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ERC Young Ranch Resource <br /> Aquatic Resource Delineation Report <br /> 4.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS <br /> 4.1 LANDSCAPE SETTING <br /> The survey area is situated within the Central Rocky Mountain Dry Lower Montane-Foothill ecoregion (Faber- <br /> Langendoen et al. 2015) at an approximate elevation of 8,100 feet above mean sea level (AMSL).The survey area <br /> and surrounding vicinity is comprised predominantly of forestland with a herbaceous understory. The landscape <br /> within the survey area is characterized as Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland,Western North American <br /> Temperate Cliff, Scree& Rock Vegetation, and Central Rocky Mountain Dry Lower Montane-Foothill. <br /> Central Rocky Mountain Dry Lower Montane-Foothill Forest <br /> This vegetation community generally includes conifer forests, and montane shrublands found in the lower <br /> montane to foothill zones. It is generally dominated by ponderosa pine, Douglas fir(Pseudotsuga menziesii),and <br /> limber pine (Pinus flexilis).Shrub and herbaceous components are widely variable, ranging from taxa found in the <br /> Great Plains mixed grass region to those found across the Northern Rockies region into the eastern Cascades. <br /> Generally, these communities occur in lower montane to foothill settings, or on rock outcrops in the mixed grass <br /> region of the Great Plains. Occurrences are found on all slopes and aspects; however moderately steep to very <br /> steep slopes or ridgetops and plateaus are most common. Within the survey area, lodgepole pine, gamble oak, <br /> alderleaf mountain mahogany, mountain parsley, western wallflower (Erysimum capitatum), and quaking aspen <br /> (populus tremuloides) are the common species within this plant community type. <br /> Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland <br /> The Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland is characterized by an open-to-dense shrub layer typically <br /> dominated by Alderleaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), <br /> and/or gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) and several other characteristic shrubs. The Southern Rocky Mountain <br /> Montane Shrubland is dominant on the southern portion of the survey area. The Southern Rocky Mountain <br /> Montane Shrubland is intermixed with wooly cinquefoil (Potentilla hippiana), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), <br /> mountain parsley (Cymopterus lemmonii), Indian paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea), and yucca (Yucca glauca). Tree <br /> species within this community include pinion pine (Pinus edulis) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). This <br /> vegetative community is found on the lower slope positions in montane zones ranging from 4,900 feet to 10,000 <br /> feet in elevation. The herbaceous layer is sparse to moderately dense and dominated by perennial graminoids. <br /> Stands may occur on level to steep slopes, cliffs, escarpments, rimrock slopes, rocky outcrops, and scree slopes. <br /> Within the survey area, this community generally includes the southern slopes in the southern portion. This <br /> community also encompasses a small parcel within the survey area to the north and northeastern portions. <br /> Western North American Temperate Cliff,Scree& Rock Vegetation <br /> The Western North American Temperate Cliff, Scree, & Rock vegetation community occurs typically within the <br /> right-of-way of the CCP and the unnamed drainages associated with the Parkway.These communities were likely <br /> formed with the construction of the parkway and are characterized by bedrock outcrops, including cliffs,talus, or <br /> scree. The vegetation is highly variable within this plant community type and consists of a sparse cover of <br /> vascular/herbaceous species with a limited cover of lichens, mosses,ferns or fern allies.Characteristic nonvascular <br /> species include lichens of the genera rock tripe (Umbilicaria esculenta), map lichens (Rhizocarpon ramond), snow <br /> December 13, 2021 5 <br />