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2001 was 15.68 inches. This represents a 42 percent increase from the January-July average of 8.89 inches, a 36 percent increase from the September-July average, and • increases of 81 percent (January-July) and 62 percent (September-July) from the corresponding periods in 2000. VEGETATION COVER In general, total vegetation cover values were higher this yeaz than in 2000. This can be attributed to greater precipitation during the spring and summer of 2001. The early and heavy precipitation in April and May of this year promoted eazly green-up and growth of the cool season vegetation within the reclamation azeas and reference azea. Heavier than normal precipitation in July 2001 promoted new growth in the warm season species as well as continued growth in the cool season species. Competition from annual and perennial cool season species may have reduced growth and flowering in the warm season graminoids this season. For the purposes of direct comparison, quantitative cover data is present (Table 11) for the 1995 and 1997 reclamation areas and the 1998 reseeded or interseeded azeas (1998-2001) and the Osgood sand reference azea (1994-2001). As has been noted previously, the scale of the response to the increase in precipitation varies significantly between the reference azea and the reclamation areas. Osgood sand reference azea total vegetation cover increased 36 percent (35.80 to 48.80%) from the 2000 growing season, while the reclamation azea total vegetation cover increase over the 2000 growing season ranged from 17 percent (1998 reseeded and interseeded azeas) to 88 percent (1995 reclamation azeas). This may be attributed to the difference in lifeform • dominance in each of these communities or the opportunistic nature of several of the annual species. Interestingly, the variability of vegetation cover, as reported by the standard deviation of the mean for each area sampled remained nearly the same between the two yeazs (2000 and 2001). This chazaderistic appears to be more related to the age of the vegetation stands than other pazameters, with the Osgood sand reference azea showing the lowest mean variation and the 1998 reseeded and interseeded azeas showing the greatest variability with the 1995 and 1997 reclamation areas intermediate in value between these extremes. Mean total vegetation cover was variable this season ranging from 38.60 percent to 51.00 percent. The area exhibiting the lowest mean total vegetation cover during the 2001 sampling were the 1997 reclamation azeas with 38.60 percent total vegetative cover. The 1998 reseeded or interseeded azeas exhibited the highest level of total vegetation cover with 51.00 percent. This result is not unexpected given the fact that the 1998 azeas had been previously seeded to the permanent revegetation mix and some mature growth had already developed. Further, the 1998 reclamation areas contained the largest average cover of Bromus tectorum. Significantly, in those pazcels within the 1998 azeas where the controlled burning occurred, cover sampling revealed Bromus tectorum cover was non- existent (west of dugout) or greatly reduced (south of sediment pond), while cover of desirable perennial gasses wasincreased. • -17-