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r KUI1 : HHLi 1 I H I NHNHUtr1EN I, 1 NL. <br />I-'HUNE NU. : 303 r y e , :rear J u 1. 03 2002 02: 31PM P7 /9 <br />Table 1. Comparison of specees. >?enera an d familXrichness in rev and seminatural plant <br />communities. <br />RICHNESS • <br />TYPE SPECIES GENERA FAMILY <br />Revegetated Fields' 27 20 7 <br />Revegetated Pastures 1 49 35 10 <br />Blue Grama/ <br />Western Wheatgrass 16 16 9 <br />Big Sagebrush/ <br />Western Wheatgrass 58 42 14 <br />Tall Shrub 44 37 14 <br />Scoria Knobs 72 58 22 <br />1 From Western Enemy's Rosebud Mine; see Prodgers elsewhere in these proceedings. <br />2 Prodgers (1978) sampled using macroplots from a large geographic area. • <br />3 Prodgers, unpublished mine inventory, sampled using small plots from a few sections. <br />woodland type would significantly enhance local landscape diversity, although the alpha diversity of <br />the forest itself might be low and its contribution to gamma diversity might be slight, depending on its <br />areal extent. <br />Cropland and hayland are examples of alternative reclamation. Alpha diversity of these land uses is <br />low, but they add to the local landscape diversity of reclamation, and serve special functions not only <br />for man, but for wildlife. <br />Conclusions: Vegetational Diversity Evaluation of Reclaimed Areas <br />To a large extent, the species has become the unit of vegetational diversity inventory. The standard <br />parameters of alpha diversity (richness, species density, heterogeneity) are appropriate for fields <br />(alpha diversity) and larger units (alpha diversity if similar habitats, ganuna diversity if varied). <br />Pielou's matching coefficients technique (1986) is lfiaely to join the above - mentioned parameters used <br />to measure alpha and gamma diversity. We recommend evaluating diversity using three or more <br />parameters, and erring on the side of leniency in light of problems in comparing the diversity of <br />different communities and the dubius functional advantages of species diversity in reclamation <br />In devising diversity strategies with respect to alpha/gamma diversity in revegetation, the following <br />qualities are desirable: <br />1. Numerous taxa equitably distributed so that each sample cxritains many taxa and all types <br />are represented. <br />2. Sample units should comprise numerous compositional subunits. <br />3. The relative abundance of the most abundant taxa should be below 30"/0, preferably lower. <br />146 <br />