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• ponderosa/pinion/juniper woodland...". Since this was only an interim reclamation sampling <br />effort, the two reference azeas were not sampled. <br />Production. All of the Reclamation Blocks were sampled, using the completely random <br />statistical sampling approach where all production transect locations were randomly located <br />within the appropriate sample unit and along each transect, a total of three randomly located one- <br />quarter square meter plots were clipped. The three plots were clipped by life forms for perennial <br />grasses, perennial forbs, annuals and noxious weeds. This was the same transect used for cover <br />and shrub density sampling. The three clip plots were then averaged into a single transect datum <br />for purposes of statistical analysis. Since the Division's Guidelines recommend that annuals and <br />biennials, noxious weeds and shrub production aze typically not clipped, but since the Southfield <br />Mine Permit requires that the production revegetation success standazd is based upon "total <br />vegetative production" all annuals, biennials and noxious weeds were clipped during the <br />production sampling. However, after weighting the samples, it was determined that noxious <br />weeds nothing to the overall production and hence they are excluded from the summary tables <br />and these data were not used for purposes of revegetation success for production. For each azea <br />sampled a minimum of 30 production transects were used for sample adequacy calculations. <br />Following clipping the harvested plant materials were dried in a drying oven at 100 degrees C <br />for a period of 24 hours. <br />According to revised permit page 2.05.4-27 the revegetation success standard for production is <br />based upon "total vegetative production" wherein "all plant species" are to be clipped. <br />• Shrub Density. Starting at each of the 30 traosect locations described above for the production <br />sampling, the fifty-meter tape was laid out along a predetermined and randomly selected <br />alignment. Woody stem density was determined using the center of the tape as a modified belt <br />transect. The right-hand side of the ttansect was called Side A and the left-hand side of the tape <br />was called Side B. Data collected from each side were added into a transect value which <br />represents the number of shrubs sampled in the 100 m2 sample plot. These data are reported in <br />the Results Section as to the number of shrubs per 100 mZ as well as the number of shrubs per <br />acre as outlined in the Permit. <br />According to revised permit page 2.05.4-27, submitted in connection with Minor Revision 48, <br />the woody plant revegetation success standazd for the Southfield Mine is to be based on "revised <br />woody plant counts for the corresponding reference area as documented in the baseline <br />vegetation data" For the Southfield Loadout area, the woody plant revegetation success <br />standazd "is 6.3 stems per acre." The woody plant density standazd of the refuse area is reported <br />to be 7.6 stems per acre. According to revised permit page 2.05.4-23, submitted in connection <br />with Minor Revision 48, there is no shrub density standazd for the Corley property as "the <br />landowner has requested that shrubs and trees not be reestablished." <br />Species Diversity. The plant cover data collected at each cover sample transect yielded data <br />relative to absolute and relative cover. These cover data were then converted into percent <br />composition or relative plant cover by species based upon the total amount of plant cover <br />• encountered in each sample transect. The relative importance values of plants growing on the <br />