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`r1 <br />u <br />• <br />• <br />Wadge Pasture 1.7 <br />Wadge Pasture Comp. 1.6 <br />Reference Areas AUM's /acre <br />Mountain Brush <br />Sagebrush <br />0.4 <br />0.8 <br />The above calculations were based on a proper use factor of 50 percent and one animal unit <br />requiring 810 pounds of forage per month. <br />The SCS has estimated annual production values for the mountain loam range site <br />(corresponding to the Sagebrush type) and the brushy loam type (corresponding to the <br />Mountain Brush typel. These estimates are contained in the range site descriptions for these <br />units. For the mountain loam range site, production of sites in excellent condition during an <br />average precipitation year is 1,125 pounds/ acre Or 0.7 AUM's /acre (with 50 percent proper <br />use). The brushy loam range site under similar conditions has a calculated proper stocking rate <br />of 0.8 AUM's /acre. <br />It can be seen that production in the reclaimed areas, with the exception of the most recently <br />reclaimed areas, has resulted in greater allowable stocking rates than either of the reference <br />areas. The reclaimed area allowable stocking rates also equal or exceed those based on the <br />SCS-estimated potential production of native vegetation in excellent condition, as presented in <br />the mountain loam and brushy loam range site descriptions. <br />Alfalfa is a species of particular interest in the Seneca II Mine reclamation. The contribution of <br />alfalfa to total production was high in the reclaimed areas seeded in the early and mid 1980's <br />(1983 Wadge, 1983 Wolf Creek, Wadge Pasture, and Wadge Pasture Comparison. The 1986 <br />Wadge fall seedings (1986 Wadge and 1986 Wadge Falll developed a very modest amount of <br />alfalfa 11.5 and 4 percent of total production-, while the 1986 Wadge Spring area had an <br />extremely great amount of alfalfa develop (49.5 percent of total production). Records relative <br />to this latter area suggest no other difference in seeding other than spring versus fall; thus, it <br />seems that, at least in 1986, spring conditions were perfect for alfalfa germination and <br />seedling establishment, and that the rapidly established alfalfa was able to achieve a favorable <br />competitive position relative to grasses from the outset. <br />The Wadge Pasture, was sampled in 1988 and 1989 Isee 1988 and 1989 Seneca II <br />Revegetation Monitoring Reports) and had 51 percent and 50 percent,respectively, of the <br />15 <br />