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<br />, <br /> <br />- ~J.s3S <br /> <br />The adjacent uplands arE populated by Douglas-fir (Pseudo/suga menziesh). blue spruce, and Gambel oak <br />on the toe-slopes immediately adjacent to the riparian area. The mid-slope vegetation includes ponderosa <br />pine (Pinus ponderosa) with some white fir (Abies conc%r), Rocky Mountain maple, and barberry (Mahonia <br />repens). <br /> <br />SITE 2 The second site is located Just below the confluence of First Fork Creek with Piedre River. It is <br />similar ecologically to the first sile, with the exception of the presence of a few narrowleaf cottonwood <br />individuals_ Most of the cottonwood is located on the old 1I00d terrace, in an upland environment; one <br />individual is located near the channel. Regeneration is virtually absent. <br /> <br />Red-osier is more consistent along the channel and abundant. It appears to prefer drier sites, immediately <br />upland from the channel; as evidenced at both site 1 and 2. Alder is the dominant shrub and occupies an <br />even drier environment compared to red-osier. Bebb willow appears to more prevalent than coyote willow on <br />this site, which is opposite from site 1. <br /> <br />The community types are similar to site 1, with the exception that some Narrowleaf cottonwood/Mountain <br />alder/Willow communities occur where the channel ;s wider and more open, resulting in wider areas that <br />experience flooding. Narrowleaf cottonwood is likely not present in the narrower channels. The potential <br />natural community is similar to site 1. <br /> <br />SITE 3 The third site is located on the east bank of the Piedre River between the confluences of Sheep <br />and Indian Creeks. The community types and potential natural vegetation types are similar to sites 1 and 2. <br />There is no narrowleal cottonwood present on the east bank, although it is present on the west. <br /> <br />The general vegetation composition is consistent with the previous two sites. Coyote willow is significantly <br />regenerating through root sprouts as compared to the other sites. Alder is also not as abundant. Both of these <br />trends are due 10 the warmer environment that this site experiences. <br /> <br />SUMMARY All three sites are presently in a similar community type (successional stage); and all sites <br />apparently have the same potential natural vegetation (ecological type). Regeneration is sparse; site 3 has <br />the most willow regneration presently occuring. . <br /> <br />The association 01 the riparian vegetation with the stream channel is vivid. Shrub, forb, and graminoid <br />lifeforms are well established at the upper limit of the bankfuli (0l.5) channel. AJder and willow clumps do not <br />extend below that limit and scattered riparian-dependent graminoids and forbs occur within the narrow belt <br />above bankfuli and below the slope change where it steepens into upland plant communities. Following is <br />a presence/absence table for vegetation species at the three analysis sites. <br /> <br />2 <br />