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3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION <br /> 3.1 Description of Vegetation <br /> The three plant community types quantitatively sampled at the Coal <br /> Basin study site were ASoen Woodland, Aspen Shrubland, and Spruce/Fir <br /> Parkland. <br /> 3.1.1 Aspen Woodland <br /> Aspen Woodland was dominated by a closed canopy (63 percent cover) <br /> of Quaking Aspen with a predominantly herbaceous understory. Aspen Woodlands <br /> occupied a broad ecological range within the study area but were most common <br /> on the crests and flanks of east-west ridges along drainages, between about <br /> 9,000 and 10,000 ft. The presence of scattered conifer seedlings suggests <br /> that this type is successional to coniferous forests, although apparently <br /> over very long periods. <br /> Total vegetation canopy cover in this type was 88 percent , with <br /> only 5 percent contributed by shrubs, chiefly Mountain Snowberry S.4mph.v"u- <br /> ca,zpv,j v zeoph.i,l . <br /> Grasses and grasslike plants (graminoids) added 5 percent cover , <br /> with most of that contributed by two species, Elk Sedge Cctex �c.eue/U'_ and <br /> Blue Wi I d r y e CLymuj (�,iaucu". <br /> Forbs were abundant, constituting 15 percent cover, and were <br /> dom i nated by Porter Lovage Ligu� j-tLcum po2tierr.L, Wh i tef I ower Peav i ne LatAyAuj <br /> -leucanthu 4, Fend I er Meadow-rue 1 hcact,zurm ,_'erzd)_e/L , Fern I eaf Lovage L�gudtLc_um <br /> 4jjcurum, and Anise Sweetrocts 04molL�43a depaape2ata and 0. vcci..dentaZi�j. <br /> Cover data for Aspen Woodland are presented in Table 1. A repre- <br /> sentative stand is depicted in Figure 4. <br /> Mean production in Aspen Woodland communities was 67.9 g/m2, <br /> with 60 percent (40.8 g/m2) contributed by graminoids, especially Elk Sedge <br /> (24.7 g/m2) . Prominent forbs were Porter Lovage (2.5 g/m2) , Bracken Fern <br /> (2.3 g/m2) , and Whiteflower Peavine (1.9 g/m2) . Production data are presenred <br /> in Table 2. <br /> Shruos were present in densities of 9,584/ha at the Aspen Noodland <br /> affected area sample sites. Thirteen shrubs were present , but five species-- <br /> Mountain Snowberry, Myrtle B I ueoerry V¢ccinLum mr�z.ti.LLu�, Sery i ceperry <br /> �metien�tzie2 cani_,°o%La, Chokecherry ',zun_u�j vi,zgi_ zanc var . rmetianvcaz;oc, and <br /> Woods Rose %?vja c000G4 L ccmbined for 94 percent of the rotaI . Mountain <br /> Snewberry alone provided over 51 percenr . !Mean shrub heieht was 51 cm. <br /> Aspen in the affected areas averaged 13 m tali and 17 cm in diameter ; tree <br /> density ,aas 1 ,591/1na. Ncody plant dara are presented in Table <br /> -8- <br />