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~. <br />-4- <br />869 for grasses, forbs and shrubs respectively) and the estimated <br />carrying capacity for normal years was 0.7 years AU"1's. These were <br />increases of approximately 55% over productivity of the untreated big <br />sagebrush. Based on these differences the estimated production and <br />carrying capacity for unfavorable and favorable years ranged from 930 <br />to 1,8.60 pounds per acre and 0.47 to 0.93 AIJM's per acre, <br />respectively. <br />(5) Meadow <br />This cover type comprised 49 acres (3%) of the area to be mined. It <br />was located in drainage bottoms and low areas (1,975 to 7.025 feet) <br />on very gentle slopes to nearly level topography (3% slope). The <br />alluvial soils [hat were characteristic of this type were moderately <br />deep to deep (to 60 inches), loamy in texture, had low to very low <br />permeability, moderte available water capacity, and were subject to <br />slight erosion hazard. Grasses (and grass-like species) were the <br />predominant vegetation in this type. Sedge (Carex spp.) and <br />wiregrass (Juncus spp.) accounted for 56 Y, of the vegetation cover and <br />42% of the total production. Other grasses were bluegrass, <br />hairgrass; (Deschampis caespitosa), meadow barley (Hordeum <br />brachyantherum), and timothy (Phleum pratense). The more important <br />forbs were aster, cinquefoil (Potentilla spp.), dock (Rumex spp.), <br />and thistle (Crisium spP.). Six grass and grasslike species and 9 <br />forbs (15 total) composed the meadow cover type. THe index of <br />diversity value was 0.786. <br />The average litter cover was 16%, and the canopy cover for grasses <br />and forbs was 72 and 10 percent respectively, for a total cover of 98 <br />98 percent. This was the most productive type with 3,037 pounds per <br />acre. This consisted of 2,908 and 157 pounds per acre for grasses <br />and forbs, respectively. The estimated carrying capacity for normal <br />years was 1.5 AlM's per acre. Based on expected production for <br />favorable and unfavorable years the estimated ranges for forage <br />production and carrying capacity were 2,000 to 4,000 pounds per acre <br />and 1.0 to 2.0 Al1M's per acre, respectively. <br />(6) Afountain Shrub <br />This cover type comprised 196 acres (11%) of the area to be mined. <br />It occurred at similar elevations and slopes as did the aspen cover <br />type, and although this type occurred on all aspects, it was found <br />most often on steep east and southeast facing slopes. The soils were <br />similar [o the big sagebrush type. The major differences were soil <br />thickness and lower available water capacity. The major shrub <br />species wre Gambel oak, snowberry, chokecherry, service berry and <br />sagebrush. The ground cover species were less important in cover, <br />composition and production. The more common grasses were bluegrass, <br />