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"n <br />(Symporicapos orephilus), Antelope Bittdrbush (PUrshia tridenta), and Oregon ;^ <br />Grape (Berberis repens) occur occasionally in these oak dominated stands. <br />Scattered individuals of Douglas Fir (PSUdotsuga menziesil) and Rocky <br />Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), do occur with the oak. Along the <br />ridge tops of the oak hillsides, shrubs such as Mountain Mohogany (Crecocarpus <br />montanus), and scattered individuals of Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) occur <br />mixed with the oak. Arizona Fescue (Festuca arizonica) becomes a common under- <br />story species in these ridge top shrub dominated communities. i <br />On the upland slopes above the mine site, the oak occurs more in <br />clumps interspersed with openings dominated by grasses such as Western Wheat- <br />grass (Agropyrom smithii), Mountain Brome (aromus carinatus), Needle and Thread <br />(Strips comata), and Y.entucky Blue Grass (Poapratensis) and shrubs such as Big <br />I <br />Sage (Artemisia tridentata) and Snowberry. The oak dominated community was <br />I <br />studied in detail by the Soil Conservance Service for Blue Flame Coa~lbecause <br />this is the community that will be subject to disturbance with the development <br />• of the Blue Flame Coal Mine and this is the predominant community type from the <br />standpoint of acreage occupied. <br />In the meadow below, Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis) is almostltotally <br />dominate. The Mountain Shrub vegetation type tends to occur on soils of Zau <br />Stony Loam complex, ]2 to 65 percent slopes, which have primarily a Northern <br />exposure, The soils of the Zau Stony Loam are fairly shallow, medium to we 11 <br />drained, and medium textured. The soils' surface layers are dark grayish brown <br />stony loams to a depth of approximately 8 inches. From 8 to ]3 inches of depth <br />the next layer, consisting of brown clay loam, is dominate. From ]3 to 32 <br />inches brown and yellow brown clay exists. From 32 to 40 inches a brown to <br />yellowish brown predominates. These soils occur on moderately steep to steep <br />upland mesas. <br />The Soil Conservation Service in the Rocky Foothills range site des- <br />cription corresponding to the Zau Stony Loam complex indicates this site has an <br />optimum ground cover of 25 to 30 percent. The kind and amount of vegetation <br />. does vary with differences in slope, exposure, and soil depth. The dominance <br />by Gambel Oak of the vegetation of the Northern exposure is indicative of the <br />