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. ~ <br />UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />.Soil Conservation Service, Colorado <br />• Technical Gulde RANGE SITE N0. 287 <br />Section II E Field Office <br />_ August 1975 <br />RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br />for <br />STONY FOOTHILLS <br />-t- varf~~t~. ~1 <br />- ~ Land Resource Area: Central Desertic Basins, <br />and Plateaus (34) <br />.' ~ Southern Rocky Mountains <br />A. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />1. Physiographic Features <br />/~ <br />• <br /> <br />Mountains, <br />(48) <br />Rough rocky breaks in foothills and mesa country on steep slopes, <br />generally between 15 to 65$. At higher elevations the site <br />occupies south and west exposures. At lower elevations it occurs <br />on n:.~rth and east exposures. Elevation ranges from 5500 to 7500 <br />feet above sea level. <br />M <br />2. Climatic Features <br />_ Annual precipitation averages from 12 to 15 inches. Slightly more <br />r than half of the moisture falls between April 1 and September 30. <br />Months receiving the highest precipitation are July, August, and <br />.. September. Growing season extends from April through the end of <br />September. <br />- June is usually the most drouthy month. Cool season grasses are <br />.. favored.•and make their best growth following the spring thaw (about <br />• April) when available moisture is greatest. These plants again°-take <br />advantage of'late summer moisture if they are in healthy condition. <br />j. Native (potential) Vegetation <br />This site is a grassland plant community with small amounts of shrub <br />. pinyon pine, and Utah juniper. Grasses such as Indian ricegrass, <br />native bunch bluegrasses, needle-and-thread, galleta, blue grams, <br />Junegrass, squirreltail, and wheatgrasses make up the major part of <br />the plant cover. Pinyon and juniper are generally present. Browse <br />plants include big sage, mountain mahogany, serviceberry, Morman tea <br />and bitterbrush. Many of the fortis such as daisies, asters, eriogon <br />stemless goldenweed, phlox, penstemon, and herbaceous sage are asso- <br />ciated irf the composition. Sites having ten percent or more crown <br />canopy of pinyon and/or junipcr are woodland sites. <br />