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Total average vegetation cover, for first hits, was 40.3 percent. Total average vegetation cover, <br />for all hits, was 42.6%. Standing dead, litter, bare soil, and rock each had 0.7, 24.1, 32.1, and 2.7 <br />percent cover, respectively. Average species density was 36.9 species per 100 sq.m. <br />Production <br />(Table 2) <br />Total average production was 1195.5 Ibs per acre. Of this, 703.0 pounds were native perennial <br />cool season grasses and 282 pounds were native perennial forbs. Native annual and biennial <br />forbs, introduced annual and perennial forbs, introduced perennial forbs and introduced perennial <br />cool season grasses were present at 100 pounds per acre or less each. <br />Woody Plant Density <br />(Table 3) <br />Total average woody plant density in the 2003 Reclaimed Area was 797.2 stems per acre and <br />composed entirely of native shrubs. The predominant species was big sagebrush (Seriphidium <br />tridentatum) with 665 stems per acre. Mountain snowberry (Symphoricarpos rotundifolius) <br />contributed 98 stems per acre to the total. Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), <br />rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), Douglas rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus <br />viscidiflorus) and Gambel's oak (Quercus gambeli~) were also present, each with densities of <br />fewer than 20 stems per acre <br />2005 RECLAIMED AREA <br />(Photographs 7-15 in Appendix 5) <br />Cover <br />(Table 4) <br />Native perennial cool season grasses were the predominant lifeform observed in the 2005 <br />Reclaimed Area, contributing 17.1 percent toward total first-hit vegetation cover. Of this, the <br />majority (6.3 percent) was slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus) with mountain brome <br />(Ceratochloa polyantha) and western wheat grass (Pascopyrom smithii) contributing 4.5 and 2.1 <br />percent respectively. Introduced annual and biennial forbs were the second most encountered <br />lifeform, contributing 7.3 percent toward total first-hit vegetation cover. This total was <br />predominantly composed of twolobe speedwell (Pocilla biloba) at 2.8 percent. Introduced annual <br />grasses contributed 7.2 percent with Japanese brome (eromus japonicus), common wheat <br />(Triticum aestivum), and cheatgrass (Anisantha tectorum) contributing 3.8, 2.7, and 0.8 percent, <br />respectively. Also observed in the area were houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale, no <br />measurable cover, 25% frequency) and Canada thistle (Breea arvensis, 1 percent cover, 42% <br />frequency). <br />7 <br />