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VESETAT!~N INFOP.MAT!ON n U cobbles. If the large cobbles were not present, the cover of the vegetation would probably be considerably greater. Species composition is similar to the lower grassland vegetation with the added ingredients of more yucca as well as the presence of Side-oats Grams and occasionally Little Blue Stem. The sages found in the lower elevation grasslands are more abundant on the slopes. But on the whole the vegetation is highly similar to the lower elevation grasslands and merges into the yucca dominated vegetation of the upper elevation grasslands. SHALE OU'CCROPS: Below the gravel exists various materials related to the • Pierre Shale. Vegetation on the shale dominated clay soils ranges from an excellent Blue Grams turf to non-existent. Cover can range from 0$ to nearly 1001, and such a difference can be found to occur over a distance of just a few feet. It appears that in those locations where the shale has been exposed but has not be extensively weathered exhibit the lowest cover values. Where weathering and vegetation growth has produced a higher degree organic matter and erosional damages have not occurred, the vegetation cover can be nearly solid. Species composition is highly diverse ranging from weeds to solid Blue Grams sod which appears to be practically a monoculture. From an ecological point of view, the vegetation variations in this area could be divided into perhaps a dozen different units which tend to intergrade with one another along various, complex gradients. TREES: On this site there are only 19 trees. The greatest number of trees are Ponderosa Pines. Most of these occur in one small grove located at the head of a wash and on the edge of a gravel terrace. This grove contains five trees. There are two other Ponderosas in a valley on the south end of the site. It is interesting that all of these trees are growing at an elevation of 5600' to 5625' • page 4 of 6 Exhibit J