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May Day and Idaho Mine Complex 112 (d) Permit Application <br />significant change. However, the riparian vegetation type may be related more to slope than ele- <br />• vation. <br />Vegetation type is significantly related to topographic slope mainly within the riparian zone. <br />Other than the riparian zone, the slope within the permit area is consistently between 30 to 35 <br />degrees. Within the riparian zone, the slope is relatively flat (less than 5 degrees) allowing soil <br />moisture retention and development of a deeper soil horizon. The vegetation shifts to being dom- <br />inated by cottonwood and willow species with an understory of berry-bearing shrubs and mois- <br />ture tolerant grasses and herbs. <br />Vegetation type is loosely related to topographic orientation across the entire permit area. In <br />general, south to southeast facing slopes are hotter and drier and support the deciduous vegeta- <br />tion types of mountain shrub mix (dominated by gambel oak) and the aspen forest and mountain <br />shrub mix. The north to northwest facing slopes are oriented away from the sun and remain cold- <br />er and retain moisture longer resulting in higher dominance by mixed coniferous forest. The <br />mixed deciduous and coniferous forest tends to occupy transition zones. The forest riparian vege- <br />tation type grows in a relatively flat orientation along the La Plata River and in thin strips along <br />drainage depressions of Little Deadwood Creek. <br />0 <br /> <br />May Day Idaho Mine Complex 112(d) Permit Application <br />September 21, 2010