Laserfiche WebLink
1977). For ranges that are dominated by woody species, the amount artd availability of nutritious and <br />palatable herbaceous spades is signifcently reduced, affecting the forage available to livestock. The <br />grazing season at Seneca II runs from late spring to fall and during this period herbaceous species are <br />seleded by both sheep and cattle. <br />The spades seleded for inclusion in the pernanenl seed mines were nd only seleded for establishment of <br />a predominantly native, diverse, productive, self-sustaining community, but also to diversify dietary intake <br />and meet the nutrient requirements of livestock and wildlife during spring and summer (Cook, et al. 1977). <br />Wildlife can benefit from early green-up of herbaceous spades or use standing forage from these species as <br />an energy source when available in the winter {as evidenced by large elk herds on reclaimed areas in <br />winter). Inclusion of (orbs and shrubs in reclaimed areas and readily available adjacent undisturbed native <br />vegetation will provide ample opportunities for well-balanced diets for both livestodk and wildlife. Availability <br />of lands with a palatable herbaceous forage may aid in redudng wildlife impacts to regional agricuhural <br />fields, particularty haylands and stakiryards. Likewise, livestock will concentrate on the open reclaimed <br />areas redudng pressure on adjacent native habdat. <br />As detailed in the fogowing plan, seleded areas will receive supplemental shrub seeding or wig have shrubs <br />and trees planted. These areas will not be extensive, but will be oriented to enhance habitat and vegetative <br />diversity, mitigate the loss of cover in the larger mining blodks, provide edge in the reclaimed habitat, provitle <br />• a source of browse for wildlife, and establish areas where woody plants may regenerate or spread. Shrub <br />and tree plantings are aranged to provide travel ceridors for wildl'de where possible. <br />The reclaimed plant communities, with a high composition of herbaceous spades, will enhance the forage <br />diversity and habitat for wildlife by increasing the availability of succulent forages. Succulent forages are <br />high in digestible protein and digestible energy and may remain palatable and nutritious even after they have <br />completed their annual growth (Cook et al., 1977). Also, animal performance is related to the amount of <br />digestible energy and digestible protein in forages. This is espedally true for livestodk and big game nearthg <br />the end of the gestation cycle (spring), ana during lactation (spring through summer). The succulent <br />herbaceous forage in the reclaimed plant communities will provide nutrient levels that meet these increased <br />neetls for both livestock and big game better than woody dominated native vegetation. Again, the large <br />numbers of deer arrd elk present ort reclaimed areas at the Seneca II Mine appear to demonstrate the utility <br />of a herbaceous forage resource to big game. <br />Eady greening spring grasses contribute significantly to mule deer diets in the Rodky Mountain and <br />Intermountain regions (Willms and McLean, 1978). Yoakum and Dasmann (1971) also reported pregnant <br />does benefid diredty from the availability of green forages during the criticel eary spring period. If the winter <br />has been severe, the need for succulent and nutrtious spring forage is even more kxiticel. Big game sated <br />out those forages highest in nutritive quality when available and also those that are greening and succulent <br />• (Mereszczak et al., 1981 and Armstrong, 1975). To a lesser extent, these benefits will benefit other wildlife <br />species. <br />TR-37 13-5 Revised 04/05 <br />