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Planning, Rehabilitation and Treatment of Disturbed Lands <br />Billings Symposium, 1996 <br />VEGETATIONAL DIVERSITY CONCEPTS <br />AND STRATEGIES FOR RECLAMATION <br />R A. Prodgers 1 and T. J. Keck 2 <br />ABSTRACT <br />1 Consultant Plana Ecologist, 2715 Ottawa, Butts MT 59701 <br />2 Plant and Soils Dept., Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 <br />141 <br />NOTICE <br />Taus etataya r i s <br />Raw # 1 u C , <br />Evaluation of vegetational diversity in coal reclamation is likely to focus on alpha and gamma <br />diversity, which can be evaluated using the same measurements and calculations. The <br />traditional indices of taxa richness, density, and proportional abundance may be considered <br />complementary and may be joined by -a method proposed by Pielou. The species is likely to <br />remain the unit of measurement, but for many organisms, physiognomy is more important. <br />Local landscape diversity is an appropriate focus for large mmes and also relates to <br />physiognomy. In revegetated areas, species composition is a poor indicator ofbeta diversity, <br />, <br />whereas regional landscape diversity extends beyond the scale of the mine. <br />Alpha and gamma diversity are increased by the following: numerous taxa equitably <br />distributed. varying composition, dominance not concentrated in few taxa, and many taxa <br />comprising a few percent relative abundance. <br />Habitat diversity is one key to vegetational diversity. There is a need for landforms that <br />provide microhabitat differences in slope - aspect and position. An optimal soil replacement <br />depth is associated with each landform. Patchiness of seeding and management as well as <br />habitat contribute to vegetational diversity. Seeding strategies should aim at niche <br />differentiation; stress - tolerant competitors should not be seeded where div is <br />paramount. Direct -haul topsoil propagules should play a greater role in estab <br />vegetation. Productivity ma have to be sacrificed -m places to achieve higher diversity, but <br />overall productivity can be fu <br />lly acceptable. <br />The niininereclamation process creates some barriers to increased diversity. Regulations <br />provide other, sometimes unnecessary, hurdles. Numerous native species have adapted to <br />more - or - less inhibitory properties that are somewhat arbitrarily considered unsuitable in <br />reclamation. <br />Procedural and substantive compliance with. re tions are not equally important to <br />reclamation. The reclamator needs some flex in the reclamation plan .and also flexibility <br />to respond to unforeseen developments that may a viewed as opportunities for diversity <br />rather than violations that should be made to look hie the rest o reclamation. <br />