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The Trapper reclaimed rangelands cover success standazd is based on "allowable wver." For Range Site A, <br />• which includes Rangeland Reclamation Block AD&H-AB, the "allowable cover" standard is 52 % with at <br />least 33 % of the cover coming from herbaceous vegetation. For Range Site C, which includes Rangeland <br />Reclamation Block AC&D-C, the "allowable cover" standan3 is 47 % with at least 25 % of the cover coming <br />from herbaceous vegetation. The "allowable cover" standard at Trapper includes perennial plant cover (minus <br />the cover from noxious perennial weeds), and up to l0% relative annual plant cover, and litter cover up to the <br />max;mum allowed per Range Site (Range Site A =19%; Range Site C = 22%). The Cropland Reclamation <br />Block has no cover success standard <br />Productiou. For the two Rangeland Reclamaton Blocks and the Cropland Reclamation Block, sampled using <br />the simple random statistical sampling approach, all of the production transect locations were randomly located <br />within the appropriate reclamation block and along each tiansecst a total of three randomly located one half <br />square meter clip plots were clipped. The three plots were clipped by life fom>s for perennial grasses and <br />perennial forts. As recommended in the Division's Cnzidelines, annuals and biennials and shrub production was <br />not clipped The three clip plots were then averaged into a single transect datum for purposes of statistical <br />analysis. For each reclamation block sampled a minimum of 30 production transecxs were used for sample <br />adequacy calculations. Following clipping the clipped materials were dried in a drying oven in the Trapper <br />Mine Coal Laboratory at 30 degrees C for a period of 48 hours. <br />The revegetation production success standards are the Reference Area value for the Cropland Reclamation <br />Block and 62.39 grams per square meter (g/m2) for the Range Site A (Rangeland Reclamation Block AD&H- <br />AB) and 47.46 grams per square meter (g/mz)for Range Site C (Rangeland Reclamation Block AC&D-C). <br />• Shrub Density. Starting at each of the 30 transect locations described above for the production sampling of <br />Rangeland Reclamation Block AD&H-A/B, the fifty-meter tape was laid out along a predetermined and <br />randomly selected alignment Woody stem density was detemvned using the center of the tape as a modified <br />belt transect. The right-hand side of the trarrsect was called Side A and the left-hand side of the tape was called <br />Side B. Data collected from each side were added into a trarrsect value which represents the number of shrub <br />stems sampled in the 100 square meter sample plot These data are reported in the Results Section as to the <br />number of shrubs per 100 square meters as well as the number of shrubs per acre as outlined in the Pemut In <br />addition, shrub survivaVdensity counts were taken on three Shrub Clumps, conshucted within Rangeland <br />Block AD&H-AB-93-95 using a fiunterrd loader. On these sites, which contain an average of approximately <br />250 component pads per clump, at least half of these pads were counted to quantify that at least 50 percent of <br />these pads, contained at least 10 living woody plant stems per pad <br />The revegetation woody plant density success standard is 400 stems per acre for Rangeland Reclamation <br />Block AD&H-AB. Rangeland Reclamation Block AC&D-C and the Cropland Reclamation Block have <br />no woody plant density success standards. <br />Species Diversity. The plant cover data collected along each sample ttar>.sect yielded data relative to <br />absolute and relative cover as detemvned by the perrzntage of hits. These cover data were then <br />converted into percent composition or relative plant cover by species based upon the total amount of <br />plant cover encountered in each sample trarlsec;t. The relative importance values of plants growing on the <br />reclaimed areas as outlined in the Pemrit, contain standards as to the number of perennial grass species <br />growing on the reclaimed areas to ensure that a monoculture of a single plant or a few plants does not <br />f~J <br />