2001-12-11_PERMIT FILE - C1980005 ‎(5)‎

• Permit No: C1980005
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 12/11/2001
• Section_Exhibit Name: TAB 10 BASELINE VEGETATION STUDIES
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

MIS BRUSH TYPE/ASPIN SUBTYPE
l . The mixed brush type/aspen subtype vegetation type within the affected
area occupies 1762 acres or 83.0% of the total undisturbed lands in the
study area. It is predom;nant on all slopes and aspects in the study
area except for the drier slopes in the southwestern section of the
permit area. It was the frost diverse vegetation type studied with 38
different species encountered in cover quadrats and a species diversity
index of 2.72. The type is characterized by the presence of five shrub
species, Utah servioeberry, comcron chokecherry, Gambel oak and Basin
big sagebrush distributed in a roughly-clw~ed fashion throughout
continuous stands of nuuntain snowberry. Aspen stands were intermingled
within the type along draws and other areas of high soil moisture at
the upper elevations of the study site. For the purpose of evaluating
vegetation cover, frequency, productivity and shrub density, aspen is
considered as part of the mixed brush type/aspen subtype. Tree density,
age and basal area and shrub height estimates are described separately
for aspen.
Of the five shrub species, snowberry provided the greatest cover with
2.0% basal and 14.9% canopy cover (37% relative shrub canopy cover).
It occurred in 45 of the 58 cover quadrats surveyed and was by far the
shrub species frost comrronly encountered (77.5% frequency). Of the other
four shrub species, chokecherry and Gambel oak evidenced the highest
basal Dover (0.3°s) while Garnbel oak shoc•n~3 the highest canopy cover
(7.5%). Relative to the upland sagebrush vegetation type, total shrub
basal cover was lower (2.8% cocrq~ared to 4.0%) although canopy cover was
much higher (39.9% vs 16.9x).
Total vegetation basal cover was 15.9% and was dominated by the grass
and forb strata (7.2 and 5.8%, respectively as compared to 2.8o for
shrubs). The most com~ron grass soecies encountered were Poa pratensis
(Kentucky bluegrass), 3.8% Dover and 39.7% frequency, and Agropyron
trachycaulum (slender wheatgrass), 2,1% mover and 32.8% fraguency.
Cormbn forb species included Achillea millefolium (crorrcron yarrow),
~• 1.20 Dover and 31e frequency, Agastache urticifolia (nettle leaf
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