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Cover <br />Observed cover values and derivation of the 2003 herbaceous cover standard are <br />. compiled/documented in the table below: <br />Seneca II-W 2003 <br />Phase III Cover Performance Standard <br />Vegetation Type Mean Cover* lst/al1 Ratio" Adj. Mean % of Aff. Area <br />Sagebrush/Snowberrya 22.9 38.1141.0 21.3 38.0 <br />Mountain Brushy 26.8 21.8/29.9 19.5 37.3 <br />Aspen Woodlands 52.1 32.8/43.7 39.1 7.0 <br />Steep Mountain Brush 44.1 25.3137.4 30.2 13.9 <br />Alkali Sage.ANest. Whtgrs. 61.4 89.8190.4 61.0 3.8 <br />1996 Reclamation Area 34.5 98.3/98.3 34.5 NA <br />1999 Reclamation Area 29.2 100/100 NA <br />"All-hit" ref. area cover standard for 2003 (Adj. Means weighted by % of Affected Area) = 24.6%. <br />90 percent of 2003 ref. area cover standard = 0.9 x 24.6 = 22.2% <br />. 'Percent "all-hit" cover (absolute) by herbaceous species as corrected for "allowable" annual and biennial <br />cover (i.e. no more than 10 percent relative cover allowed, See CDMG 1995, 1.IV.A.). <br />"Ratio of relative "first-hit" cover of herbaceous species to relative "all-hit" cover of herbaceous species <br />a Seneca II-W extended reference area values from data collected in 2003 <br />° Seneca II-WS extended reference area values from data collected in 1997 <br />As can be seen in Figure 1, the allowable total "all hit" herbaceous cover observed in the 1996 <br />and 1999 reclaimed areas sampled exceeded 90 percent of the standard set by the reference <br />areas. <br />Inasmuch as the 1996 reclaimed areas at the Seneca II-W Mine were also sampled in 2000, a <br />year that was much drier than average, it is interesting to observe the changes in cover values <br />between 2000 and 2003 (see ESCO 2001). Total vegetation cover was insignificantly different <br />between the two years, but components of the vegetation cover did experience changes. Cover <br />by native perennial cool season grasses declined from 54 percent of total vegetation cover to 39 <br />percent of total vegetation cover. Cover by introduced annual and biennial (orbs dropped from 21 <br />to 10 percent of total vegetation cover. There was a decrease in cover by native perennial forbs <br />• from 7 percent of total vegetation cover to 5 percent of total vegetation cover. <br />10 <br />