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. decline in cover since experience has shown the dense overhead canopy of these species <br />generally to result in higher total plant cover than any other type of vegetation in the area. <br />As has been the case for the previous years' monitoring at the Seneca II Mine, the 1992 cover <br />data reflect a parallel variation in the herbaceous component of vegetation cover between <br />reclaimed and reference areas. Considering the herbaceous cover only, as would be possible <br />under Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) regulations, most of the reclaimed areas <br />have cover values above the standards set by either of the reference areas. The exception is the <br />1990 Wolf Creek area which would not have passed the Sagebrush standard; however since this <br />is very young reclamation, it is not expected that cover, or any other parameter should meet <br />performance standards so soon. <br />Production <br />Only the herbaceous component was sampled for annual production in both the reclaimed and <br />reference areas. Because the reference areas are both dominated by woody plants, the <br />herbaceous component of production is small and is greatly exceeded by the production of the <br />reclaimed areas where woody plants comprise only a small amount of total vegetation <br />• composition (Figure 2). Whether or not the large annual herbaceous production of the <br />reclaimed areas equals or exceeds the total (woody plus herbaceous) annual production of the <br />reference areas is unknown. <br /> <br />Over the period of 1987 to 1991, the levels of production observed have varied as follows: <br />Production (oven-dry Ibs per acre) <br />AREA 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 <br />ALL 1988.2 2257.2 1343.2 2303.2 2204.2 2747.0 <br />Wadge Pasture - - - - - 3049.5 2200.5 2740.7 2874.0 3163.7 <br />Sagebrush Ref. 1372.2 121 1 .6 508.8 1251 .6 1231 .6 876.1 <br />Mountain Brush Ref. 651.3 1125.9 416.0 615.2 724.3 1147.4 <br />From the above data, it is apparent that after a low point in 1989, a recovery in production <br />occurred in 1990 and continued or stabilized in 1991. In 1992, reclaimed area production <br />rose while that of the Sagebrush Reference Area fell. The apparent rise in production in the <br />• 16 <br />