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Areas 18 and 21, two azeas adjacent to B pit. Vegetation cover transects and herbaceous <br />production quadrats were distributed within the four azeas based on size. The 1997 <br />• reclamation areas are neazly flat overall with a gentle slope (1-3°) to the north. Reclamation <br />and coincident revegetation with the permanent seed mix took place during the autumn of <br />1997 within these areas. Replaced soils were sandy in texture. Specific sampling information <br />for the 1997 reclamation areas is contained in Tables 6 and 7. <br />3.1.3.1 Vegetation Cover <br />Total vegetation cover of the 1997 reclamation areas was 40.53 percent in 2004. Graminoids <br />provided 24.80 percent mean cover (63.66% relative cover) and forbs accounted for 15.73 <br />percent mean cover and 36.34 percent relative cover. Total cover values within parcel <br />transects were variable as was the cover between parcels that ranged from 26 to 48 percent. <br />Only one graminoid species (Calmnovilja longifolia) was present in every transect, though <br />Agropyron smithii and Kochia scoparia were present in 87 percent of the transects. The <br />lowest overall total vegetation cover was found in Area 18 (26%) and the highest cover was <br />encountered in Areas 3 and 21 (48%). <br />Within the 1997 reclamation areas, the introduced annual fort Kochia scoparia provided the <br />highest overall cover with 12.67 percent mean cover and 29.18 percent relative cover. <br />Agropyron smithii provided the second highest overall cover with 8.40 percent mean total <br />cover and 22.55 percent relative cover. The native warm season grass Calamovilfa longifolia <br />contributed 8.67 percent mean cover and 22.02 percent relative cover. Three additional <br />• species contributed significantly to cover this yeaz; Bromus marginatus accounted for 2.27 <br />percent mean cover and 5.31 percent relative cover, Oryzopsis hymenoides provided 1.73 <br />percent mean cover and 4.24 percent relative, and Bromus tectorum contributed 1.73 percent <br />mean and 3.45 percent relative cover. <br />Vegetative litter (prior yeazs growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br />comprised 42.40 percent ground cover overall within the 1997 reclamation azeas. Bare soil <br />comprised 17.07 percent of the ground cover. No rock or cryptogams were encountered <br />during the cover sampling in the 1997 reclamation areas. <br />3.1.3.2 Herbaceous Production <br />Tota[ herbaceous production this year in the 1997 reclamation azeas was 108.75 g/m2 (969 <br />Ib/ac). Perennial grasses contributed significantly to herbaceous production, with 87.57 g/m2 <br />(780 lb/ac) or 80.5 percent of total herbaceous production. Annual grasses contributed little <br />to herbaceous production in this azea (0.03 g/m2 (<1 ]b/ac)). Annual forbs accounted for the <br />second highest contribution with 20.15 g/m2 (180 Ib/ac), 18.5 percent of the total mean <br />herbaceous production. Biennial forbs did not contribute to herbaceous production in the <br />1997 reclamation azeas. Perennial forbs provided 1.00 g/m2 (9 lb/ac) or 0.9 percent of total <br />herbaceous production. <br />r~ <br />U <br />Coors EnergyCompary Page 9 <br />2004 Revegetation Monitoring Report <br />