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<br />d~ov0.(~0
<br />07 ~~~~ ~~1~r,r.~co i~~~wty j~~Cr~
<br />~roon of the Hatt undersgetation in ~
<br />ye s is .about 50 ounds of air- v etati per
<br />Th unit is d eztens ely wint r i[at for
<br />er a c mm habitat f manv I nimals2
<br />is well~rited toys production pinyon and
<br />Chris as es. Be se of the tee ess o lope, only
<br />the fo ~ op rid s genera are access le for
<br />ha sti g of es. Thin ' g th r on and juni r trees
<br />ed.'F6 is in Rnyon-Juniper woodland site.
<br />+~~Re:ntsae-Moyerson-Rock outcrop complex, 6
<br />.tQ:~¢. jlOrcent slopes! This map unit is on foothills and
<br />ridges. Areas are irregular in shape and are 160 to 5,000
<br />acres in :•ize. The native vegetation is mainly pinyon and
<br />juniper trees with an understory of shrubs and grasses.
<br />Elevation is 5,600 to 7,200 feet. The average annual
<br />precipitation is 13 to 16 inches, the average annual air
<br />temperature is 42 to 45 degrees F, and the average
<br />frost-free period is 75 to 105 days.
<br />This unit is 40 percent Rentsac channery loam that
<br />has slopes of 5 to 50 percent, 25 percent Moyerson
<br />stony clay loam that has slopes of 15 to 65 percent, and
<br />20 percent Rock outcrop that has slopes of 5 to 65
<br />percent. The Moyerson soil is mainly in the lower lying
<br />areas of the unit. The components of this unit are so
<br />intricately intermingled that it was not practical to map
<br />them separately at the scale used.
<br />Included in this unit are small areas of Blazon
<br />channery clay loam, Bulkley channery silty clay loam,
<br />Dollard sihy clay loam, Redcreek sandy loam, and
<br />Yamac loam. Also included are small areas of soils that
<br />are similar to the Rentsac and Moyerson soils but are
<br />moderatel~r deep to sandstone or shale. Included areas
<br />make up about 15 percent of the total acreage. The
<br />percentage varies from one area to another.
<br />The Rentsac soil is shallow and well drained. It formed
<br />in residuum derived dominantly from sandstone.
<br />Typically, the surface layer is grayish brown channery
<br />loam about 5 inches thick. The next layer is brown very
<br />channery I~~am about 4 inches thick. The underlying
<br />material is very pale brown extremely flaggy loam 7
<br />inches thick. Sandstone is at a depth of 16 inches.
<br />Depth to sandstone ranges from 10 to 20 inches. In
<br />some areas the surface layer is quite variable in texture.
<br />Permeability of the Rentsac soil is moderately rapid.
<br />Available Hater capacity is very low. Effective rooting
<br />depth is 1C to 20 inches. Runoff is medium, and the
<br />hazard of water erosion is moderate to very high.
<br />The Moyerson soil is shallow and well drained. It
<br />formed in residuum derived dominantly from shale.
<br />Typically, the surtace Payer is light gray stony clay loam
<br />about 2 inches thick. The next layer is gray clay loam
<br />about 8 inches thick. The underlying material is gray clay
<br />Soil survey
<br />7 inches thick. Shale is at a depth of 17 inches. Depth to
<br />shale ranges from 10 to 20 inches. In some areas the
<br />surface layer is silty clay loam, silty clay, light clay, or
<br />bouldery clay loam.
<br />Permeability of the Moyerson soil is slow. Available
<br />water capacity is low. Effective rooting depth is 10 to 20
<br />inches. Runoff is medium to rapid, and the hazard of
<br />water erosion is very high.
<br />Rock outcrop consists of ridge caps, ridge points, and
<br />long vertical bluffs 3 to 25 feet thick and 25 to 1,500 feet,
<br />long.
<br />Most areas of this unit are used for livestock grazing,
<br />woodland, and wildlife habitat. A few areas are used for
<br />coal mining and natural gas production.
<br />The potential plant community on the Rentsac soil is
<br />mainly pinyon and juniper trees with a sparse understory
<br />of Indian ricegrass, beardlass wheatyrass,
<br />mountainmahogany, big sagebrush, prairie juegrass,
<br />and bitterbrush. The potential plant community on the
<br />Moyerson soil is mainly Salina wildrye, shadscale,
<br />Sandberg bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, galleta. and
<br />bottlebrush squirreltail. The production of forage is
<br />limited by low precipitation, restricted rooting depth, and
<br />steepness of sfope. The potential production of the
<br />native understory vegetation in normal years is about
<br />600 pounds of air-dry vegetation per acre.
<br />If the range is overgrazed, the proportion of preferred
<br />forage plants decreases and the proportion of less
<br />preferred forage plants increases. Therefore, livestock
<br />grazing should be managed so that the desired balance
<br />of preferred species is maintained in the plant
<br />community.
<br />Management practices suitable for use on this soil are
<br />proper range use, deferred grazing, rotation grazing, and
<br />brush management. Seeding is not advisable because of
<br />stones on the surface, steepness of slope, low
<br />precipitation, and shallow rooting depth.
<br />Slope limits access by livestock and results in
<br />overgrazing of the less sloping areas. Trails or walkways
<br />can be constructed in places to encourage livestock to
<br />graze in areas where access is limited. Grazing should
<br />be delayed until the soil is firm and the more desirable
<br />forage plants have achieved sufficient growth to
<br />withstand grazing pressure.
<br />The Rentsac soil is well suited to the production of
<br />pinyon and juniper for use as firewood, fenceposls, and
<br />Christmas trees. Because of the steepness of slope, only
<br />the foot slopes and ridges generally are accessible for
<br />harvesting of trees. Thinning the pinyon and juniper trees •
<br />increases the production of understory forage plants.
<br />This unit is used extensively as winter range for mule
<br />deer and some elk.
<br />This unit is poorly suited to urban development. The
<br />main limitations are steepness of slope and the shallow
<br />depth to bedrock.
<br />This map unit is in capability subclass Vlle,
<br />nonirrigated. The Rentsac soil is in Pinyon-Juniper
<br />woodland site, and the Moyerson soil is in Clayey Slopes
<br />range site.
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