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45 <br /> <br />I although it is divided by deeply cut draws. Tract 14 combines aspects <br /> of both terrain types; the northern portion is gently sloping into the <br />Yampa River valley, while the southern part is rugged, steep, and heavily <br />dissected by gulches and gulleys. <br />The drier climate of these more westerly tracts is reflected by <br />differences in the vegetation. While Gamble's oak is still found, it is <br />less common, growing in small, isolated clumps rather than in extensive <br />stands. Aspen trees were observed only in a few isolated stands in the <br />wetter areas of Tract 14. Other vegetative types that require consid- <br />erable amounts of water contributed to the greater variety of vegetative <br />types present in Tract 14 as compared to Tracts 8 and 13. The drier <br />climate, conversely, does promote major stands of juniper and xerophytic <br />vegetation. For the most part, vegetation is limited to sage and grasses, <br />~• with fortis and low shrub growth occurring in patches. <br />Consistent with the terrain and moisture conditions, little cultiva- <br />tion is present in these three tracts. The northern part of Tract 14 has <br />been cultivated, and also portions of Tract 8 at the crest of Iles Moun- <br />tain. The bulk of Tract 8 is utilized as grazing land, and thus has suf- <br />fered little in the way of disturbance from cultivation. <br />Portion Surveyed <br />Since little of the area in these tracts has been cultivated and <br />vegetation presented much less of a barrier to surveying, the main cri- <br />terion in determining suitability for survey was slope (Tables 8-10). <br />Aspect should have been an important factor, but, as almost all of Tract <br />8 is north-facing, elimination on these grounds would have almost com- <br />• pletely precluded survey. <br />