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.. would be expected that cert+sin wildlife species will find the proliferation of edges between the • structurally different vegetation types to be beneficial. On the small scale of the developing patch configuarion, small- to medium-size wildlife such as sharp tail grouse might find the reclamation areas attractive. The presence of sharp tail grouse leks in the Seneca II reclamation and in historic sites that are CRP intermediate wheatgrass stands (see ESCO 1996) suggests the possibility that these birds will occupy reclaimed mined areas. Species Diversity and Composition ! Species density reflects the total number of species present (richness) in 100 square meters ~ ~ one meter to either side of the 50m cover sample transects. Species density data are summarized in Table 19 and graphically presented in Figure 4. As can t>e seen in Figure 4, as well as the data in Table 19, the total species density of the reference e~reas in 1996 is in the range of 29.8 to 39.2 species/ 100 m2. The 1992 Reclaimed Area came within this range with 35.4 species/ 100 m2, while other reclamation areas were fairly close to the lower end of the range at between 26 and 28 species/ 100 m2. In terms of native species density, the reclaimed area values varied from 13.5 to 19.7 species • per 100 m2 in 1996, 10.0 to 18.0 species per 100 m2 in 1995, 15.7 to 19.9 species/ 100 m2 in 1994, 11.6 to 20.0 species per 100 m2 in 1993, 12.1 to 19.0 species per 100 m2 in 1992, 9.9 to 18.3 species per 100 m2 in 1991, and 9.5 to 18.9 species per 100 m2 in 1990. This compared to 1996 Mountain Brush and Sagebrush reference area values of 27.2 and 35.4 native species per 100 m2; 1995 values of 40.4 and 37.3 species/ 100 m2; 1994 values of 31.3 and 28.3 species per 100 m2, respectively; 1993 values of 28.6 and 29.0 species per 100 m2, respectively; 1992 values of 33.9 and 24.6 species per 100 m2 , respectively; 1991 values of 28.7 and 27.7 species per 100 m2 ,respectively; and 1990 values of 22.9 and 25.9 species per 100 m2 ,respectively. Prior to 1995 it had been noted that the lowest reclaimed area values (usually the older areas) had steadily increased since 1990, suggesting that invasion of the reclaimed areas by native species was slowly but measurably observable. It had also been noted that the highest reclaimed area values (usually the younger reclaimed areas with more diverse seed mixes', more direct-haul topsoil areas, and more annual species, many of which are native) had climbed slowly since 1990 and that, even though they did not yet equal the levels of native • 26