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<br />UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />Soll Conservation Service, Colorado <br />Technical Guide RANGE SITE N0. 287 • <br />Section II E Field Office <br />_ August 1975 <br />RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br />for <br />STONY FOOTH 1 LLS r v,rl,.~t~. ~i <br />Land Resource Area: Central Desertic Basins, Mountains, <br />and Plateaus (34) <br />Southern Rocky Mountains (48) <br />A. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />1. Physiagraphic Features <br />i~ <br />Rough rocky breaks in foothills and mesa country on steep slopes, <br />generally between 15 to 65$. At higher elevations the site <br />occupies south and west exposures. AC lower elevations it occurs <br />on n:.irth and east exposures. Elevation ranges from 5500 to 7500 <br />feet above sea level. <br />2. Climatic Features <br />Annual precipitation averages from 12 to 15 inches. Slightly more <br />than half of the moisture falls between April 1 and September 30. <br />Months receiving the highest precipitation are July, August, and <br />September. Growing season extends from April through the end of <br />September. <br />• <br />June is usually the most drouthy month. Cool season grasses are <br />favored.~and make their best growth following the spring thaw (about <br />April) when available moisture is greatest. These plants again~[ake <br />advantage of'late summer moisture if they are in healthy condition. <br />~j. Native (potential) Vegetation <br />This site is a grassland plant community with small amounts of shrubs, <br />pinyon pine, and Utah juniper. Grasses such as Indian ricegrass, <br />native bunch bluegrasses, needle-and-thread, galleta, blue grams, <br />Junegrass, squirreitail, and whea[grasses make up the major part of <br />the plant cover. Pinyon and juniper are generally present. Browse <br />plants include big sage, mountain mahogany, serviceberry, Mormon tea, <br />and bitterbrush. Many of the fortis such as daisies, asters, eriogonums, <br />stemless goldenweed, phlox, penstemon, and herbaceous sage are asso- <br />ciated i~ the composition. Sites having ten percent or more crown <br />- canopy of pinyon and/or juniper are woodland. sites. <br />