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3.2 2010 Ground Cover Findings - Reclaimed Areas <br />A total of 26 plant species were detected by ground cover sampling within Mine Areas 1 and 3, <br />consisting of 11 grasses, 10 forbs, 2 sub - shrubs, and 3 shrubs / cacti. An additional 11 taxa (comprised <br />of 8 forbs, 2 grasses, and 1 tree) were observed as incidental within the reclamation. By comparison, <br />only 8 grasses, 6 forbs, 1 sub - shrub, and 3 shrubs / cacti were detected by sampling efforts within the 3 <br />reference areas (total of 18 taxa). The incidental taxa observed within the reclamation include: <br />Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) <br />Rocky Mtn. Penstemon ( Penstemon strictus) <br />Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serrio /a) <br />Longleaf phlox (Phlox/ongifolia) <br />Desert wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum) <br />Rocky Mtn. Juniper (luniperus scopulorum) <br />Smooth Four o'clock (Mirabilisglabra) <br />Salsify (Tragopogon dubius) <br />Pale agoseris (Agoserisglauca) <br />Horehound (Marrubium vulgare) <br />Green needlegrass (Sbpa viridula) <br />Ground cover of Mine Area No. 1 in 2010 (Tables 1 and 4 and Chart 1) consisted of 35.7% live <br />vegetation, 0.1% cryptobiotic soil crust, 0.4% rock, 13.4% litter, and bare ground exposure of 50.4 %. <br />Perennial cover across the unit averaged 30.72% with annual and biennial cover averaging 5.0 %. <br />Dominant taxa were needle- and - thread (Slips comata), Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), scarlet <br />globemallow (Sphaeralcea cmdnea), and blue grama (Bouteloua gradlis), with 8.5 %, 5.1 %, 5.0 %, and <br />4.0% average cover, respectively. With regard to diversity (Table 2 and Chart 3), Mine Area No. 1 <br />revegetation exhibited 2 warm- season and 3 cool- season perennial grasses and 1 forb with between 3% <br />and 40% relative cover. Total relative cover for all forbs excluding noxious weeds in the Phase III area <br />was 19.8 %. Plates 1 and 2 in Appendix A display typical revegetation in Mine Area No. 1 in 2010. <br />Ground cover of Mine Area No. 3 in 2010 (Tables 1 and 5 and Chart 1) consisted of 32.4 live <br />vegetation, 0.4% cryptobiotic soil crust, 1.4% rock, 15.7% litter, and bare ground exposure of 50.0 %. <br />Perennial cover across the unit averaged 22.6% with annual and biennial cover averaging 10.2 %. <br />Dominant taxa were Russian thistle (Salsola tragus), blue grama, Indian ricegrass, and scarlet <br />globemallow with 8.2 %, 5.1 %, 4.1 %, and 3.6% average cover, respectively. With regard to diversity <br />(Table 2 and Chart 3), Mine Area No. 3 revegetation exhibited 2 warm - season and 3 cool - season <br />perennial grasses and 1 forb with between 3% and 40% relative cover. Total relative cover for all forbs <br />excluding noxious weeds in the Phase III area was 37.8 %. Plates 3 and 4 in Appendix A display typical <br />revegetation in Mine Area No. 3 in 2010. <br />3.3 2010 Ground Cover Findings - Reference Areas <br />Ground cover of Sagebrush Reference Area A in 2010 (Tables 1 and 6 and Chart 1) consisted of <br />22.7% live vegetation, 0.3% cryptobiotic soil crust, 0.5% rock, 22.9% litter, and bare ground exposure of <br />53.6 %. Perennial cover across the unit averaged 22.5% with annual and biennial cover averaging 0.2 %. <br />CEDAR CREEK ASSOCIATES, Inc. Page 12 Hamilton Mine - Phase III Bond Release <br />Year 1 of 2 <br />