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• DISCUSSION <br />• <br />During the twelve months preceding July 2007 sampling, a dry winter and spring limited total <br />moisture input at the site (Figure 6b). Due to a very wet August, September, and October 2006, <br />the total for the 12 months preceding sampling (Figure 7b) is only slightly below average. But in <br />the context of the six orfour-months preceding sampling (Figures 8b and 9b, respectively) it is <br />clear that 2007 was one of the very driest in the past twenty years. Fortunately for the vegetation, <br />2007 was a near average year as regards temperature (Figure 10). <br />Cover <br />Observed cover values and derivation of the 2007 herbaceous cover standard are <br />compiled/documented in the table below: <br />Yoast 2007 <br /> <br /> <br />Vegetation Type Mean <br /> <br />Cover* <br />of Affected Area <br />Sagebrush/Snowberry a 38.6 24.0 <br />Mountain Brush a 41.8 48.9 <br />Aspen Woodland 44.8 24.4 <br />Steep Mountain Brush b 17.3 2.7 <br />2003 Reclamation Area 39.8 NA <br />2005 Reclamation Area 17.0 NA <br />"All-hit" ref. area cover standard for 2007 (Adj. Means weighted by % of Affected Area) = 41.1 <br />90 percent of 2007 ref. area cover standard = 0.9 x 41.1 = 37.0 <br />a Yoast extended reference area values from data collected in 2007 <br />b Yoast extended reference area values from data collected in 2006 <br />*Percent "all-hit" cover (absolute) by herbaceous species as corrected for "allowable" annual and <br />biennial cover (i.e. no more than 10 percent relative cover allowed, See CDMG 1995, 1.IV.A.). <br />Cover by noxious weed species, if any, also subtracted. <br />The mean allowable total "all hit" herbaceous cover observed in the 2003 reclaimed areas <br />exceeded the standard (Figure 1a). The very young (two-year old) 2005 reclamation fell short of <br />the standard of allowable cover entirely. Experience at nearby Seneca IIW has shown that very <br />• young reclamation that still has substantial cover by annual and biennial species and a large <br />deduction for "excess "cover by those species, is likely to continue to develop the necessary <br />11 <br />