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• As can be seen in Figure 2, the total herbaceous production observed greatly exceeds <br />90% of the standard for both the 2001 and 2003 reclamation. However, since interim <br />monitoring has not separately production from annual plants, it is not possible to assess <br />allowable production. Given that in terms of cover about one-fifth was deducted from the <br />total cover for excess annuals, the worst case would be similar for production. If so the <br />2003 reclamation levels would still exceed 90% of the standard (Figure 1a). For the two- <br />year old 2001 reclamation, which faced a reduction in cover of over one-third, a similar <br />reduction in production might bring the allowable total below 90% of the standard. <br />However, the abundance of annuals in two-year old reclamation has proven to be <br />ephemeral on most other sites, so it is no matter of concern. <br />Woody Plant Density <br />It is quite clear from Figure 3 that woody plant density has some distance to go before <br />reaching the general level of 200 stems per acre called for in the permit. Past <br />• experience at the nearby Seneca II-W Mine has documented steady recruitment of new <br />big sagebrush and mountain snowberry after the first few years post-seeding. Hopefully <br />this will occur at toast Mine also. <br />Species Density and Composition <br />Figure 5 shows that the reclaimed areas sampled in 2005 were strongly dominated by <br />native perennial cool season grasses and, as discussed, above had substantial <br />presence of annual (orbs present. <br />The distribution of species density by lifeform {Figure 4) shows that the 2001 and 2003 <br />reclaimed areas are more similar to the reference areas than would appear to be the <br />case from the lifeform distribution of relative cover (Figure 5). This is important in that it <br />shows that the basic components of the original ecosystem have indeed been returned <br />and that it is a matter of relative proportions that separates the reclaimed from the native <br />vegetation. Perhaps the largest difference with regard to species density is in the native <br />perennial forts category, where native areas (at least the most extensive native types of <br />14 <br />