REP23289 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

• Production. All of the Reclamation Blocks and Reference Areas were sampled, using a simple For each azea sampled a minimum of 30 production transects were used for sample adequacy calculations. Following clipping, the harvested plant materials were dried in a drying oven at 100 degrees C for a period of 24 hours. Applying the weighted average acreage percentages described previously for plant cover, to the herbaceous production data found in Table 4, Big Sagebrush Reference Area -Production and Table 6, Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area - Production, the total herbaceous production revegetation success standard for the Marr Mine random statistical sampling approach where all production transect locations were randomly located within the appropriate sample unit and along each transect, a total of three randomly located one-quarter squaze meter plots were clipped. The three plots were clipped by life forms for perennial grasses, perennial fortis, annuals and noxious weeds. This was the same transect used for cover and shrub density sampling. The three clip plots were then averaged into a single transect datum for purposes of statistical analysis. Since the Division's Guidelines recommend that annuals and biennials, noxious weeds and shrub production aze typically not clipped, but since the Kerr Permit requires that the production revegetation success standard is based upon "total herbaceous production" we clipped all annuals, biennials and noxious weeds during the production sampling. However, after weighting the samples, it was determined that noxious weeds contributed so little to the overall production that they were excluded from the summary tables and these data were not used for purposes of revegetation success for production. All of the plots wherein noxious weeds were sampled and their corresponding production values are found in the field data sheets in the Appendices. • area based upon the 2006 sampling is calculated to equa16.11 grams per one quarter squaze meter. Shrub Density. Starting at each of the 30 transect locations described above for the production sampling, the fifty-meter tape was laid out along a predetermined and randomly selected alignment. Woody stem density was determined using the center of the tape as a modified belt transect. The right-hand side of the transect was called Side A and the left-hand side of the tape was called Side B. Data collected from each side of the tape were added into a transect value which represents the number of shrubs sampled in the 100 mZ sample plot. These data are reported in the Results Section as to the number of shrubs per 100 m2 as well as the number of shrubs per acre as outlined in the Pernut. The revegetation woody plant density success standazd is 1,500 stems per acre for all reclaimed areas at the Marr Mine. Species Diversity. The plant cover data collected at each cover sample transect yielded data relative to absolute and relative cover. These cover data were then converted into percent composition or relative plant cover by species based upon the total amount of plant cover encountered in each sample transect. The relative importance values of plants growing on the reclaimed areas as outlined in the Permit, contain standards as to the number of perennial grass species growing on the reclaimed areas to ensure that a monoculture of a single plant or a few plants does not dominate the reclaimed areas. As described on page 780-84a of the Ken Pernut, the species diversity standard requires that at • the Marr Mine site, the reclaimed plant community shall be composed of at least four dominant 4