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A typical Engelmann spruce/subalpine fir stand adjacent to montane meadow. <br />The Spruce/Fir Vegetation Community is at the next higher elevation from aspen. <br />Dominant tree species include Englemann spruce (Picea engelmannii), and subalpine fir <br />(Abies lasiocarpa) at higher elevations, with an occasional Colorado blue spruce (Picea <br />pungens) in drainages. Dominant understory species include bearberry (Arctostaphylos <br />uva-ursi) and a variety of other shrubs and herbaceous species common to the Oak and <br />Aspen Vegetation Communities, but generally at lower densities. It is not an immediate <br />transition from aspen to spruce/fir. There is a transition area where all these species are <br />found. The transition area is found starting at about the 9000 foot contour and going up to <br />the 9600 foot contour. There are also pockets of spruce -fir found along drainages at lower <br />elevations in the aspen community. <br />Riparian Zones occur along project area drainages and are characterized by <br />comparatively narrow vegetation communities requiring wetter soil hydrologic conditions <br />than the surrounding uplands. The boundaries of riparian zones are limited in width by <br />the steep topography associated with drainage systems. These zones may or may not <br />include a recognized wetland component. A variety of tree species are usually associated <br />with the riparian zones of the project area and, where occurring, the shrub component is <br />denser than in the surrounding uplands due to soil moisture conditions. Recent studies in <br />the semiarid west comparing riparian areas with adjacent uplands showed that riparian <br />zones support up to 400 percent more plant biomass, up to 200 percent more plant species <br />richness, and contribute to large increases in density and diversity for birds when <br />compared with upland areas (Clary and Medin, 1998). <br />7 <br />