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a gentle slope (<1°) to the north and east. Reclamation Area 9 slopes slightly to the north. <br />Reclamation and coincident revegetation within these areas took place in 1999. Replaced <br />soils were sandy in texture. <br />The 2000 reclamation areas sampled this year encompass 7.29 acres of reclamation in two <br />distinct parcels within the Keenesburg Mine permit area. The areas include Reclamation <br />Area 6, a former haul road along the southeast boundary of the mining area and Reclamation <br />Area 19, another former haul road in the center of the reclaimed mining area. Vegetation <br />cover transects and herbaceous production quadrats were distributed within the two areas <br />based on size. The 2000 reclamation areas range from flat to gently sloping ( <1 to 2 °). <br />Interseeding with the permanent seed mix took place in 2003 within these areas with the goal <br />of increasing perennial graminoid representation. <br />3.1.2 Vegetation Cover <br />Mean total vegetation cover of the Phase III eligible reclamation areas was 47.33 percent. <br />Graminoids provided 36.67 percent mean cover (77.81% relative cover) and forbs accounted <br />for 9.33 percent mean cover (18.37% relative cover). Succulents contributed 0.13 percent <br />total cover (0.26% relative cover), while the sole shrub species contributed 1.20 percent total <br />mean cover and 3.57 percent relative cover . The lowest total vegetation cover of the parcels <br />sampled was found in Areas 2 and 10 (38 %) and the highest cover (56 %) was found in Areas <br />16 and 19. Calamovilfa longifolia (prairie sandreed) was encountered in all cover transects <br />as was Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass). Andropogon hallii (sand bluestem) and Helianthus <br />annuus (sunflower) were present in 60 percent of the transects. Medicago lupulina (black <br />medic) was found in 53 percent of transects. Remaining species were each represented in <br />less than 50 percent of all transects <br />The warm season native perennial prairie grass Calamovilfa longifolia was dominant in the <br />cover sampling, with 18.40 percent mean cover and 39.03 percent relative cover. <br />Andropogon hallii, another warm season perennial native range grass accounted for 4.00 <br />percent mean cover and 9.44 percent relative cover. Bromus tectorum, a cool season <br />introduced annual grass contributed total mean vegetation cover of 4.53 percent total cover <br />and 8.67 percent relative cover. Bouteloua gracilis provided 3.47 percent mean total cover <br />and 7.65% relative cover. The native annual forb Helianthus annuus contributed 3.47 <br />percent total cover and 6.89 percent relative cover this season. Six additional species <br />contributed significantly to vegetation cover (greater than 3% relative cover); the cool season <br />native perennial prairie grass Agropyron smithii (western wheatgrass) with 2.27 percent mean <br />cover and 4.34 percent relative cover, the annual forb Medicago lupulina (black medic) <br />provided 2.13 percent total mean vegetation cover and 4.08 percent relative cover, the native <br />perennial shrub Artemesia filifolia (sand sage) had 1.20 percent mean total cover and 3.57 <br />percent relative cover, warm season native graminoid Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) <br />accounted for 1.47 percent mean cover (3.32% relative cover), the cool season perennial <br />native Bromus marginatus (mountain brome) contributed 1.60 percent mean total cover and <br />3.06 percent relative cover, and the annual forb Kochia scoparia (kochia) had 1.47 percent <br />mean and 3.06 percent relative cover. <br />Vegetative litter (prior years growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br />comprised 46.40 percent ground cover overall within the sampled reclamation areas. Bare <br />Coors Energy Company Keenesburg Mine Page 5 <br />2011 Vegetation Sampling: Phase III Eligible Areas <br />