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i• <br />vegetation type within the study area is at Figure 3.1. <br />Two distinct phases occur within the aspen vegetation type; a shrub <br />dominated understory phase and a herbaceous understory phase. The shrub <br />dominated phase occurred at lower elevations and was dominated by western <br />snowberry. The majority of the study area was comprised of this phase. The <br />other herbaceous understory phase was dominated by perennial forbs the most <br />prominent being sweetanise, Porter's liguisticum and peavine. ibis phase <br />occurred at higher elevations and was the principal phase within the <br />reference area. These phases have been recognized in the nearby White River <br />National Forest (Hoffman and Alexander, 1983). They indicate that the <br />snowberry phase occupies the lower edge of the aspen zone and was classified <br />as the driest of any of the phases in their study. In the drier direction of <br />the phase it is replaced by mountain shrub or sagebrush vegetation. The <br />herbaceous phase was described as having a continuous layer of forb species <br />. with the near absence of shrub species. Fendler meadowrue may dominate on <br />more well-drained soils while Porter liguisticum and sweetanise dominate on <br />less well drained soils. <br />The aspen reference area was located in the extreme southern portion of <br />the study area in section 11. It was located on a moderately steep northwest <br />facing slope. Elevation is 8600 feet. Tree canopy is continuous. A photograph <br />of the reference area is located at Figure 3.2 <br />Cover - Total understory vegetation cover within the study area aspen <br />type was 66.9 percent (Table 3.3). Bare ground was 6.5 percent. Together <br />litter and rock cover was 26.5 percent. Perennial grasses had 18.3 percent <br />cover while perennial forbs had 34.1 percent. Dominant grasses included <br />Kentucky bluegrass, nodding brome and blue wildrye. Dominant forbs included <br />sweetanise, and western yarrow. Woody species had 23.1 percent cover with <br />12 <br />Exhibit ]0, Item 5 Revision Date: 03/06/07 <br />17 Revision No.: PR-02 <br />