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The Black S ebrush Shrubland, then, may be slowly succes— <br /> sional to Pinyon/Junipe Woodland. The tall shrubs present in the <br /> Pinyon/Juniper Woodland re also mostly absent in Black Sagebrush areas <br /> except in the deep drai I <br /> �ges where pinyon and juniper trees are also <br /> present. <br /> Black sageb sh is the major shrub present , but there are <br /> scattered individuals of green ephedra, broom snakeweed, and shadscale <br /> also present. Although nutton bluegrass is the major grass as in <br /> Pinyon/Juniper Woodland , galleta is also present with moderate cover as <br /> is slender wheatgrass. Moss hummocks are locally conspicuous. The major <br /> moss present is l ortu-la cf. •iuza i�j. <br /> 3.2.5 Riparian Sh ubland <br /> Although highly constricted, a Riparian Shrubland community <br /> can be identified in an immediately adjacent to the drainage. The <br /> majority of the vegetation present is in the life form of tall shrubs. <br /> Major species present a ',e big sagebrush, black greasewood, rubber <br /> rabbitbrush ChIzyjothcunnv 11 nau4eo4uj, and salt cedar %amafu x aamo�l�jima. <br /> Also conspicuously present are rock spirea Na-Cadijcu-i dumoAuj, singleleaf <br /> ash, antelope b i tterbru h, Fremont barberry Mahonia fAemvnti.i , and <br /> corymbed wildbuckwheat. Climbing up through many of these shrubs is <br /> western virgin's—bower llerna•tij •Ciguj•tic_i fa Ua. Occurring very sporadically <br /> and nowhere forming a c htinuous overstory are plains cottonwoods. <br /> As frequently happens in western Colorado riparian areas, <br /> livestock have concentr Ited their activities in these areas. Because <br /> of this herbivore activity, there has been decimation of the native <br /> ground cover followed b ' replacement with annual species, primarily <br /> cheatgrass. Loss of th perennial herbaceous cover in these riparian <br /> habitats has resulted in extensive erosion. The primitive road up Coal <br /> Canyon is mainly confined to the riparian habitat; this road has furthered <br /> the decline in overall vegetational condition in the riparian vegetation <br /> type. <br /> 3.2.6 Salina Wild ye Grassland <br /> The Salina Nildrye Grassland vegetation type is very limited <br /> in area, confined mainly to the very steep northeast—facing slopes of <br /> several ridges located i ediately adjacent to the riparian vegetation <br /> type. On these sites, the vegetational cover is relatively high and <br /> consists almost entirely of Salina wildrye. The heavy grass cover may <br /> have survived the overgriazing of surrounding areas because of relative <br /> inaccessibility on the steep slopes. <br /> 3.3 PLANT SPECIES LIST <br /> A total of 103 vascular plant species were identified in the permit <br /> area during the 1981 gr I ing season. These include 3 trees, 29 shrubs, <br /> —13— <br />