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OD2593 area and has resulted in the development of consiserab1e acreages of grass, pinyon-juniper and sagebrush types of vegetation. Exten- sion of the area to the higher elevation San Juan-Dolores River Basin divide has resu1 ted in encroachment on the frost-free period necessary for the beans. Wheat and grass p1antings are substitutions in these areas. The present bean acreage expansion is largely within the existing production area and is accomplished by subjugation of previously bypassed brush areas which were more expensive to bring under cultivation. Many existing fields are being squared off by elimination of odd areas of brush which were not intia11y removed. Aside from the dry bean production area, the cultivated dry farm cropland acreage will remain low, and perhaps decrease. This is mainly due to climatic conditions which preclude the opportunities for continually increasing yields to compensate for increased farm- ing costs. Conversions to pasture seeding for livestock use are becoming increasingly popular. PLANT COVER AND RELATED CATEGORIES The following is a general description of plant cover communities as they exist throughout the basin. The categories of cropland, urban, water and barren are included in this general description in lieu of plant cover. The plant biotic communities used as cate- gories in this section are basica11y.equivalent to ecological units or associations; thus, these terms should be considered synonymous. This section is concerned with vegetative cover which is quite dis- tinct from land use. For example, commercial timber production is a use of some forest lands, but certainly not of all. Grazing of cattle as a land use occurs on both range and forested lands. Plant cover is extremely significant to the planner in that it is an excellent indicator of the use potential of the land. Alpine biotic communities, due to their delicate balance, cannot absorb more than minimal use. Their two primary uses to man are as water- shed and as an opportunity for a visually aesthetic experience. Contrasted with the fragility of the alpine community is the stabi- lity of the forest association. Here, manipulation of the biotic community is more successful as long as all. ecol ogi ca 1 factors are taken into account. The major present products of the forest are forage, recreation, water, wildlife and wood. The range biotic communities are, for the most part, stable. However, areas of ~xtreme1y low rainfall may exhibit retarded recuperation following disturbance. The major function of rangeland vegetation is for production of forage. This biotic community, however, additionally serves as a vital protective cover of the soil against wind and water erosion. 1II-31