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• 3.2.3 Caprock Phase, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland <br />The Caprock phase of Pinyon-Juniper Woodland occurs on the east- <br />facing slope along the major drainage in the permit area. Total affected <br />area of this vegetation unit is 18.0 acres. This vegetation unit is differen- <br />tiated from the remainder of the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland by an extensive sand- <br />stone ceprock which varies from large areas of bare, relatively unbroken rock <br />to areas of shallow rock fragments. Shrubs are less important in the Caprock <br />unit than in the Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. Herbaceous vegetation grows well <br />in cracks and crevices of rock, where runoff water collects. <br />Cover <br />Total absolute vegetation cover averages only 33.2 percent. Rock <br />cover is the dominant feature of the landscape, averaging 40.1 percent. Bare <br />soil and litter cover are moderate, with 14.1 and 12.6 percent, respectively. <br />Absolute cover by lifeform is as follows: trees-19.9 percent, shrubs and <br />subshrubs--4.1 percent, perennial forbs--4.0 percent, perennial graminoids-- <br />2.0 percent, annual graminoids-1.6 percent, annual forbs--0.8 percent, <br />succulents-0.6 percent, and cryptogams--0.2 percent (Table 11). <br />Trees provide over 50 percent relative cover. Utah juniper and <br />pinyon pine are codominants with 11.8 and 8.1 percent absolute cover, respec- <br />tively. <br />. Shrubs and subshrubs comprise 12.4 percent of the vegetation cover. <br />Common species are Gambel oak and true mountain mahogany with 2.2 and 1.5 <br />percent absolute cover, respectively. Other species include California brickel- <br />bush f(j2iche.[.l.iv cvli~Co~n.icol, shrub live oak (f~uezcua #u~b<rze.l.lv), and mountain <br />snowberry. <br />Perennial forb cover is moderate. Common species are hairy golden- <br />aster INete~vthecv vi!lvav) with 2.3 percent, Louisiana sage with 1.1 percent, <br />and James eriogonum 1~2ivavwm ~ome.~itl with 0.6 percent. Numerous other <br />species are present Dut do not contribute measurably to cover values. <br />Perennial graminoid cover is low; however, numerous species <br />contribute to cover. These are, in descending order, squirreltail, blue grams, <br />sun sedge (Ca.2ex he.livphilal, Indian ricegrass, mutton bluegrass, sand dropseed, <br />and red threeawn ll~2i ~#<da ~vrt9.l4P.ta1. <br />Annual graminoid cover comprises 7.0 percent relative cover. <br />Cheatgrass (l~tcmu~ tectvauml is the only species present, averaging 1.6 percent <br />absolute cover. <br />Annual forb cover is low, although numerous species occur in this <br />vegetation unit. Species contributing to cover are smaller alyssum IAL~~~um <br />mittu~l, spreading fleabane, and prairie pepperweed lLep<d<um den~i ~.~v2um1. <br />L~ <br />-12- <br />