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Appendix A - Vegetation Sampling for Phase III Bond Release <br />• was removed on the Rangeland Reclaimed Area by deleting up to 12% absolute cover of yellow sweet <br />clover (Melolitus ofcinalis) from each transect, which reduced relative cover of biennials and annuals to <br />8.63%. Revegetation success is based on the mean absolute cover after removal of this undesirable <br />component (Table A-3). <br />Results from the summer of 2005 sampling event (Table A-3) show that mean absolute vegetation cover <br />is higher on the Irrigated Pasture Reclaimed Area (39.87 percent) than on the AVF Reference Area (36.53 <br />percent). Mean vegetative cover without the undesirable component on the Rangeland Reclaimed Area <br />(19.33 percent) was 98% of the mean cover on the Rangeland Reference Area (19.73 percent). Thus, the <br />success standard for cover being greater than 90% of the reference area was met for both rangeland and <br />irrigated pasture in 2005. Cover data collected in 2005 for each species is shown in Tables A4, A-5, A- <br />6, and A-7. <br />TABLE A-3. GOLDEN EAGLE MINE VEGETATION COVER POINT- <br />INTERCEPT TRANSECTS: SUMMARY OF 2005-2006 COVER VALUES <br />WITHOUT UNDESIRABLE COMPONENT <br />l? <br />u <br /> Reclaimed Area Reference Area <br /> <br /> <br />Area Mean Absolute <br />Vegetation Cover <br />%. <br />Standard <br />Deviation Mean Absolute <br />Vegetation <br />Cover % <br />Standard <br />Deviation <br /> 2005 <br />AVF/1P 39.87 3.96 36.53 3.16 <br />Rangeland 28.00 6.19 19.73 3.10 <br /> 2006 <br />AVF/1P 20.93 4.89 19.50 5.64 <br />Rangeland 14.53 3.34 12.80 3.36 <br />Results from the summer of 2006 sampling event (Table A-3) show that mean absolute vegetation cover <br />is higher on the Irrigated Pasture Reclaimed Area (20.93 percent) than on the AVF Reference Area (19.50 <br />percent). Similarly, mean absolute vegetation cover is higher on the Rangeland Reclaimed Area (14.53 <br />percent) than on the Rangeland Reference Area (12.80 percent). Thus, vegetative cover results from the <br />2006 sampling event also satisfies the requirements stipulated in the permit. Tables A-8, A-9, A-10, and <br />A-11 display the results of the 2006 sampling event for vegetative cover, including absolute cover and <br />relative cover, on each sampling area. <br />Production - 2005 <br />Determination of sample adequacy in the field in 2005 was based on the "wet weights" of clipped <br />vegetation and verified based on "dry weights" (Table A-12). Adequacy was reached with 15 transects on <br />the AVF Reference Area and Irrigated Pasture Reclaimed Area by averaging the production values for six <br />quadrats collected along each transect. The sample mean of dry weights for all clipped vegetation on 0.1 <br />square meter quadrats in the Irrigated Pasture Reclaimed Area (20.46 grams) is 90.29 percent of the <br />sampled value on the AVF Reference Area (22.66 -grams). Thus, the herbaceous production density on the <br />irrigated Pasture Reclaimed Area exceeds the 90 percent standard when compared with the AVF <br />Reference Area. Refer to Tables A-12 and A-13 for a summarization of the data collected on the AVF <br />Reference and Irrigated Pasture Reclaimed Areas. Tables A-14, A-15, A-16, and A-17 display the results <br />of the 2005 sampling event for production on each plot in the sampling area. <br />• <br />2215 GoldenEagle PH3BOND 2006 3-10-08.doc A-7