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1 Conc(urions ' TABLE 4 ' Absolute Vegetative Cover -Canadian Strip Coal Com arison of Reclaimed Area IV and Reference Mine Area p ' Sampling Year Reclaimed Area IV (percent cover) Reference Area (percent cover) Percent Difference (absolute cover) 1990 (Division) 40.0 50.2 79.7 ' 1990 (Greystone) 44.0 57.0 77.2 1992 38.7 49.7 77.9 ' 1993 41.4 56.0 73.9 ' The primary reason for this difference in absolute vegetative cover is the abundance of shrub species in the reference area. The reference area currently in use for evaluating the vegetative condition of the reclaimed area is situated upon a landscape that may be considered a later- ' successional shrub community. ' Sampling in each area was conducted in the same manner. This sampling technique assumes that the total vegetative cover for each area, regardless of species composition, is directly quantifiable as comparative data. Hence, the absolute ground cover by a shrub carries with it ' the same reclamation value as an identical absolute ground cover occupied by a grass species. This conclusion assumes that it is possible for a grass species to occupy a density equal to that occupied by a shrub. Due to the varying levels of vertical strata associated with a shrub plant, ' we believe this is an inaccurate conclusion. It is the opinion of Slurco that the presence of such a large number of shrub plants in the ' reference area would represent the actual vegetative cover of a different vegetation community when compared to data collected in the reclaimed area with identical sampling methods. For this reason, the appropriateness of the present reference area is in question. The absolute cover ' by non-woody species only is much higher in Reclaimed Area IV than it is in the Reference Area (Table 5). 1 1 8