2016-01-14_REVISION - M1983194 (2)

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Daub & Associates, Inc. Page 3-53 2015 NS Mine Plan Modification 1/5/2016 Section 3 General Site Conditions Black Greasewood-Big Sagebrush This vegetation type is found on deep, poorly drained, alluvial-alkaline soils (BLM 1980). This shrubland type is dominated by black greasewood and big sagebrush, with rubber and sticky rabbitbrush occurring infrequently (LGL 1981). Forb cover was moderately important in this type ranging from 3 to 9 percent. Five-hook bassia (Bassia hyssopifolia), and wormseed goosefoot (Chenopodium ambrosioides) were the most common species located in this type. The cover of the grass species varied greatly in the LGL samples from 0.1 to 13.3 percent. The important grass species included: western wheatgrass, crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum), cheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail and Sandberg bluegrass (LGL 1981). Bald The Bald vegetation type is found on steep west and south facing slopes with sandstone outcrops, which are mostly devoid of vegetation. This type occurred on rock outcrop-Torriorthents complex soils which were infrequently found on the sodium lease tracts. The shrub layer is composed of big sagebrush, rubber and sticky rabbit-brush, shadscale and true mountain-mahogany. Other less common shrubs include fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida), snakeweed, Antelope bitterbrush, and black greasewood. Forbs are fairly common in this type consisting of 2 to 8 percent of the vegetative cover. These include hood phlox, Nuttall's goldenweed, buckwheat (Eriogonum spp), shrubby bedstraw (Galium multiflorum), silvery lupine, dwarf rabbitbrush, and Montana pepperweed. Grass forms only a sparse understory in this type comprising 0.5 to 2.5 percent of the herbaceous cover. Slender wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, and prairie junegrass were the only grass species commonly found (LGL 1981).