995. Replaced soils were sandy in texture. Specific sampling information for the 1995 • reclamation azeas is contained in Tables 4 and 5. Vegetation Cover I • Overall vegetation cover within the 1995 reclamation azeas was dominated by warm and cool season graminoids. Eleven perennial granvnoid species contributed significantly to vegetation cover in the 1995 reclamation areas. Bromus tectorum, and annual weedy grass, did not contnbute significantly to cover this year. The number of species represented in cover sampling decreased from 23 in 2001 to 18 this yeaz (Savage and Savage, 2001), largely due to a corresponding decrease in forb species numbers. Total mean vegetation cover of the 1995 reclamation azeas was 23.20 percent. Graminoids provided 21.40 percent mean cover (90.71°lo relative cover) and forbs accounted for 1.60 percent mean cover (7.14% relative cover). One woody shrub species was encountered in the 1995 reclamation azeas during the cover sampling, providing 0.20 percent total cover and 2.14 percent relative cover. Total cover values within and between the pazcels within the 1995 reclamation were relatively consistent. Of the six pazcels sampled, the highest level of total vegetation cover was found in Area 24 with a total cover of 32 percent. Total vegetation cover in the remaining pazcels ranged from 20 to 26 percent, with significant representation by perennial warm and cool season graminoids. Kochia scoparia (kochia) was the overall dominant forb, though it was present in only half of the pazcels. Coors Energy Company Page 7 2002 Revegetation MonFtoring Report