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slopes and aspects within the permit area. Generally, the areas with decreased soil moisture <br />and shallower soils will tend towards elements of the sagebrush community in a diverse <br />transition area. <br />For further details on soil/moisture relationships refer to Figure 1, Environmental <br />GradiendPlant Tolerance Graph. <br />Juniper Community <br />Within the permit area the juniper community is limited to the area around Mount Streeter <br />and the bluffs along the lower portion of Taylor Creek and Goodspring Creek. The <br />community is dominated by an open overstory of U[ah juniper (Juniperus utahensis), rarely <br />over 15 feet tall, with big sagebrush as a major associate. <br />The open understory contains a sparse population of grasses and fortis with the major species <br />being Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron <br />spicatum), prickly pear cactus (Opuntia polycantha), and lupine. <br />According to the 1975 USDI, BLM, EMRIA Tavlor Creek Studv, the herbaceous cover for <br />the juniper community was determined to be 1.6 percent. <br />Overall, the productivity of the juniper community is low due to the combined effects of <br />shallow to rocky soils, southerly aspect and steep, highly erodible slopes. Productivity, as <br />determined by the BLM is .036 AUM's per acre for the juniper type in this area. <br />Only a limited amount of this vegetation community was disturbed mainly for material to be <br />crushed for pit haul road use during the initial permit term. <br />Aspen Woodland Community <br />The aspen community is very limited within the permit area comprising less than to of the <br />area to be mined. Groves of aspen occur within the upper reaches of Streeter and Taylor <br />Creek watersheds in locations where snow melt continues to provide moisture later in the <br />spring. <br />• <br />2.04.1 D-14 <br />