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Background: The bulk of reclamation sites have used a seeding strategy that emphasized grasses to <br />• assure adequate erosion control, and even when those grasses are native species, the competitive <br />advantage of this lifeform over forbs and woody plants is evident at many mine locations. In the short <br />and medium term, it seems unavoidable that species diversity will be less than that of most un -mined <br />comparison sites (or baseline conditions). <br />This is not because of faulty seed mixes, or poor seeding technique, or any particular short- coming of <br />planting a regraded /topsoiled site. One of the lessons of the large -scale experiment represented by <br />mine revegetation since the late 1970's is that given decent topsoil and reasonably favorable moisture <br />conditions, the presence of species other than grasses is not subject to a "plant them and they will <br />come" direct approach. Rather, the circumstances that lead (or have lead in the pre - existing <br />vegetation) to the opportunity for the firm establishment of these other lifeforms and species are <br />probably themselves diverse and (at least until we understand more) non - constructible. <br />One of the interesting insights gained from sequential annual visits to Reference Areas is that even <br />within established long -term native vegetation, there is fluctuation of the presence of species. In <br />particular there is a tendency for many native species to manifest themselves in association with stress <br />in the form of drought. <br />There is a solid prospect that a slow increase in the abundance of these plants will accrue as the scars <br />of drought or other stress incrementally "age" the youthful reclamation sites. In light of this prospect <br />and the current reality of competition- suppressed forb and woody plant presence, it is appropriate to <br />place the benchmark for what will be taken to currently comprise adequately diverse reclamation in <br />the lower half of the spectrum of diversity of the Reference Areas. <br />Standards <br />The proposed assessment of adequately diverse vegetational composition at the Seneca II -W Mine <br />(including the South Extension Area) will take the form of the following four tests; success is to be <br />demonstrated by passing at least two of the three Alternative Tests (B, C, or D) plus the Mandatory <br />Test (A). <br />Mandatory Test A: No OvetwbelmingDominant <br />0 No single plant species may exceed 60% relative cover. <br />TR -65 50 Revised 9/09 <br />