Laserfiche WebLink
Sub-Unit B has bean heavily grazed by livestock and cattle were present at the time of evaluation. • <br />Dates and duration of grazing are unknown, but year-round or three-season grazing is suspected. <br />Utilization across the whole sub-unit was estimated between 80 and 100°6 with the open canopy area <br />resembling swell-manicured lawn (see Plate 23). Forage production was estimated between 500 and <br />1000 pounds per sae in the forested area and between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds per acre in the open <br />canopy ,area. A few small areas exhibited only about 100 pounds par acre of production. Cover and <br />production potential in the forested portion of this area would dramatically improve 'rf grazing were more <br />carefully managed. This observation is based on comparison with similar ungrazed areas immediately <br />adjacent to this unit (see Plate 23). <br />3.5.3 :tub-Unit C <br />Sub-Unit C (7.80 acres) is privately owned and located in the center of the riparian /wetland <br />complex. Most of this sub-unit is heavily wooded with a dense Torb and shrub understory, although an <br />open wetland is located in the northwest comer and a narrow, forested wetland is located along the <br />highway in the southeast comer. In the wooded areas, canopy wverage ranged from 50 to 80% and tree <br />density rmged between 100 to 300 trees per acre. The overstory was almost exclusively composed of <br />narrow-leaaf cottonwood trees between 20 and 40 feet in height and between 4 and 12 inches diameter at <br />breast height. Some areas exhibited ocgsional cottonwood trees that reach ti0 teat in height and 20 inch <br />diameter trunks. An espedally dense, nearly impenetrable, understory is located in the center of this sub- <br />unit (see Plate 24). Understory live plant Dover was estimated to average 65%; while litter, rock and bare <br />ground averaged 30%, 3%, and 2% of the ground cover, respectively. The dominant understory <br />vegetations was Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum}, golden banner (Jhemropsis diviacarpa), <br />orchardgrass, and skunkbush (Rhus trilobata). <br />The open wetland in the northwest comer (see Plate 25) was dominated by common horscsail <br />(Equisteurn hymenalis), Baltic rush (Juncus articus), and three-square bulrush (Schoenoplectus <br />pungensj. Narrow-leaf cattail, coyote willow, beaked sedge (Carex utriculata), and redtop were also <br />abundant in this wetland. The understory of the forested wetland in the southeast corner of this sub-unit <br />was dominated by coyote willow, redtop, and common horsetail in the wetter areas and skunkbush, <br />orchardgrass, and wood rose (Rosa woodsii) in the drier sites. The overstory was dominated by narrow- <br />leaf cottomNOOd and box-elder maple, and averaged 70% canopy coverage. <br />According to the property owner, livestock grazing has not occurred far at least the past five years <br />within this sub-unit. Utilization of (orbs and grasses by livestock andlor wildlife was not evident upon <br />S:R®~fl 2'@®OS A9C~IDe0~474s, INC. Page 23 Exhibit 5 - Bovrie Baseline Vegetation Survey <br />