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S 2.04.10
<br />Vegetation Communities and Characteristics
<br />• The two identified dominant vegetation co~*+r*+~~~~ties in the Pemut and adjacent areas are the Juniper
<br />Woodland community and the Mountain Shrubland community, as shown on the Regional
<br />Vegetation Map, (Map 2.04-M8), and described as follows.
<br />Juniper Woodland Community -The Juniper Woodland vegetation community occurs throughout
<br />the Permit and adjacent areas on moderatelysteep west and southwest facing slopes. This community
<br />is visually dominated by Utah juniper, however, understory shrubs are numerically dominant. Primary
<br />shrub species include, in descending order of dominance, Gambel oak, mountain snowberry, Oregon
<br />grape, Saskatoon serviceberry, mountain mahogany, big sagebrush, fourwing saltbush, speazleaf
<br />buckwheat, and antelope bitterbrush. Grasses and forts are minor components of this community
<br />(12.8 percent of total cover), with Indian ricegrass, quackgrass, cheatgrass brome, and Japanese brome
<br />as the primary grass species, and amowleaf bakamroot, prairie sage, yellow thistle and mountain
<br />pepperweed as the primazyforb species. Hedgehog and pricklypeaz cactus are ako found sporadically
<br />in drier areas.
<br />Total vegetative cover for the Juniper Woodland com.,,~~.,~ty u 57.5 percent, with soil cover of 17.9
<br />percent, litter cover of 19.3 percent, and rock cover of 5.3 percent. Of this total, the following
<br />sunrmvuxs relative contributions by vegetation type:
<br />• Tree cover contributes 14.8 percent (shah juniper - 13.7 percent and Rocky Mountain
<br />juniper- 1.1 percent)
<br />• Shrub and sub-shrub cover contributes 28.0 percent (Gambel oak - 17.5 percent,
<br />mountain snowberry - 6.2 percent, Saskatoon serviceberry - 1.5 percent, mountain
<br />• mahogany- 0.9 percent, and other - 1.9 percent)
<br />• Perennial and annual grass cover contributes 7.7 percent (Indian ricegrass - 1.0 percent,
<br />quackgrass - 0.7 percent, cheatgrass brome - 5.0 percent, and other - 1.0 percent)
<br />• Perennial and annual fort cover contributes 5.1 percent (arrowleaf bakamroot - 1.1
<br />percent, prairie sage - 0.5 percent, yellow thistle - 0.5 percent, mountain pepperweed -
<br />0.5 percent, and ocher - 2.5 percent)
<br />• Cryptogam (mosses and lichens) cover contributes 1.9 percent
<br />Total herbaceous production for the Juniper Woodland community averaged 196 ]bs. per acre, with
<br />grasses contributing approximately 26 percent (52 lbs. per acre) and forts contributing the ren>aining
<br />74 percent (14416s. per acre).
<br />Tree density for the Juniper Woodland community averaged 86 trees per acre with the majority of
<br />these being Utah juniper (71 trees per acre) and the remainder being Rocky Mountain juniper. Shntb
<br />density averages 6,304 shrubs per acre, with Gambel oak (2,849 shrubs per acre), mountain snowberry
<br />(1,902 shrubs per acre), and Oregon grape (1,109 shrubs per acre) dominant.
<br />Species diversity for the Juniper Woodland community h limited, with a species diversity index of
<br />only 1.02. Forty-one species contribute to measured cover, but close to 40 percent of the measured
<br />cover comes from only three species (Lhah juniper, Gambel oak, and mountain snowberry~. The
<br />limited diversity u a reflection of both the dominance of trees and shrubs and the xeric nature of the
<br />• south and southwest facing slopes.
<br />Mountain Shnrbland Community -The Mountain Shn,bland vegetation con+~*+~~~~ty occurs
<br />throughout the Permit and adjacent areas on relatively steep east and southeast facing slopes. This
<br />community is dominated by a range of shrub species. Primary shrub species include, in descending
<br />PR04 2.04-104 Revised August 2000
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