| OCR Text |
Show PART II NATURE, USE AND MANAGEMENT OF WATERSHED LAND Good vegetal cover vital for watershed protection Mention of a few of the implications of the major existing biotic communities will help us understand the correlation between vegetation and watershed management. Alpine plant communities due to their deli- cate ecological balance, function primarily for soil protection and water production and as an opportunity for a visually aesthetic experi- ence. Contrasted with the fragility of the alpine community is the stability of the forest association. Here manipulation of the plant community is more successful as long as all ecological factors are taken into account. The major present products of the forest are recreation, forage for livestock and wild game, commercial timber and water. The range plant communities are for the most part stable; however, areas of extremely low rainfall are slow to recover following disturbance. The major use of rangeland vegetation is for forage production, however , it additionally serves as a vital protective cover of the soil against wind and water erosion. The figure on the following page shows the vegetal cover of the land by ownership and administrative status. A full discussion of vegetal cover and maps of vegetal cover types can be found in AppencLix VI, Land Resources and Use. |
