1987-12-01_PERMIT FILE - C1981017 (245)

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• Highest elevations in the study area ( i .e. , above. tree limit ) supported two distinct tundra community types: Alpine Fellfield, dominated by low cushion plants; and Alpine Medow, dominated by graminoids, particularly Tufted Ha i rgrass De4c-hcnpAia caej o..toAa and Spike Tr i setum I.zii jetum �picatum. The meadow areas appeared to represent more mesic conditions, such as snow accumulation sites. West of Huntsman Ridge, tundra communities, especially Alpine Meadow, occasionally extended as low as 10,500 ft. 3.1.5 Access Corridor The Coal Basin Mines are served by an access road approximately 3.8 miles long between Colorado Highway 133 at Redstone and the Coal Basin Mine office and shop area. This road follows the original (circa 1900) railway corridor and has essentially remained unaltered, except for paving, since before 1950. Proposed postmining use of the study area includes con- tinued use of the roadway for high country access. Vegetation types along the corridor were quantified by their linear interception with the road. Vegetation Type Upslope Intercept ( ft ) Downslope Intercept ( ft ) Aspen 'Woodland 6,340 6,340 Aspen Shrubland 4,230 --- Riparian Forest --- 13,730 Douglas-fir Forest 3,170 --- • Ponderosa Pine Woodland 1,580 Exposed Sandstone Cliffs 4,750 Roadcuts along the access corridor often had a number of species typical of such areas. Especially common were Common Evening-primrose Oertot��ze,za 4:vZigoja, Scarlet Gi I i a .7pvmvpjid agg/zecata, Butter-and-eags L. /Aa/z. a vul,.a,7�, and Indian R i cegrass. 3.2 Plant Species Inventory A total of 239 vascular plant species were identified during the two growing seasons in which the Coal Basin Mines vegetation study was conducted. Dominance of lifeforms was: trees--9 species; shrubs and subshrubs--28 species; forbs--152 species; graminoids--50 species. The two best represented families were Compositae (Sunflower Family) , with 42 species or 18 percent , and Gramineae (Grass Family) with 38 species or 15 percent . Table 10 lists all plant species observed on the site. The vast majority of plants in the study area were native species which are typical for the region. Only fourteen were introduced species, including grasses widely used in reclamation or range improvement (e.g. , Smooth Brcme, Timothy, and a number of wheatgrasses) and aggressive weedy forbs ( e.a. , Common Dandelion, Common Plantain, and Prostrate Knotweed) . Two naturalized species-- Butter-and-eggs and Quac,tgrass--are listed as noxious weeds ,in Cclorade • (Thcrnton et al . 19/4) . -1J-