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I997 RECLAMATION AREAS <br />The 1997 reclamation areas sampled encompass approximately 18 acres of reclamation in <br />four distinct areas within the Keenesburg Mine permit area. The azeas are found <br />throughout the disturbance area of the mine and include two areas adjacent to B pit, an <br />azea to the west of A pit, and a road comdor between the 1985/1986 central reclamation <br />areas and the 1986 east azea. Vegetation cover transects and herbaceous production <br />quadrats were distributed within the four areas based on size. The 1997 reclamation areas <br />are nearly flat overall with a gentle slope (1-3°) to the north. Reclamation and coincident <br />revegetation with the permanent seed mix took place during the autumn of 1997 within <br />these azeas. Replaced soils were sandy in texture. Specific sampling information for the <br />1997 reclamation areas is contained in Tables 4 and 8. <br />Vegetation Cover <br />Total vegetation cover of the 1997 reclamation areas was 38.60 percent in 2001. <br />Graminoids provided 21.00 percent mean cover (56.91% relative cover), forbs accounted <br />for 17.20 percent mean cover and 41.46 percent relative cover, and a woody shrub <br />provided 0.40 percent mean and 1.63 percent relative cover. Mean total cover values <br />within pazcel transects were variable as was the mean cover between parcels which ranged <br />from 35 to 41 percent. Ambrosia psilostachya and Bromus tectoram were the only <br />species to be found is every pazcel though Agropyron smithii and Calamovilfa longifolia <br />were represented widely in three of the four parcels. The lowest overall total vegetation <br />cover was found in the road corridor (35%) and the highest mean cover for an area was <br />• encountered in the azeas east ofB pit (41%). <br />Within the 1997 reclamation azeas, the native perennial fort Ambrosia psidostachya <br />provided the highest overall cover with 9.40 percent mean cover and 23.17 percent <br />relative cover. Ambrosia psilostachya was found in 90 percent of all 1997 reclamation <br />azeas sampled. Bromus tectorum provided the second highest cover with 6.20 percent <br />mean total cover (13.41% relative cover). Six additional species contributed significantly <br />to cover this year, Oryzopsis hymenoides accounted for 2.80 percent mean cover and <br />10.16 percent relative cover, MeliIotus off~cinalis (yellow sweetclover) contributed 3.60 <br />percent mean and 8.94 percent relative cover, Calamovllfa longlfolia provided 3.20 <br />percent mean cover and 7.32 percent relative, Agropyron intermedium accounted for 2.60 <br />and 6.91 percent mean and relative cover, and Agropyron smithii and Bromus marginatus <br />contributed equally to relative cover with 4,47 percent (1.80 and 1.20% mean cover <br />respectively). <br />Vegetative litter (prior years growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br />comprised 32.60 percent ground cover overall within the 1997 reclamation areas. Bare <br />soil comprised 28.80 percent of the ground cover. No rock or cryptogams were <br />encountered during the cover sampling in the 1997 reclamation areas. <br />• <br />-9- <br />