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I' <br />'. _ <br />~. <br />' i <br /> <br /> <br />UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />Soil Conservation Service, Colorado <br />Technical Guide <br />Section II E <br />RANGE SITE N0. 237 <br />Field Office <br />August 1975 <br />RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br />for <br />STONY LOAM <br />Land Resource Area: Southern Rocky Mountains (48) <br />A. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />Physiographic Features <br />Stony hills and mountain sides are typical of the landscape of <br />this range site. Slopes are from steep to very steep - as steep ; <br />as 60$. Elevations range between 7000 and 9000 feet. <br />2. Climatic Features <br />The average annual precipitation is 15 to 20 inches with half <br />or more of the moisture in the form of snow. The optimum growing <br />season for the site is May 1 to July 1. The shrubs and other <br />deep rooting plants of this site are favored by readily available <br />moisture from accumulated snow. <br />3. Native (potential) Vegetation <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Serviceberry, antelope bitterbrush, big sagebrush, snowberry, and <br />Douglas rabbltbrush give this site the appearance of a shrub plant <br />community. Grasses and fortis, however, comprise a significant <br />percentage of the annual yield. Dluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho/Arizona . <br />fescs~e, mu~iongrass, Indian ricegrass, needle-and-thread., needle- <br />grasses (pine', Letterman, Scribner, and Columbia), Junegrass, western <br />wheatgrass, spike fescue along with sedges are frequent In occurrence. <br />Fortis of this site are tapertip hawksbeard, holly-leaf clover, bal- <br />samroot, paintbrush, pussytoes, stonecrop.and geranium. _ <br />In general this site is devoid of trees but a lone pine, Douglas <br />fir, Rocky Mountain juniper or aspen may grow on a soil inclusion <br />associated with the site. <br />The approximate ground cover of the potential plant community is 30$. <br />Much of the. land surface is occupied by stones but the spaces between <br />them are well filled with .plant cover. Plants not a part of the commu- <br />nity that are likely to invade when the cover deteriorates are cluster <br />tarweed, hound's tongue, Canada thistle, cheatgrass, stickseed, knot- <br />weed, and other similar species. Y Ham,, ~:.•.:,e."- <br />., <br />,\ <br />. 1 <br />