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permit area with most stands being small and isolated. The largest contiguous stands are • <br />on the east side of the permit area. These aspen stands occupy about 170 acres within the <br />permit area . Extensive aspen stands are located on mesic sites on north, northeast, and <br />east-facing slopes in the upper portions of the Sage Creek and Hubberson Culch drainages <br />outside of the permit area. Aspen occupy similar sites within the permit area, but are <br />less extensive. Predominate understory within the aspen stands was limited to scattered <br />shrub and herbaceous vegetation species. In some of the more open areas within the aspen <br />stands, a dense understory composed primarily of snowberry, chokecherry, and serviceberry <br />w•3s often present. Atypical aspen stand as found on the Seneca II-W permit area is shown <br />as Figure 11-4, <br />Steep Mountain Brush. Within this type, which occupies approximately 336 acres within the <br />revised permit area, the extreme steepness of slopes often corresponds with the presence <br />of underlying resistant geologic material, usually sandstone. Soils are shallow and <br />d: oughty and the vegetation reflects this lack of surface moisture. Vegetation cover in <br />general is less, with relatively little development of Cambel's oak; when oak is present <br />i~: is usually dwarfed in stature. Serviceberry is the dominant along with mountain <br />mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus). Mountain big sagebrush may be present as scattered • <br />individuals, along with bitterbrush (Purshia tri dentata). Crass cover is typically sparse <br />w~i th mainly Montana wheatgrass, bl ue bunch wh eatgrass (Agropyron spicatum), and Indian <br />r~icegrass (Oryzopsis hyme noides). Forbs typical of open habitats such as double <br />b ladderpod (Phy sa ria acutifolia) and desert gro undsel (Senecia eremophilus) occur. <br />Western Wheatg ra ss/Alkali Sagebrush. Within this type (approximately 94.7 acres), the <br />unifying and controlling environmental factor is the presence of very heavy, although <br />o~Ften deep, soils that are penetrated very slowly by plant roots as well as air and water, <br />The most abundant and consistently present species of these sites is western Wheatg rass <br />(Agropyron smithii), whose ability to root through extremely heavy soils is well known. <br />Occurring along with it are a variety of what amounts to spring ephemeral species that <br />maximize growth during spring and are dormant during the summer when the heavy soils <br />become extremely dry and do not typically recharge from summer precipitation. These <br />species include wild onion (Allium acuminatum), Pacific aster (Aster chilen si s), timber <br />m~i lkvetch (Astragalus miser), arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), one-flower <br />woodsunflower (Helianthella uni flora), holly-leaf clover (Trifolium gymnoca rpon), and • <br />mules ear (W ethic amplexicaulis). The latter can form large monocultures that seem to <br />4 <br />