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• s <br />UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />Soil Conservation Service, Colorado <br />Technical Guide <br />Section II E <br />ALKALINE SLOPES <br />RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br />for <br />Land Resource Area: <br />A, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />Physlographic Features <br />RANGE SITE N0. 295 <br />M~r.kc^ Field OFfices <br />A.ugust X975 <br />Southern iocxy yOL'nLalnS (46) <br />This site occurs on moderately steep residual uplands and <br />gently sloping benches. Degree of slope ranges from 0 to <br />10$. Direction of slope Is not a factor. <br />Elevation ranges from 6000 feet to 9000 feet above sea level. <br />2. Climatic Features <br />Annual precipitation averages from 10 to 15 inches. At least <br />half of the annual precipitation is in the form of snow. <br />Optimum growing season for native plants is May 15 to July 1. <br />Evaporation can be high because of high winds. <br />3. Native (potential) Vegetation <br />The aspect of this site is a shrub community dominated by <br />big sagebrush and greasewood. Lesser shrubs and half shrubs <br />include winterfat, low rabbitbrush, and saltbush. Shrubs <br />make up about 40$ of the total annual production. Grasses <br />provide most of the ground cover and make up about 45$ of <br />the annual production. The most important grasses are wheat- <br />grasses, squlrreltail, Indian ricegrass, pine needlegrass, <br />and bluegrasses. Forbs make up about 15$. Some of the major <br />fortis are onion, phlox, buckwheat, and bluebells. <br />