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• 3.2.3 Caprock Phase, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland <br />The Caprock phase of Pinyon-Juniper Woodland occurs on the east- <br />facing slope along the major drainage in the permit area. Total affected <br />area of this vegetation unit is 18.0 acres. This vegetation unit is differen- <br />tiated from the remainder of the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland by an extensive sand- <br />stone caprock which varies from large areas of bare, relatively unbroken rock <br />to areas of shallow rock fragments. Shrubs are less important in the Caprock <br />unit than in the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. Herbaceous vegetation grows well <br />in cracks and crevices of rock, where runoff water collects. <br />Cover <br />Total absolute vegetation cover averages only 33.2 percent. Rock <br />cover is the dominant feature of the landscape, averaging 40.1 percent. Bare <br />soil and litter cover are moderate, with 14.1 and 12.6 percent, respectively. <br />Absolute cover by lifeform is as follows: trees--19.9 percent, shrubs and <br />subshrubs--4.1 percent, perennial forbs--4.0 percent, perennial graminoids-- <br />2.0 percent, annual graminoids--1.6 percent, annual forbs--0.8 percent, <br />succulents--0.6 percent, and cryptogams--0.2 percent (Table 11). <br />Trees provide over 50 percent relative cover. Utah juniper and <br />pinyon pine are codominants with 11.8 and 8.1 percent absolute cover, respec- <br />tively. <br />• Shrubs and subshrubs comprise 12.4 percent of the vegetation cover. <br />Common species are Gambel oak and true mountain mahogany with 2.2 and 1.5 <br />percent absolute cover, respectively. Other species include California brickel- <br />bush (Qaiche.l.!<a co~(i~oiutical, shrub I ive oak (~uezcua .tuabirze~l.(ol, and mountain <br />snow berry. <br />Perennial forb cover is moderate. Common species are hairy golden- <br />aster (Nexe~co.theca vi.(do~ol with 2.3 percent, Louisiana sage with 1.1 percent, <br />and James eriogonum lficio~uiwm ~ameniil with 0.6 percent. Numerous other <br />species are present but do not contribute measurably Yo cover values. <br />Perennial graminoid cover is low; however, numerous species <br />contribute to cover. These are, in descending order, squirreltail, blue grams, <br />sun sedge (Ca.aex he,(iophi.la), Indian ricegrass, mutton bluegrass, sand dropseed, <br />and red threeawn (Aa.ia.tida .lorzSi~e,tol. <br />Annual graminoid cover comprises 7.8 percent relative cover. <br />Cheatgrass lQ¢exnu~ tecto~uml is the only species present, averaging 1.6 percent <br />absolute cover. <br />Annual forb cover is low, although numerous species occur in this <br />vegetation unit. Species contributing to cover are smaller alyssum (Alt~aaum <br />mirzu~l, spreading fleabane, and prairie pepper weed (Lepidium dert~i~doauml. <br /> <br />-12- <br />