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<br />be avoided. Please note, the only topsoil embankments, which required sampling per <br />project Monitoring Plan, were seeded in 1990-1998. Recent topsoil areas with two to <br />three years of growth have the two new species, globemallow and penstemon. They <br />are producing less than expected, but Palmers penstemon is showing promise. <br />5.3.5 Evaluation of Reclamation Versus Control <br />• <br /> <br />After the tenth growing season the topsoil vegetation compares favorably to terrestrial or <br />control (caged) vegetation, with the exception of shrubs. The following summarization is a <br />comparison of reclamation versus native control areas in 2000: <br />Percent Cover <br />Grass <br />Forbs <br />Shrubs <br />Weeds <br />Annual Grass <br />Litter, Rock 8 Bare Ground <br />Production <br />Grass <br />rofis <br />Weeds <br />Topsoil % Terrestrial Vegetation <br />41 38 <br />12 13 <br />4 15 <br />1 1 <br />4 1 <br />38 32 <br />lbs./acre lbs./acre <br />350 183 <br />124 50 <br />11 1 <br />As shrubs mature, the shrub percent cover and production are expected to increase over <br />the next 10 to 20 years. This comparison indicates a need to stress shrubs in the seed <br />mixture. Grass and forb production from topsoil areas continues to be significantly greater <br />than terrestrial vegetation stands even in a dry year like 2000. Species seeded on the <br />topsoil areas are more productive through the first ten years than native vegetation. <br />29 <br />