2021-02-08_PERMIT FILE - M2021009 (11)

Home Browse Search

,�► ERC Wildlife Mitigation Plan Young Ranch Resource 2.3 VEGETATION According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Gap Analysis Project (GAP) land cover data set, three primary vegetation communities exist within the Project that can be characterized as Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland, Western North American Temperate Cliff, Scree & Rock Vegetation, and Central Rocky Mountain Dry Lower Montane-Foothill (Faber-Langendoen et al. 2015). The vegetation communities are summarized in Table 1 as follows: Table 1.Vegetation Community Distribution Within the Project Vegetation Community Total Percentage (Acres) Central Rocky Mountain Dry Lower Montane-Foothill 270.1 57.4 Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland 154.6 33.0 Western North American Temperate Cliff, Scree & Rock Vegetation 45.0 9.6 Total 469.7* 100% *Total acreage within Project within DRMS permit boundary Central Rocky Mountain Dry Lower Montane-Foothill Forest This vegetation community generally includes conifer forests, woodlands found in the lower montane to foothill zones. It is generally dominated by ponderosa pine, Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and limber pine(Pinus flexilis).Shrub and herbaceous components are widely variable,ranging from taxa found in the Great Plains mixed grass region to those found across the Northern Rockies region into the eastern Cascades. Generally, these communities occur in lower montane to foothill settings, or on rock outcrops in the mixed grass region of the Great Plains. Occurrences are found on all slopes and aspects; however moderately steep to very steep slopes or ridgetops and plateaus are most common. Within the Project, lodgepole pine, gamble oak, alderleaf mountain mahogany, mountain parsley, western wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), and quaking aspen (populus tremuloides)are the common species within this plant community type. Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland The Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland is characterized by an open-to-dense shrub layer typically dominated by Alderleaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), and/or gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) and several other characteristic shrubs. The Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland is dominant on the southern portion of the Project. The Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland is intermixed with wooly cinquefoil (Potentilla hippiana), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), mountain parsley (Cymopterus lemmonii), Indian paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea), and yucca (Yucca glauca). Tree species within this community include pinion pine (Pinus edulis) 6