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• materials greater than 1 cm in diameter were considered rock. The cover <br />sampling points were optically projected using aCover-Point Optical Point <br />Projection Device developed by ESCO Associates. The 50 m transacts were <br />randomly located and oriented in the reclaimed and reference areas. One <br />hundred points were collected at each transect and distributed evenly along the <br />transect. A pair of points were collected at each meter mark with points sampled <br />on opposite sides of the transect 0.5 m from the transect, <br />First hit interceptions were used to calculate absolute top layer foliar cover (see <br />COVER column in data tables) by dividing the number of interceptions for a <br />particular species, or ground cover type by the total number of points taken <br />(100). First hit relative vegetation cover was calculated by dividing first hit <br />absolute cover for each species by the total first hit vegetation cover. All-layer <br />absolute cover (COVER-ALL column in data tables) was calculated by dividing all <br />hits (first-hits and additional-hits) for a particular species by the total number of <br />• points taken (100). In addition, all-layer relative cover was calculated using all <br />hits for a particular species divided by the total hits accumulated during sampling <br />of the transect. <br />Herbaceous Production Sampling <br />Herbaceous production sampling was accomplished using one-half square meter <br />(0.5 mZ) circular plots within which all herbaceous growth in a vertical projection <br />was removed by clipping and placed in labeled paper bags. When alfalfa <br />(Medicago sativa) occurred, it was placed in separate, labeled bags. Lichens, <br />mosses, and woody plant species present in the sample plot were not collected. <br />Clipped material was returned to the ESCO laboratory and dried at 105 °C for 24 <br />hours, then weighed to the nearest 0.1 gm. <br />Woody Plant Density Sampling <br />Woody plant density sampling was undertaken in the reclaimed area but did not <br />• occur in the reference areas. Woody plant density samples were collected along <br />50 m transacts. All shrubs and subshrubs with root crowns located within the <br />