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Area NPF* IPF NPGc IPGc <br />• R <br />l <br /> . <br />Sec 16 -1995 <br />ec 0 0 3 2 <br /> Sec. 16 -1998 Recl. 1 0 3 3 <br /> East Pit -pre-1995 Recl. 0 1 1 4" <br /> East Pit -1995 Recl. 1 1 1 3"'"' <br /> East Pit - 1998 Recl. 0 0 1 3 <br /> East Pit - 2000 Recl. 1 1 1 2 <br /> West Pit -1995 ReG. 0 1 0 3"' <br /> West Pit -1998 Recl. 0 0 1 4 <br /> West Pit - 2000 ReG. 0 0 0 1 "' <br />'NPF =Native perennial forb <br />IPF =Introduced perennial for6 <br />NPGc =Native perennial cool season grass <br />IPGc = Intraduced perennial cool season grass <br />"Intermediate wheatgrass near 50% rel. cover <br />"'Intermediate wheatgrass >50% n;l. cover <br />As can be seen, the diversity standard is met in three of the nine areas. Two more <br />areas (East Pit -1995 and West Pit - 1995) would meet it but for the excess abundance <br />of intermediate wheatgrass. Two more areas (East Pit - 1998 and West Pit - 1998) <br />. would meet it but for the absence of sufficient cover by any individual forb species. It <br />may be advisable to revisit the diversity standard. <br />Species Density <br />Figure 10 graphically illustrates the distribution of species density by lifeform in the <br />various areas sampled in 2002. Five of the nine reclaimed areas sampled in 2002 <br />equaled or exceeded both of the Reference areas in total species density. Note that the <br />distribution of species among lifeforms is qualitatively similar to the Reference Areas. <br />The main exception to this is the predictable abundance of annual and biennial species <br />in the younger reclaimed Areas. <br />Species Composition <br />Figure 11 portrays the distribution of cover among the various plant lifeforms present. <br />The aggressiveness of the introduced perennial cool season grasses that composed the <br />bulk of the approved seed mixes at Colowyo prior to 2002 is quite apparent, with this <br />lifeform (orange in the graph) visually dominating the columns. Despite the <br />• overwhelming competition from these domesticated grasses, the native lifeforms are still <br />7 <br />