Laserfiche WebLink
VEGETATION <br />• 1.0 Introduction <br />The Williams Fork Mountains, located in northwest <br />Colorado in Routt County, extend east-west for approxi- <br />mately 25 miles and form the divide between the Yampa <br />and Williams Fork Rivers. These mountains gradually <br />rise about 1,500 feet above the surrounding terrain. <br />Only a few peaks in the range are above 8,000 feet in <br />elevation. <br />The soils, climate, altitude, topographic varia- <br />bility, aspects and present and past land uses create <br />a complex mosaic of plant communities. Moisture is <br />the dominant factor controlling the distribution of <br />these communities. <br />Plant communities characteristic to these lower <br />montain mountains include: aspen, PopuZus tremuloides; <br />oak, Quercus gambeZii; small isolated stands of Douglas <br />fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii; sparse patches of subalpine <br />fir, Abies Zasiocarpa; and numerous floristically diverse <br />shrub communities. Several shrub species generally <br />characterize a shrub community, as integradations of <br />shrub species are most common. Shrubs present in the <br />area include: serviceberry, Amelanchier alnifolia; <br />• several sagebrush species, Artemisia spp.; mountain <br />mahogany, Cercocarpus montanus; rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus <br />nauseosus, Chrysothamnus parryi, and Chrysothamnus vis- <br />cidifZorus; chokecherry, Prunus virginiana; bitterbrush, <br />Purshia tridentata; gooseberry, Ribes inerme; wild rose, <br />Rosa ~oodsii; and snowberry, Symphoricarpos oreophilus. <br />Juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, and Pinyon pine, Pinus <br />edulus, are present in the area, particularly on southern <br />exposures in the western portion of the mountain range. <br />2.0 Plant Community Analysis <br />The study site (approximately 600 acres) is located <br />approximately 12 miles south of Hayden in the Williams <br />Fork Mountains. The elevation of the site ranges from <br />approximately 7,400 to 7,800 feet. The major portion of <br />the area slopes to the north; however, minor ridges slope <br />to the east, west and south. The highest portion of the <br />area consists of two exposed ridges with steep slopes to <br />the south and west. <br />• <br />-1- <br />