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VEGETATION INFORMATION EXISTING PLANT COMMUNITIES <br /> As previously explained and as shown on Map C-1,the pre-mine communities consist of the <br /> following areas within the permit area: <br /> 1) The vast majority of the permit area is oakbrush community that has been used for sheep and <br /> cattle grazing in the past. There are a few small stock ponds located on the terrace to be mined <br /> but these only collect runoff water. There has not been any irrigation on the terrace to the best of <br /> our knowledge. There are numerous bare patches between the oakbrush plants. The average <br /> herbaceous vegetation cover is approximately 5-7%. The canopy cover from the oakbrush is <br /> approximately 15%. Wyoming big sagebrush is the dominant shrub; a few other shrub species <br /> including four-wing saltbush, rubber rabbitbrush, and broom snakeweed are very uncommon. <br /> Prickly pear cactus is occasional. Perennial grasses include native species such as galleta grass, <br /> blue grama, and Indian ricegrass, and introduced pasture grasses including crested wheatgrass <br /> and various bluegrass species. Grasses are mostly sparse and mainly grow under the canopy of <br /> oakbrush plants. Forbs are sparse and uncommon, mainly limited to ephemeral species that are <br /> only evident in spring or early summer. <br /> 2) The access road below the oakbrush terrace is in a sparse pinyon juniper woodland <br /> community that has poor soil and considerable bare ground. Pinyon pines and junipers also <br /> dominate the slopes of the ephemeral drainage on the terrace, with scattered shrubs and perennial <br /> grasses. <br />