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• and aspects at low elevations but is confined to the south slopes at high <br />elevations. Other conspicuous species within the vegetation type include <br />black greasewood, big sagebrush A-~#enri~ia #.zidQn#ota, gal lets Hi-Laiua <br />;ome.~ii, and cheatgrass. On deep soil sites on mesa tops and on stream <br />alluvium a big sagebrush vegetation type dominates. Gardner saltbush <br />A#2ipCex gandneai along with mat salibush A#~cip.Lex cv.z2uga#a form small <br />communities within the shadscale vegetation type. These two saltbushes <br />dominate the very steep, unstable shaley slopes having a south and/or west <br />aspect. <br />The transition from shadscale to big sagebrush is often gradual as <br />the two vegetation types intergrade. Conspicuous species within the <br />big sagebrush vegetation type includ~a snakeweed Xa~zthvicepha.lum ~aav#haae, <br />cheatgrass, mountain pepperweed Lepidium mv2tartum, and tumblemustard <br />Si~ymbu um a.Ltie~imum. Black sagebrush A~c#emiaia nvva often dominates <br />microsites within the vegetation type at higher elevations, above 6500 <br />feet. <br />A pinyon-juniper woodlantl ainu~ eduLia-`~an.ipe~u~ v~#ev~peirma occurs <br />on the shallow rocky soil above the shadscale zone. The transition from <br />shadscale to pinyon-juniper is very gradual. The density of trees within <br />the community increases with favorable moisture conditions and is hence <br />best developed at higher elevations and on north-facing slopes. Species <br />characteristic to the community include: mountain mahogany Ce~ccvc¢apu~ <br />mon,tanu~, ephedra ~phedaa v<icidi~, winterfat Kaa~chen,irvcihvvia .Lanata, <br />prickly gilia Lep#vdacty.Con sp., cheatgrass, and bluegrasses Pva spp. <br />An oak shrubland t~luezcu4,gambea;i< vegetation type occurs at about <br />~ 6200 feet elevation along the drainz~ge and on the moist north-facing <br />slopes at higher elevations. Major understory species include: big sage- <br />~ brush, serviceberry Ame.(an.chieit a,Ge.i~v.lia, snowberry SympJrvnicaicpve <br />vaevphi.lu~, Indian ricegrass Onrj~vp.fi~ hymvnvidee, Lettermann needlegrass <br />1 S#ipa lette~rmann,ii, and bluegrasses.. <br />a <br />A large area of the mesa top east and south of the Roadside Mine was <br />~ homesteaded. It appears that portions of the area were either cultivated <br />and/or heavily grazed. Today, numerous successional stages of the original <br />' big sagebrush and shadscale vegetation type occur here. The most recent <br />disturbances have monocultures of Russian thistle Sa.(~v.Ca <beicica while <br />less disturbed sites have returned to big sagebrush or shadscale. <br />Some of the mapped areas adjacent to the permit area are currently <br />fruit orchards while others are hayfields. Finally, within the pinyon- <br />~ juniper woodland is a small area that was burned during the past. <br />3.2 DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREAS <br />• 3.2.1 Greasewood shrubland Study Area <br />• • The Greasewood shrubland study area is located in the western <br />half of Section 34, T105, R98W just south of the Public Service power <br />_~_ <br />