Laserfiche WebLink
King Mountain Sand and Gravel Mine Ecological Resources Assessment <br />Page 6 <br />Table 1. Vegetation Communities <br />Ve etation Communi Size in Acres Location <br />Aspen Forest 8.98 sideslopes in Middle Drainage and South <br />Draina e. <br />Riparian Shrubland 23.00 Along Egeria Creek, most of the South <br />Draina e. <br />Mixed Montane Shrubland 5.69 Small areas on sideslopes of South Drainage <br />and North Draina e. <br />Sagebrush Shrubland 278.97 Most of the property north of County Road <br />5. <br />Graminoid Wetland 9.85 Either side of E eria Creek. <br />Tame Pasture 2.41 North of Egeria Creek and small area in <br />northeast corner. <br />Reclaimed Grassland 17.74 Reclaimed Count ravel it. <br />Stock Pond/A uatic 0.66 Middle Draina eon the east bound <br />Disturbed Sites 35.91 Existing mine, boneyard (9.85 acres), <br />residential area, count roads. <br />4.2.1 Aspen Forest <br />Small stands of aspen (Populus tremuloides) grow on the sideslopes and in the bottoms of <br />the South Drainage and Middle Drainage (Photo Points MF 2 and SB, NL 4 and 5). <br />There is also a small stand on a steep south-facing slope at the inset property corner in the <br />southern portion of the Property. The understory on the drier sideslopes consists mainly <br />of the shrub roundleaf snowberry (Symphoricarpos rotundifolius) and the grasses smooth <br />brome (Bromus inermis) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poe pratensis). In the moist drainage <br />bottoms, the shmb understory is mainly willows (Salix boothii and S. geyeriana) and <br />whitestem gooseberry (Ribes inerme), with common grasses including Kentucky <br />bluegrass and timothy (Phleum pretense). Most of the aspen trees range from 5-10" <br />diameter at breast height (DBH), with a few up to 12". Elk barking is moderate to severe, <br />and there is little regeneration; where small shoots exist they are heavily browsed. Many <br />of the aspen trees are dead or dying, mostly on the dry sideslopes (Photo Points NL 4 and <br />5). These stands were apparently severely impacted by drought during 2002 and 2005. <br />4.2.2 Montane Riparian Shrubland <br />This community occurs in two different settings on the Property, along the floodplain of <br />Egeria Creek near the southern boundary (Photo Points NL 1-3), and in [he bottom of the <br />South Drainage {Photo Points NL 4 and 5). Along Egeria Creek there is nearly a closed <br />canopy of tall willows, mainly Booth's willow (Salix boothii) and Geyer's willow (Salix <br />geyeriana), with some Pacific willow (Salix lucida ssp. lasiandra), and scattered small <br />trees of thinleaf alder (Alms incana ssp. tenuifolia). Lush graminoid vegetation in the <br />understory includes Nebraska sedge (Carex nebrascensis), beaked sedge (Carex <br />utriculata), redtop (Agrostis gigantea), timothy (Phleum pretense) and Kentucky <br />bluegrass (Poe pratensis). The forb component includes cow parsnip (Heracleum <br />maximum), Rocky Mountain iris (Iris missouriensis), and American vetch (Vida <br />americana). The willows are in good condition, with no sign of heavy browsing. There <br />is sign of recent beaver activity, including small dams and a lodge (Photo Point NL 3). <br />The riparian Shrubland in the ravine bottoms, less saturated than the Egeria Creek <br />floodplain, has similar composition of willows to that on Egeria Creek, but has a more <br />open canopy and the willows are generally shorter (Photo Points NL 4 and 5). Dwarf <br />