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i Plot s2-s • ~I Native shrubs averaged 76.9 individuals per acre (Table 57). Saskatoon serviceberry and chokecherry each accounted for roughly one-third of this average. Gambel's oak,_ big sagebrush, and mountain snowberry contributed the balance. DISCUSSION Cover As can be seen in Figure 1, 1994 cover was highest in the reference areas and reclaimed areas. Although direct comparison between years is, in general, not possible, it appears that cover ~~ values overall in 1994 dropped to levels present during the drought period of the late 1980's. 1994 was a dry, hot, and windy growing season (see Climatic Conditions, below) that accompanied a distinct decease in cover in both reclaimed and reference areas. 1983, 1987, and Wadge Pasture reclaimed areas (with confidence intervals) exceeded 90 percent of the Sagebrush Reference Area cover; they also exceeded 90 percent of the Mountain Brush Reference Area cover, although the tatter's cover was somewhat artificially depressed • ~ (see below). The more recently reclaimed1990 and 1992 areas were still lower than the standards set by the reference areas. ~ Over the period of record (1987 to 1994), average vegetation cover in the reclaimed areas was highest in 1987 (72.1 percent), slightly lower in 1988 (70.9 percent,), substantially lower in 1989 (48.1 percent), somewhat higher in 1990 (60.2 percent), yet higher in 1991 (65.4 ~, percent), declined somewhat in 1992 (60.1 percent), rose again in 1993 (62.6 percent), and dropped rather steeply in 1994 (52.8 percent). See 1994 cover tables m Appendix 1 and the 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 Revegetation Monitoring Reports for the ~ Seneca II Mine. These average figures admittedly are calculated from different numbers of i sampled areas and different aged areas, but inasmuch as a range of old to new reclamation of both the Wadge and Wolf Creek areas has been sampled each year, these data may tend to suggest trends: 24 •