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e: <br />From the data collected, the reclamation vegetation <br />• can be compared to the reference area for diversity, <br />cover and production. As the following pages show, <br />the reclamation area's total production was 170 Y. of <br />the reference areas. The reclamation area's cover <br />percent was also greater at 122% of the reference <br />areas. <br />Plant diversity has been the standard the <br />reclamation area has not been able to meet. The gap <br />seems to be lessening, however, not because of <br />increased diversity on the reclamation, but because <br />the reference area continues to change. In 1991, it <br />was observed that warm season grasses constitute 80% <br />of the reclamation grasses, but only 40% of the <br />grasses in the reference area. The 1992 vegetation <br />inventory still shows the reclamation's warm season <br />grasses at approximately 80%; howeverr warm season <br />grasses on the reference area have increased to <br />approximately 60%. This situation could be due to <br />the increasing vigor of the warm season grasses as <br />the reference area continues to recover from past <br />management practices. Domination by the warm season <br />grasses can be expected to continue if they are not <br />harvested by grazing. <br />The reclamation area's forb production also is <br />• behind the reference areas according to the '92 <br />sampling. The discrepancy may be due to the time of <br />year the sampling was completed. Because of <br />scheduling problems, sampling was not completed <br />until October. Many of the annual forbs had <br />completed their growth, dried and partially <br />decomposed. The result was an inaccurate sampling <br />of the forbs. For representative data, vegetation <br />sampling should be completed as scheduled. <br />Overall, the reclamation appears to be in very good <br />condition. The '89 seeded areas continue to <br />improve. Grazing has reduced weedy areas and <br />improved plant vigor. The reclamation areas have a <br />vigorous stand of grasses which is expected to <br />continue into the future. <br /> <br />Page 12 <br />