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<br />. <br /> <br />LIFE ZONES: DEFINITIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS <br /> <br />PIJ\INS: 'Ihe altitude ranges up to approximately 6,000 feet. Trees and shrubs <br />are not abundant. Grasses are the dominant life fonn. (Grasses are treated <br />separately. ) The Juniper/ Pinon association is seen at higher elevations <br />closer to the foothills. Cacti, yucca, sagebrush and rabbitbrush are found <br />in the drier areas. There is a separate sheet on cacti and yucca. Riparian <br />ecosystems have different characteristics. <br /> <br />FCXY.rHILIS: -The altitude ranges fran about 5,700 feet (there is some overlap <br />with the Plains) to approximately 8,000 feet. Woody shrubs are abundant. <br />The three leaf swnac/rrountain mahogany association is important, although <br />the three leaf sumac has a wider range. The Gamble or scrub oak is also <br />found here. <br /> <br />~ANE: The altitude ranges fran about 8,000 feet to 9,500 feet. The <br />Ponderosa Pine is found on the drier, south facing slopes with the lXluglas <br />Fir on the cooler, rroister north facing slopes. <br /> <br />The SUBALPlliE and ALPINE TUNDRA Life Zones are not treated here. v1hat we <br />will attempt to do is list plants that might be seen on a field trip or hike <br />in the :i.rrrnediate area. It is interesting to note that we are on the edge <br />of the natural range of several of the plants; the northen most range of <br />the Pinon Pine; the eastern most of the Ponderosa; the Gamble Oak is usually <br />found only south of Denver. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />PUINT LIST: mY PIAINS/kOO~1iJ.JLS <br /> <br />CamOn Mtn. Juniper (Juniperus comnunis) <br />Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum (of the rrountains]) <br />Pinon (Pinyon) Pine (Pinus cembrodies edulis) <br />Ponderosa Pine (Pinus p::mderosa) <br /> <br />lXluglas Fir (pseudotsuga menziessi)* <br /> <br />Scrub Oak, Garnbel Oak (Quercus garnbelli) <br /> <br />Threeleaf Sumac (Rhus trilobata) <br />Mountain ~1ahogany (Cercocarpus montanus) <br /> <br />Rabbi thrush (Chrysothamnus nauseous) <br />Big Sagebrush ((Artemisia tridenta) <br />Sand Sagebrush (Artemisia filifola) <br />Pasture (Silver) Sagebrush (Artemisia frigida) <br /> <br />Grasses, cacti, yuca and herbaceous perennials fran other sources. <br /> <br />At this point let us stop and make ccmnents about the plants and the <br />difficulities enoountered in attempting to make any sort of list. The Canmon <br />Mt. Juniper is our only native low growing juniper. The Rocky ~ltn. Juniper <br />is our only native upright juniper. It is a highly variable species, <br />occurring in many forms. Nurserymen have develOped many, many cultivars. <br /> <br />. <br />