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USDA, Soil Conservation Service <br />Section II -E <br />A. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS <br />1. Physiographic Features <br />UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br />SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE <br />, COLORADO FIELD OFFICE <br />SEMIDESERT LOAM #325 <br />RANGE SITE DESCRIPTION <br />MLRA - 35 <br />April 1981 <br />This site occurs on gently sloping mesas, benches, alluvial fans, <br />toe slopes and valley bottoms. Slopes range from 1 to 30 percent. <br />Elevation ranges from 5000 to 6500 feet (1524 to 1982 meters). <br />2. Climatic Features <br />a. Annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches (25 to 36 <br />centimeters). About 60 percent of the precipitation occurs <br />between April through September which causes warm season plants <br />to be part of the composition. Summer thundershowers are common <br />in July and August. May and June are the driest months. Year- <br />long temperatures average about 48 ° F (9 ° C). <br />b. Plant growth begins late March to early April. Cool season <br />plants start a dormancy period during June. When.late summer <br />and fall rains occur, warm season plants accelerate growth and <br />some regrowth occurs on cool season species. Shrub species <br />continue growth through the growing season. The frost -free <br />period varies from 110 to 135 days. <br />3. Native (potential) Vegetation <br />The aspect of this site is a mixed grass -shrub community. Grasses <br />make up 50 to 60 percent, while forbs are 5 to 10 percent and shrubs <br />25 to 30 percent, air -dry weight. <br />Galleta, New Mexico needlegrass, blue grama, Indian ricegrass, and <br />bottlebrush squirreltail are the major grasses. Forbs are a minor <br />part of the plant community with scarlet globemallow and plains <br />pricklypear most often present. Wyoming big sagebrush is the <br />dominant shrub. Fourwing saltbush is abundant in certain areas. <br />