Laserfiche WebLink
• west, and possible subirrigation via cliff-collected runoff percolated through coarse colluvium <br /> at the base of the cliff. The Sagebrush Reference Area likewise has certain characteristics that <br /> make the overall environment atypically moist. It is located on a moderately steep north-facing <br /> slope ;the resulting low angle of exposure to sun reduces evapotranspiration and causes an <br /> overall moister environment than is the case when more direct exposure to the sun is present. <br /> The dominance of sheep fescue on this slope attests to the presence of atypically moist conditions. <br /> Together with the lack the grazing in recent years, the extra moisture associated with the <br /> north-facing exposure may explain why the herbaceous component of this stand is exceptionally <br /> well-developed. <br /> Production <br /> Only the herbaceous component was sampled for annual production in both the reclaimed and <br /> reference areas. Because the reference areas are both dominated by woody plants, the <br /> herbaceous component of production is small and is greatly exceeded by the production of the <br /> reclaimed areas where woody plants comprise only a small amount of total vegetation <br /> composition. Whether or not the large annual production of the reclaimed areas equals or <br /> • exceeds the total (woody plus herbaceous) annual production of the reference areas is unknown. <br /> The abundant herbaceous production of the reclaimed areas does provide a significant grazing <br /> resource. Since, for the most part, woody species, especially old grwoth, offers little that <br /> grazing animals find palatable, the reclaimed areas as thay presently exist are probably more <br /> closely compatable with the objectives of livestock growers, and may be more comaptible with <br /> the needs of wild ungulate grazers such as elk. The latter apparently find the production of the <br /> reclaimed areas much to their liking as evidenced by mine personnel accounts of their abundance <br /> especially during the winter and by the abundance of their scat throughout many parts of the <br /> reclamation. Deer are commonly present in the reclamation as well. <br /> The usefulness of reclaimed area production can be assesed by determining the proper livestock <br /> stocking rates based on measured biomass production. The estimated staocking rates for the <br /> reclaimed and reference areas are as follows: <br /> Reclaimed Unit AUM's/ acre <br /> • B 0.8 <br /> 13 <br />