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<br />1990-i 998. Recent topsoil areas with two to three years of growth have two new species, <br />globe mallow and penstemon. The globe mallow is producing less than expected, but <br />Palmer's penstemon is established and thriving. <br />5.3.5 Evaluation of Reclamation Versus Control <br />• <br />• <br />After the eleventh growing season the topsoil vegetation compares favorably to terrestrial or <br />control (caged) vegetation, with the exception of shrubs. The following summarization is a <br />comparison of reclamation versus native control areas in 2001: <br />Percent Cover <br />Grass <br />Forbs <br />Shrubs <br />Weeds <br />Annual Grass <br />Litter, Rock 8: Bare Ground <br />Production <br />Grass <br />Forbs <br />Weeds <br />Topsoil % Tertestrial Vegetation °~ <br />42 26 <br />5 19 <br />6 17 <br /><1 1 <br />5 2 <br />42 35 <br />IbsJacre lbs./acre <br />481 80 <br />23 37 <br />10 <1 <br />As shrubs mature, the shrub percent cover and production are expected to increase over <br />the next 10 to 20 years. This comparison indicates a need to stress shrubs in the seed <br />mixture. Grass production from topsoil areas continues to be significantly greater than <br />terrestrial vegetation stands even in a dry year like 2001. However, the forb production <br />from the terrestrial vegetation stand is significantly higher than the topsoil plots after two <br />dry years. Species seeded on the topsoil areas are more productive through the first ten <br />years than native vegetation. <br />31 <br />