Laserfiche WebLink
• Shrub Density. The shrub density counts obtained from the 30 belt transects sampled in this <br />area are summarized in Table 12, 1945 Reclamation -Shrub Density. The average shrub density <br />was determined to equa1205.33 shrubs per one hundred square meters or 8,309.7 shrubs per <br />acre. Wyoming Big Sagebrush, Douglas Rabbitbrush and Silver Sagebrush were the most <br />commonly encountered shrubs. The revegetation shrub density success standard for this area is <br />1,500 stems per acre. Since this site averaged 8,309.7 stems per acre, it appears that this area <br />satisfies the revegetation success standard with respect to shrub density. When ESCO sampled <br />this site in 1999, they reported that the shrub density averaged 175.7 shrubs per one hundred <br />square meters or 7,110.6 shrubs per acre. <br />The locations of the 30 shrub density transects sampled on the main block for this reclaimed site <br />are shown on Map 4, 1995 & 1999 Reclamation -Vegetation Transect Location Map. For that <br />block located to the north of Jackson County Road # 29, see Map 5, 1996 Reclamation - <br />Vegetation Transect Location Map and for that narrow strip east of the existing access road, see <br />Map 3, Pre-1986 Reclamation -Vegetation Transect Location Map. Copies of the individual <br />field data sheets for the woody plant density sampling of this site are found in Appendix K - <br />Copies of 1945 Reclamation -Shrub Density Field Data Sheets. Examination of the sample <br />adequacy calculations in Table 2, Kerr Mine Sample Adequacy Calculations, reveals the number <br />of samples required to describe the shrub density on this area at the 90 percent confidence <br />interval was 39.2 transects. The actual shrub density counts on this reclaimed site (8,309.7 stems <br />per acre) exceeds the approved standard (1,500 stems per acre). Using the reverse null statistical <br />approach to the production data obtained from this site, results in a is value of 6.3996. Since this <br />• Tc value is greater than the table t value at an alpha error probability level of 0.20 which <br />corresponds to a t value of 0.854, I~ is rejected and the revegetation shrub density on this site is <br />considered successful, using the DMG's recently adopted regulations. <br />Species Diversity. The percent relative composition or cover values in Table 10, 1995 <br />Reclamation -Plant Cover, documents that the four most dominant plant species growing on this <br />reclaimed site account for 67.15 percent of the total relative cover found on this site, which is <br />well below the maximum of 83 percent allowed in the Permit. The single most dominant plant <br />species was found to be Wyoming Big Sagebrush which contributed 36.76 percent of the total <br />relative cover found on this site, less than the 40 percent maximum value allowed by a single <br />species and one of the four dominants is a shrub. When ESCO sampled this site in 1999, they <br />reported that the four most dominant plant species contributed 61.18 percent of the total relative <br />cover with the single most dominant plant contributed 35.09 percent of the total relative cover on <br />this site. These revegetation monitoring data from this site confirm that the species diversity <br />standards for this reclaimed site are currently and have historically been satisfied. <br />1996 RECLAMATION <br />Plant Cover. The results obtained from the sampling of the I S plant cover transects on this <br />reclaimed site are presented in Table 13, 1996 Reclamation -Plant Cover. Total plant cover on <br />this site averaged 32.73 percent and litter cover averaged 26.40 percent (Table 10, 1995 <br />Reclamation -Plant Cover). <br />u <br />13 <br />