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<br />Management Situation by Revision Topic <br /> <br />Surface Water Characteristics -- Water from streams and lakes is abundant, and groundwater is <br />plentiful, in the mountains. Upper mountain slopes and crests are covered by snowfields and <br />glaciers. The major streams crossing the foothills provide irrigation water for narrow belts of <br />cropland that occur in valleys, elsewhere in the foothills water is scarce. The Arkansas, St. <br />Charles, Apishapa, Cucharas, and Purgatoire Rivers flow through here. <br /> <br />Disturbance Regimes -- More than 50 percent of the mountain area is federally owned, the <br />remainder is in farms, ranches, and other private holdings. Most of.the grassland and much of <br />the open woodland is grazed. Small mountain valleys are irrigated and used for growing hay and <br />pasture. At least 80 percent of the foothills area is in farms and ranches, nearly 20 percent is <br />federally owned. less than 5 percent of the total foothills area is irrigated, and a small amount is <br />in dry crops. <br /> <br />M331G <br />South-Central Highlands Section <br /> <br />Geomorphic ProcesslLandforms -- Strongly sloping to precipitous mountains dissected by many <br />narrow stream valleys with steep gradients. Upper mountainslopes and crests may be covered by <br />snowfields and glaciers. High plateaus and steep-willled canyons are common, especially in the <br />west. <br /> <br />lithologylStratigraphy -- Quaternary: volcanic rocks. Tertiary: volcanic rocks. Cretaceous: Jurassic: <br />Triassic: Upper Paleozoic: Permian, Pennsylvanian, and Mississippian. lower Paleozoic: <br />Precambrian: metamorphic and igneous rocks. <br /> <br />Soil Taxa -- Cryic Boralfs. <br /> <br />Potential Natural Vegetation -- Shrub-grasslands to forests to alpine tundra. Southwestern <br />sprucelfir forest, pinelDouglas-fir forest, and alpine meadows of bentgrass, sedge, fescue, and <br />bluegrass. <br /> <br />Elevation -- 7,545 to 14,110 ft. (2,300 to 4,300 m). Precipitation -- 15 to 30 in. (37-75cm). <br />Temperature -- 32 to 45DF (0 to 7"C). Growing Season -- <70 days. <br /> <br />Surface Water Characteristics -- Water from streams and lakes is abundant. Groundwater is <br />plentiful. The Rio Grande, Animas, Gunnison, and San Miguel Rivers flow through here. <br /> <br />Disturbance Regimes -- More than 50 percent of this area is federally owned, the remainder is in <br />farms, ranches, and private holdings. Most of the grassland and much of the open woodland is <br />grazed. _ Some small valleys are irrigated. , Probably also some timber harvesting, mining, and <br />recreation. <br /> <br />\ <br /> <br />BiDID~ical Divt'Jl"6ity <br /> <br />Biological diversity (biodiversity) refers to 'the full variety of life in an area, including the <br />ecosystem, plant and animal communities, species and genes, and the processes through which <br />individual organisms interact with one another and with their environment. (USDA Forest Service <br />1991). Biodiversity occurs at many different levels, which can range from the molecular scale to <br />complete ecosystems. Therefore, the term comprises the relative abundance of genes, species, <br />and ecosystems (Office of Technology Assessment, 1987). <br /> <br />111.6 <br /> <br />" ,('" :' \ <br />U';t:.'''-LJ <br />