2001-12-11_PERMIT FILE - C1981038A

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Register 1980). These are the hookless cactus (Sclerocatus lg aucus) and the clay-loving buckwheat (Eriogonum pelinophilum). he h~ ookless cactus is known to occur in the western part of Delta County on dry alkaline hills with many • rocks. It is listed as threatened species occurring at about 5000 ft (U.S. Fish and Wildlife, 1978). The clay-loving buckwheat occurs west of Hotchkiss. on gumbo clay hills. Its status is currently under review. Neither species was observed within the study area nor were any suitable habitats for their occurrence observed. 3.3 Data Analysis Cover Data -Total vegetative canopy cover within the oakbrush type was 70.4 percent. Of this, 42.5 percent were shrubs, 28.6 percent were perennial forbs, and 19.9 percent were grasses. Kentucky bluegrass was the major grass species while major shrubs included Gambel oak, and western snowberry (Table 3). Within the mixed shrub type, total vegetative cover 68.5 percent. Grasses had a total species cover of 5.2 percent of which bottlebrush squirreltail was the dominant grass species contributing 3.4 percent. Forb species had a total species cover of 15.9 percent. Shrubs had a total species cover of 60.3 percent of which Utah serviceberry had 36.8 percent, western snowberry had 11.9 percent and Gambel oak had 9.4 percent (Table 4~ Production Data - Production of the herbaceous understory in the oakbrush was very sparse with 43.4 gms/sq.m. (387 lbs/ac). Of this, 17.2 gms/sq.m. (153 lbs/ac) were perennial grasses, and 18,7 gms/sq.m. (1671bs/ac) were perennial forbs (Table 5). • Within the mixed shrub type, total production was somewhat lower than the oakbrush type with 27,7 gms/sq.m, (247 lbs/ac). Of this, 4.1 gms/sq.m. (37 lbs/ac) were produced by perennial grasses while perennial forb species contributed 19 gms/sq.m. (169 lbs/ac) (Table 6). Density Data - Shrub density within the oakbrush type was 33.4 shrubs per 10 sq. m. (13,516 shrubs per acre) (Table 7}, Of this, 18.4 shrubs per 10 sq.m. (7,525 shrubs per acre) were western snowberry, and 12.9 shrubs per 10 sq.m. (7,444 shrubs per acre) were Gambel oak (Table 7). Within the mixed shrub type, shrub density was 47.6 shrubs per 10 sq.m. (19,258 shrubs per acre). Of these, 24.1 shrubs per 10 sq.m. (9750 shrubs per acre) were Utah serviceberry, and 19.5 shrubs per 10 sq.m. (7,890 shrubs per acre) were western snowberry (Table 8). Sample Adequacy - Table 9 presents a summary of sample adequacy for the 1986 inventory data. An adequate sample or maximum number of samples were obtained for cover and production data in all types. 3.4 Livestock Carrying Capacity Average herbaceous production in the oakbrush type was 387 lbs/acre oven dry forage. Converting oven to air dry forage by a factor of 1.11, yields 430 lbs/acre available herbaceous air dry forage. Assuming a 50 per cent utilization factor and 900 lbs/acre cattle animal unit or 150 sheep animal • unit, the cattle carrying capacity was 0.24. AU M's per acre and sheep carrying capacity was 1.4 AU M's per acre. 5