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3.0 RESULTS <br />3.1 Phase III Summary <br />Tables 1 through 4 contain summary data regarding ground cover species, quantity, and production <br />for all sampled areas. Tables 5 through 7 provide information on woody plant density, and Table 8 <br />demonstrates success testing. In Appendix A, Tables Al through A7 identify vegetation cover and Tables <br />A8 through A13 show vegetation production for all areas. <br />3.1.1 2008 <br />Ground cover for 2008 in the Phase III Bond Release area (Table 1 and Chart 1) consisted of 69.0% <br />live vegetation, 0.9% rock, 22.7% litter, and bare ground exposure of 7.4%. Perennial cover across the <br />unit averaged 64.2% (93.0% relative cover) with annual and biennial cover averaging 4.9% (7.0% <br />relative cover). Dominant taxa were thickspike wheatgrass (Agropyron dasystachyum), crested <br />wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicet), and smooth brome (Bromus <br />inermis), with 15.0%, 10.7%, 7.7%, and 5.2% average cover, respectively. With regard to diversity, the <br />Phase III Bond Release Area exhibited seven perennial grasses with between 3% and 50% relative cover <br />(Table 2). Total relative cover for all forbs excluding noxious weeds in the Phase III area was 21.8%. <br />Plates 1 and 2 in Appendix A display typical revegetation in the Phase III area for 2008. <br />Table 6 exhibits the results from 40 belt transects collected from the sample area for woody plant <br />density. Perusal of the table reveals that there is an average of 154.2 woody plants per acre in the <br />Phase III bond release area. Total current annual herbaceous production across the Phase III area <br />averaged 1890.4 pounds per acre in 2008 with the dominant category being perennial grasses (Table 3 <br />and Chart 4). <br />3.1.2 2009 <br />A total of 57 plant species were observed within the Phase III Bond Release area (all or part of 12 <br />revegetated units) evaluated in 2008 and 2009 combined. These consisted of 24 grass taxa, 27 forbs, <br />and 6 shrubs as indicated on Table Al (Appendix A). Among these species is the occasional noxious <br />weed such as Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) or invasive weed such as cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), <br />the latter existing as occasional patches. Plates 3 and 4 in the appendix display typical revegetation for <br />the Phase III area for 2009. Ground cover in the Phase III Bond Release area (Table 1 and Chart 1) <br />CEDAR CREEK ASSOCIATES, Inc. Page 9 Colowyo Coal Company <br />2009 Phase III Bond Release Evaluation