2014-11-21_PERMIT FILE - C1996084 (23)

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• Coniferous Forest Disturbed Area Originally, a refuse disposal area was proposed in a coniferous forest area in Bonita Canyon. However, LCC has recently purchased the New Elk Preparation Plant and Disposal Area for processing coal. While the area proposed for disturbance and a reference area in the coniferous forest community type was quantitatively sampled and presented in this section, LCC does not propose to disturb the coniferous forest community type. The understory was moderately vegetated in these partially-closed canopy forests. Litter build-up was high and was as much as one-foot thick in some areas. Dominant understory grasses include blue grama and bluegrass at 6.5 and 4.3 mean absolute cover. Dandelion was the only annual forb hit within the sample transects. Dominant forbs include trailing fleabane, wooly cinquefoil, and hymenopappus at 2.1, 0.7, and 0.7 mean absolute cover respectively. An occasional shrub layer or mid-story strata was observed and is dominated by fringed sage. Litter accounted for 55 percent of the total cover and bare ground and rock were negligible. The overstory was dominated by Gambel oak, one-seed juniper, and mountain mahogany. However, the ponderosa pine was visually dominant and this led to the categorization of this community type as coniferous forest and not oak/pinyon pine. These deciduous species dominate the woody stem count because they sucker and create numerous individuals over time. Coniferous species occur as distinct individuals and aze counted as such. Woody stem density was 112 stems per hectare. Production was calculated at 94.62 pounds per acre. Results aze reported in this document on this community type, but no t-test was run to compaze this azea to the coniferous forest reference area. Coniferous Forest Reference Area The understory was sparsely vegetated in these decadent, closed canopy forests. Litter build-up was high and was as much as three-feet thick in some areas. The dominant understory grass is narrow-leaved sedge at 4.4 mean absolute cover. Dandelion was the only annual forb hit within the sample transects. Dominant forbs include trailing fleabane and western yarrow at 0.5 mean absolute cover each. Mountain mahogany was the dominant shrub in the mid-story. Litter accounted for 72.4 percent of the total cover and bare ground and rock were negligible. The overstory was dominated by Gambel oak at 37.4 absolute mean density. Most of the Gambel oak observed were trees, over three-meters in height. Mountain mahogany, ponderosa pine, one- seed juniper, and Douglas-fir were secondary dominants. The woody stem density was 2,735 stems per hectare. Production was calculated at 40.96 pounds per acre. Due to the closed overstory of the forests, little light and moisture reaches the forest floor. Thus, little herbaceous growth is observed. • PERMIT.mv\April 31, 199'1 2.04-48 (revised 4/24/97)