Laserfiche WebLink
• INTRODUCTION <br />Quantitative sampling of reclaimed areas at Seneca Coal Company's (SCC) Seneca IN Mine <br />was undertaken in July 2008 by ESCO Associates to facilitate SCC's continued monitoring of the <br />progress of these areas in relation to revegetation performance standards. Methods, sample <br />areas, and sample sizes were those specified by SCC. <br />METHODS <br />Reclamation Units and Sampling Locations <br />The reclamation units sampled for purposes of interim monitoring at the Seneca IN Mine in 2008 <br />are shown on Map 1, "2008 Reclaimed Area Monitoring Locations". For purposes of interim <br />monitoring as dictated by permit conditions, areas seeded in 2004 and 2006 (two- and four-year <br />old areas) were sampled in 2008. In addition, for purposes of establishing progress toward <br />readiness for Phase 2 bond release testing in a near-term subsequent year, a large block of <br />areas seeded in 2007 was assessed with a limited number of samples. <br />Extended Reference Area Sampling <br />The Aspen, Mountain Brush, and Sagebrush/Snowberry Extended Reference Areas were <br />• sampled to provide data for comparison with reclaimed area data. Reference Area sampling <br />locations are shown on Map 3, "2008 Extended Reference Area Monitoring Locations". <br />Cover Sampling <br />Cover data were collected along 50 m transects using a point-intercept method in which data <br />were recorded as interceptions of a point with plant species, litter, standing dead plant material, <br />soil, or rock. Plant material produced during 2007 and still standing was tallied by species. Litter <br />was considered to be any organic material that had fallen, or had begun to fall to the soil surface. <br />Standing dead was any dead plant material that was produced in previous years but which was <br />still standing and had not lodged or broken off to become litter. Inorganic materials greater than 1 <br />cm in diameter were considered rock. The cover sampling points were optically projected using a <br />Cover-Point Optical Point Projection Device developed by ESCO Associates. The 50 m transects <br />were randomly located and oriented in the reclaimed and reference areas. One hundred points <br />were collected at each transect and distributed evenly along the transect. A pair of points were <br />collected at each meter mark with points sampled on opposite sides of the transect 0.5 m from <br />the transect. <br />First hit interceptions were used to calculate absolute top layer foliar cover (see COVER column <br />in data tables) by dividing the number of interceptions for a particular species, or ground cover <br />• type by the total number of points taken (100). First hit relative vegetation cover was calculated <br />by dividing first hit absolute cover for each species by the total first hit vegetation cover. All-layer <br />1