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Species Diversity <br />2005 Reclaimed Area Species Diversity <br />The 2005 sampling data recorded five species with greater than 3% relative cover. These five <br />species consisted of three perennial grass species (Smooth brome, Kentucky bluegrass and Western <br />wheatgrass), one shrub species (Mountain big sagebrush), and one forb species (Common <br />dandelion). A fourth grass species, Sheep fescue, was measured at 2.78% relative cover. No one <br />species exceeded 40% relative cover. The five most frequently occurring species did not exceed 75 <br />% relative cover, but totaled 36.52% relative cover. None of the species with greater than 3% <br />relative cover was considered a noxious species. <br />2005 Reference Area Species Diversity <br />During the 2005 sampling event, forty-seven species were encountered on the reference area. Of <br />these forty-seven species, four (Canada thistle, Bull thistle, Houndstongue, and Field bindweed) <br />were considered noxious. Three herbaceous, non-noxious species were measured on the reference <br />area in 2005 with greater than 3% relative cover. These three species were Kentucky bluegrass with <br />17.7% relative cover, Yarrow with 6.37% relative cover, and Cow parsnip with 5.28% relative <br />cover. <br />2006 Reclaimed Area Species Diversity <br />The 2006 sampling data recorded eight species with greater than 3% relative cover. These eight <br />species consisted of five perennial grass species (Smooth brome, Intermediate wheatgrass, Kentucky <br />bluegrass, Western wheatgrass, and Sheep fescue), one shrub species (Mountain big sagebrush), and <br />two forb species (Silvery lupine and Western yarrow). No one species exceeded 40% relative cover. <br />The five most frequently occurring species did not exceed 75% relative cover, but totaled 68.16% <br />relative cover. None of the species with greater than 3% relative cover was considered a noxious <br />species. <br />2006 Reference Area Species Diversity <br />Twenty-eight vegetative species were encountered in the 2006 reference area sampling, although <br />two species, Canada thistle and Houndstongue, are considered noxious species. Of the non-noxious, <br />herbaceous species present during the 2006 reference area sampling, four species were present with <br />greater than 3% relative cover. These four species were Kentucky bluegrass with 21.55% relative <br />cover, Yarrow with 6.03% relative cover, Idaho fescue with 4.03% relative cover, and Cow parsnip <br />with 3.97% relative cover. <br />Pre-mining data for the permit area (Permit C-1981-039, Table 8) found that species diversity on the <br />reference area exhibited five species of perennial grasses exceeding 3% relative cover. The <br />combined cover contribution of the five perennial grass species was 82.7% relative cover. Only two <br />forb species exceeded 3% relative cover on the undisturbed pre-mining area. Relative cover <br />contributed by forb species was 17.3%. This relative cover reflects herbaceous cover and does not <br />include tree and shrub species in the pre-mining inventory. <br />Grassy Gap TOJ 6/5/2009 14