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_•~. I-3.1.2 Pinyon-Juniper <br />Pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) and IItah juniper <br />i (Juniperus osteosperma) cover extensive areas in this <br />~- portion of west-central Colorado. These communities are <br />' commonly observed above alluvial benches on upslopes of <br />the Colorado River and its tributaries. It has an elevation <br />range between 5000 and 8500 feat in this region and generally <br />r <br />gives way to mountain-shrub types at higher elevations and <br />r- on north and west facing slopes and big sagebrush types at <br />~ lower elevations and on drier east and south facing slopes. <br />The soils supporting this community type were formed <br />r in residuum and colludium materials from sandstone bedrock. <br />!~ They are generally well-drained with slow permeability and <br />i have a surface texture of a gravelly loam that is shallow <br />'- in depth. <br />~ Slopes in this type range from 25-60~ and the aspect <br />is predominantly southern and eastern on the study area. <br />L The major species comprising the understory in this <br />•- type include arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza <br />` sa$itatta) bottlebrush squirreltail (Sitanion <br />~ hystrix), cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), bitterbrush <br />` (Purshia tridentata) and Colorado bedstraw. <br />L~ <br />- 13 - <br />