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<br />RANGE SITE N0. 269 <br />CLAYEY FOOTHILLS <br />August 1975 , <br />j. Native (potential) Vegetation <br />Page 2 <br />Western wheatgrass dominates the cover, although big sagebrush <br />gives the site an open brushland aspect. Black sage is also present <br />in•places. Huttongrass, Indian ricegrass, squirreltail, Junegrass <br />and other grasses combine with western wheatgrass to make up well . <br />over half the plant community. Beardless wheatgrass is present 1n <br />northern portions of the site. Forbs are scattered through but <br />make up a minor part of the plant community." Some of the most <br />common are buckwheat, globemallow, penstemon, and locos or milk- <br />vetches. Others which grow in parts of this community are yarrow, <br />balsamroot, and aster.. Douglas rabbitbrush and prickly pear are <br />commonly occurring plants, and there may be an occasional 4-wing <br />saltbush or winEerfat. On more moist parts of the site a few tall <br />shrubs common to higher elevations may be present,.and pinyon or <br />juniper may show up. The latter are confined to occasional' trees <br />or patches under-natura'1 conditions, however, due to fire and other. <br />factors. '. <br />1, <br />• <br />:-~ ; <br />'.. a <br />• <br />~,. <br />.~ <br />Native (potential) Vegetation and Guide for Determining Range ' <br />Condition. <br />Percentacie composition by N•eight of the principal species may ,. <br />'total as much as: ' <br />.: 271e r..+o.~ lJtCd ~Q ~r01: I.`, JJr1i .7 f.i:l'• ., . <br />Western wheatgrass 50 <br />Big sagebrush it 20 .. <br />'. Indian ricegrass 5 <br />• Huttongrass 5' ~ " <br />Beardless wheatgrass I/ 5 <br />'" Douglas rabbitbrush 5 <br />Others (listed'above) 15 - ~ ' <br />1/ Not present at southern locations. <br />Tree species most likely to grow on the site are Utah juniper., <br />one-seed juniper and pinyon pine. Approximate ground cover is .•. <br />40 percent. <br />'Species most likely to invade the site or increase from trace <br />a^..ounts are juniper (at upper elevations), rubber rabbitbrush,. <br />,~ Colorado rucberweed, snakeweed, cheatgrass and a-Huai weeds. ~' <br />Shadscale and greasewood move into some drier parts of the site,' <br />especially those adjacent to salty soils. Big sagebrush commonly <br />becomes dominant as the range condition deteriorates and may make <br />up nearly ail Che vegetation. Other plants which increase in some <br />places as thr_ condition deteriorates are black sage and Douglas <br />rabbitbrush. <br />,~-, <br />---~ <br />1 <br /> <br />