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3.0 RESULTS <br />• 3.1 Description of Vegetation Types <br />Four vegetation types were identified within the study area and two <br />were samples during the course of the 1986 inventory (Map 1). The oakbrush <br />and mixed shrub types were sampled because the major portion of the proposed <br />portal site disturbance was to occur in these types. Only minimal or no <br />disturbance was proposed for the pinyon-juniper and riparian types. Table 1 <br />indicates the types and acreages of each within the study area. <br />Oakbrush - This type contains Gambel oak as a dominant species and <br />occurs as a dense stands of oakbrush clones in an almost continuous canopy. <br />The height of the oak vary from 2 ft to 15 ft. Serviceberry is a conspicuous <br />secondary shrub. Other shrubs include fendlerbush, squaw apple, bitterbrush <br />and big sagebrush. The understory is sparse consisting of grasses, sedges <br />and a variety of forb species. Within the study area this type occurred west <br />of East Roatcap creek and east of Stevens Gulch on deeper soils. <br />Mixed Shrub - The mixed shrub vegetation type occurs along the ecotone <br />between the pinyon-juniper and oakbrush vegetation types. It is <br />characterized by a mixture of species from both types. Within the study <br />area, this type occurs on the east and west facing exposures of the ridge <br />west of Stevens Gulch. Dense stands of Gambel oak interspersed with Utah <br />Serviceberry and snowberry is typical. Utah juniper, squawapple, fendlerbush <br />and antelope bitterbrush occur in scattered patches on the shallow soils. <br />Dominant herbaceous species include Louisiana sage, stiff goldenrod, and <br />. mountain pepperweed. <br />Pinyon-Juniper - This type can be recognized by the presence of pinyon <br />and juniper trees scattered throughout the landscape in an open canopy <br />fashion. Locally, Utah juniper dominates over pinyon. Shrub species <br />dominate the understory of which Gambel oak, Utah Serviceberry, true <br />mountainmahogany and bitterbrush are most prevalent. Avery sparse weedy <br />herbaceous understory is present within the type. More prevalent species <br />include cheatgrass, Richardson tansymustard and bedstraw. <br />Riparian - The riparian type occurs as narrow bands along the <br />intermittent stream courses of both East Roatcap and Stevens Gulch creeks. <br />Narrowleaf cottonwoods are the mast conspicuous species present but does not <br />occur as a continuous canopy. <br />3.2 Species <br />A total of 62 species were observed during the inventory. Of these, <br />13 were grasses, 1 grasslike, 32 fortis, 1 succulent, 2 subshrubs, 9 shrubs, <br />and 3 trees (Table 2). <br />Weeds - A total of 11 species observed at the study area are <br />considered to be weedy species in Colorado (Thornton et al., 1974). They <br />have been indicated in Table 2. <br />• Threatened or Endangered Species - A review of the literature suggests <br />that two giant species known to occur in Delta County are either considered <br />threatened, endangered or under review fora determination of status (Federal <br />4 <br />