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~ 2.0 METHODOLOGY <br />__-._ ~ ..._ ~ -__~.4_______._-_.m . ___ _. __- ___ ..:_ _. _., __-_~~ ___~ ~. ~~ <br />The revegetation success of the coal waste piles was evaluated by sampling vegetation within the <br />reclaimed site. The survey effort involved designating a portion of the reclaimed coal waste piles as <br />' a Survey Area (Figure 1), marking the boundazies of the Survey Area, conducting vegetation <br />sampling for cover, herbaceous production and woody plant density, and comparing the results to <br />existing data collected from the Reference Area (Greystone 1999) and reclamation standazds <br />' established in the mine operating permit. The Reference Area was sampled as part of this effort to <br />collect cover, productivity, and woody plant density data. In conversations with the CDMG prior to <br />initiation of field work, it was established that three transects would be sampled in the Reference <br />' Area. These data were used with Reference Area data collected by Greystone in 1999 to evaluate <br />revegetation success. <br />' 2.1 RANDOM SAMPLE LOCATIONS <br />' Vegetation cover was sampled along 25 -meter point-intercept transects that were randomly located <br />and oriented within the boundazies of the Survey Area. Sample locations for the 25-meter point- <br />intercept transects were generated using a grid system overlain on a map of the Survey Area. A <br />' random numbers table was used to determine the coordinates for transect origin and compass <br />bearing. Transect locations or orientations that resulted in overlap of previous transects or the <br />sampling area boundary were randomly relocated. Transect locations, and their respective <br />' orientations, are shown on Figure 2. The procedure for locating transect locations in the Reference <br />Area was identical to that of the Survey Area. <br />' 2.2 VEGETATION GROUND COVER <br />Vegetation ground cover was initially evaluated at 10 separate transect locations (Figure 2). Two <br />sampling points (one meter apart) on both sides of the transect were sampled at one meter intervals, <br />resulting in 50 sample points per transect. Each corresponding sample point was determined by <br />projection of an oculaz sight (Cover-Point Optical Point Projection Device, Model 2) vertically <br />downward and physically recording the "first hits." The "first hits" were recorded as bare ground, <br />litter, or live vegetation. Live vegetation was further classified to genus and species. <br />' The live vegetation "first hits" were used to calculate total vegetation cover for each transect <br />according to Equation 1. <br />(1) , <br />Number of Hits on Vegetation <br />Percent Total Vegetative Cover <br />Total Number of Points <br />' RevegerationSurvryRepotl-RPT(626)RevLdodSeptember 6, 2001 <br />