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3.1.3.3 Species Composition <br />Cover sampling encountered two lifeforms and twenty species within the 1997 reclamation <br />azeas. The lifeforms included eleven species of perennial grass, one annual Bass, three <br />perennial, and five annual forbs. Of the species encountered on the 1997 reclamation areas, <br />thirteen were native and seven were introduced. Perennial and biennial species outnumbered <br />annual species by fourteen to six. Both warm and cool season species contributed to the <br />seasonality of the 1997 reclamation azeas. Cool season graminoids outnumbered warm season <br />species eight to four. Six fort species were identified as cool season and two were warm <br />season. <br />The 1997 reclamation azeas had six species contributing greater than three percent relative <br />cover including four perennial grasses, one annual grass, and one annual forb. These species <br />included Kochia scoparia (29.18%), Agropyron smithii (22.55%), Calamovilfa longifolia <br />(22.02%), Bromus marginatus (5.31%), Oryzopsis hymenoides (4.24%), and Bromus <br />tectorum (3.45%). <br />3.1.4 1998 RESEEDED OR INTERSEEDED AREAS <br />The 1998 reseeded or interseeded areas sampled this year encompass 16 acres of reclamation <br />in four distinct areas within the Keenesburg Mine permit area. The azeas include Area 2, an <br />azea immediately west of the dugout, Areas 7 and 10, two areas south and east of the central <br />1987 area, and Area 15, west of A pit and bordered on the west and south by undisturbed <br />• range. Vegetation cover transects and herbaceous production quadrats were distributed within <br />the four azeas based on size. The 1998 reseeded or interseeded azeas range from flat (Areas <br />2, 7) to north and south sloping (Areas 15 and 10, respectively). Reseeding or interseeding <br />with the permanent seed mix took place during the autumn of 1998 within these azeas with the <br />goal of increasing perennial graminoid representation. Area 10 was burned in the spring of <br />2003 to control a stand of Bromus tectorum. Specific sampling information for the 1998 <br />reseeded or interseeded azeas is contained in Tables 8 and 9. <br />3.1.4.1 Vegetation Cover <br />Total vegetation cover of the 1998 reseeded or interseeded azeas was 46.40 percent. <br />Graminoids provided 16.20 percent mean cover (35.66% relative cover) and forbs accounted <br />for 29.40 percent mean cover (64.34% relative cover). Total cover values were variable <br />between the individual azeas within the 1998 reseeded or interseeded areas. The lowest total <br />vegetation cover of the parcels sampled was found in Area 15 (34%) and the highest cover <br />was encountered in Area 2 (60%). Kochta scoparia was encountered in all the reseeded or <br />interseeded azea parcels, and Bromus tectorum in 90 percent of all transects. <br />Within the 1998 reseeded or interseeded areas, the cool season annual forb Kochta scoparia <br />accounted for the highest overall cover with 25.80 percent mean cover and 57.72 percent <br />relative cover. The cool season annual grass Bromus tectorum contributed the second highest <br />cover values with 6.80 percent mean cover and 12.87 percent relative cover. Three additional <br />• species contributed significantly to cover; Calamovilfa longifolia with 4.60 percent mean <br />cover (11.03% relative cover), Helianthus anmius contributed 2.60 percent mean and 4.78 <br />Cooro Energy Company Page 10 <br />2004 Revegetation Monitoring KePorG <br />