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METHODS <br />Sampling methods used at the reclaimed mine site were based on those outlined in the Meadows <br />No. 1 Mine revegetation plan (Sun Coal Company 1986). These methods are fully described in Cook and <br />Bonham (1977) and Chambers and Brown (1953). Therefore, only details specific to this study are repotted <br />here. <br />Sampling points were located within the revegetated area using distances and compass bearings <br />selected from a random numbers table. Although four slightly different seed mixtures were used to revegetate <br />the mine site (swale, bench, upland, and steep upland), no attempt was made to stratify sampling according <br />to the four seed mixtures because the revegetation plan stipulates that the entire revegetated area is to be <br />treated as one site (Sun Coal Company 1956, p. 334). Hence, the revegetated area was assumed to bc, and <br />sampled as iC it was, a homogeneous vegetation community. <br />Vegetative cover was estimated using 100-foot long, point-intercept transects. To prevent overlap <br />of transecu, a random compass bearing (174°) was selected and used for orienting each transect. Ground <br />wver at 1-foot intervals was classified b}' plant species, lichens, litter, soil, or rock and recorded on da[a <br />forms. Absolute and relative vegetative cover was determined for each species encountered. <br />Herbaceous production was estimated using the harvest method. A 1-square-meter quadrat was <br />established midway along each point-intercept transect. To ensure consistency in the collection of production <br />data, the use of transecu to locate harvest quadrats was continued after cover data collection had ceased. <br />All vegetation within each quadrat was clipped as close to ground level as practical, bagged by species, and <br />weighed in the field with a spring scale (for estimating sample adequacy). Gusty winds made weighing of all <br />samples in the field impractical, so Cinal weights were obtained by air-drying the samples and reweighing. <br />The per-acre herbaceous productivity for the revegetated area was estimated from the final dry sample <br />weighu. <br />Woody plant density was determined by counting all woody plant stems observed within 50 foot by <br />50 Foot quadrau. Each quadrat Was located midway along the point-intercept transect on the side opposite <br />the production quadrat. The quadrat was searched and all individual woody plant stems were recorded by <br />species. The total per-acre number of stems for the revegetated area was estimated from [he stem count <br />data. <br />The number of samples taken for each parameter had to be sufficient to ensure confidence in the <br />data. Using the SO percent confidence level defined in the revegetation plan, the following equations were <br />used to determine sample adequacy for each estimated parameter: <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />