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r <br />i <br />Vegetation Cover Trends. The two reclaimed areas at the site have been sampled for <br />' vegetation cover for the last nine growing seasons. These data provide insight into the changes that <br />have occurred. The most notable change over time in the 1984 area (Table 14) has been the <br />increased amounu of big sagebrush which had a mean cover of approximately 5ve percent in 1989 <br />' and has had a mean cover of approximately 20 percent for the past four growing seasons. The <br />most notable change in the 1988 area (Table 15) has been the increase in the amount of Russian <br />wildrye which has increased from less than one percent in 1989 to 17 percent in 1997. <br />CONCLUSIONS <br /> <br />After thirtcen and nine years of vegetation development, the sampling results show that <br />' that the revegetation of the mined lands at the site has been successful. Total vegetation cover, <br />total ground cover and biomass production aze all equal to or greater than 90 percent of the values <br />obtained from reference areas located on the site. Shrub density values exceed the stipulated <br />' standard of 2000 individuals per acre. The vegetation on the reclaimed aeeas supports numerous <br />species in a vaziety of fife form groups. <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br />1 <br />LJ <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />' -6- <br />