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Climate <br /> Average annual precipitation is 30 inches primarily in the form of snowfall . <br /> Regionally the area is characterized by an intermountain climate regime. <br /> Prevailing winds are from the west and the average growing season averages 40 <br /> days. <br /> Vegetation <br /> The Coal Basin Mine site is typified by three vegetation types. The first <br /> type is an aspen (Populus tremuloides) vegetation type that interarades into a <br /> subalpine fir/spruce ies a—1 s ocarpa/Picea englemannii ) community. The aspen <br /> vegetation community is equally minate�5-y grasses and forbs. Dominant <br /> araminoid species include blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus) , Kentucky bluegrass <br /> (Poa pratensis), orchard grass (Dactylis aTomera a) and Timothy (Phleum <br /> pra ense erbaceous species inc u e alf cone flower (Rudbeckia al-ci eata) , <br /> groun sel (Senecio sp. ), white clover (Trifolium repens monumenTp and <br /> (Frasera sp-ec-fo-s-57 heartleaf arnica (Arnica cor i o is , and yarrow (Achillea <br /> lan�oua)�esf-ern snowberry (Symphori ac rpus occi en alis) is the dominan <br /> woo y plant component in the un ers ory, er woody p ants include currant <br /> (Ribes lacustre) . Dominant understory species within the spruce/fir "islands" <br /> con ain a�igfier percentage of herbaceous species to graminoid species. <br /> Included are sedges (Carex sp. ), bluegrasses (Poa sp. ), slender wheatarass <br /> (Agropyron trachycaulum , alpine avens (AcomassyTis rossii ) , aster (Aster <br /> engeTma nin i ), flea ane(Erigeron sp. ), goldenray iguTaria soldanelTa-T; <br /> mea owrue Thalictrum alpinum , and Porter's lovage igus icum oor eri ). <br /> The second vegetation type is a mountain shrub community dominated by western <br /> snowberry, serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) , chokecherry (Prunus <br /> americana) and Gambel 's oak uercus -ga—mFe-ri-F This highly variable community <br /> a�derstory dominated by en ucky bluegrass, Englemann aster, common <br /> lupine (Lupinus argenteus), and yarrow. Other species include big bluegrass <br /> (Poa amp a s en eur w-Featgrass, aspen peavine (Lathyrus leucanthus), American <br /> vetch icia americans) and northern bedstraw (GaTTi m bores e) to name a few. <br /> A meadow vegetation type is the third community encountered on site. The <br /> dominant life form is perennial graminoid including Kentucky bluegrass, <br /> Timothy, orchardarass, tufted hairgrass (Dechampsia caespitosa) and sedges. <br /> The most dominant forb is common dandelion araxacum o icinale) . Other <br /> forbs present include cinquefoil (Potentilla verse o is) , while clover, <br /> black medic (Medicago lupulina), an yu arrow. Woody p an s are sparse yet <br /> include rubbery ra3FlTb-r s rysothmnus nauseosus) , douglas rabbitbrush (C. <br /> viscidiflorus), and western snowberry.— <br /> X-8 <br />