2011-08-29_REVISION - M1986015 (11)

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• Riparian Forest along the base. Most of this unit contains very little vegetation due to its very steep slopes composed mostly of shale or sandy shale rock outcrops. Agricultural Crop: Primarily on the south side of the river south of the main mining area, the land between the Riparian Forest and the River Bluff is farmed. This appears to only occur where there is a good deal of river channel stability and a protective barrier of Riparian Forest between the farmland and the river. These lands appear to be highly productive. Domestic: This and the next unit refer to a spectrum of vegetation units associated with human habitation. This unit refers to lands where houses are more widely spaced in a semi -rural setting. The yards are often very large, sometimes associated with small truck farms or large gardens. The vegetation is extremely variable ranging from flower beds to natural vegetation composed of grasses, shrubs, and some trees. Residential Domestic: This unit is similar to the previous unit except that it is associated with more dense housing as in housing developments. The yards are small to medium size, primarily composed of landscape plants and various other domestic features associated with human habitation in a more urban setting. Roadside: The roadsides, as expected, contain extremely variable vegetation. Deep, enclosed swales may be dominated by wetland species such as bullrushes, sedges, and cattails. Higher roadside slopes may have grasses and legumes typical of roadside plantings. Other locations may have little growth at all or just a few weeds. Industrial: For all practical purposes, these industrial areas are virtually devoid of vegetation. However, they do often contain scattered patches of weeds, and sometimes noxious species. These industrial locations, if poorly kept, can often be the source of pest plants that invade many other units. Due to floodplain restrictions, these sites are rarely within the 100 year floodplain and if they do extend into that area it is because they are very old. Old Mining: This site has a long history of mining, predating the law by many years or even decades. Where mining disturbances occur, a wide variety of vegetation units develop. In some areas where the growth medium is highly inadequate, these sites, even when in the bottomland, look very similar to the Industrial unit described above. Depressions that contain water may develop into wetlands with extensive cattail marshes and shorelines dominated by the undesirable Russian olive. In some cases, cottonwoods manage to invade and survive the onslaught of Russian olive, but that appears to be rare. Deep, shaded holes may contain deep water and due to the lack of sun exposure may support some interesting aquatic species. This unit is highly variable and can contain the elements of many other units, but where no repair was effected the vegetation forms a more or less randomized mosaic composed primarily of weedy annuals and perennials characteristic of severely disrupted growth environments. 4