Figure 3—Morrison Biome, looking west. Central Ridge is the Hogback. Note encroachment of trees along watercourses and at higher elevations.
For over half the mountain frontage of this Province, a very resistant formation, the Dakota Sandstone, creates a “hogback”. A valley of weaker sedimentaries lies between it and the foothills, beginning about two miles to the west. The Fountain Sandstone, locally known as the “Red Rocks” formation, outcrops in this depression.
Mountain streams collecting in the inter-ridge valley form a trellis drainage pattern. Master streams cut through the Dakota Formation creating watergaps. The LoDaisKa Site lies in the shelter of an outcrop of the Fountain Sandstone which rises some 60 feet above the valley. The site lies at an elevation of about 6200 feet.
Climate
| Precipitation | Temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Av. Ann. | Max. | Min. | Mean Ann. | Mean Ann. Max. | Mean Ann. Min. | |
| Morrison | 14.20″ | 22.96″ | 7.51″ | [1] | ||
| Denver | 15.70±″ | 23.10″ | 7.84″ | 50.3° | 63.2° | 37.3° |
| Av. Ann. Snowfall | ||||||
| 55.6″ | ||||||
Fauna and Flora of the Region
The Morrison area as a floral biome is characterized by its transitional nature, from the plains to the east and the mountains to the west. Harrington (1954) has designated the environment as the Mountain Shrub Subdivision of the Mountain and Plateau Area.
Especially characteristic of the zone are the following plants:
- Quercus Gambelli—scrub oak
- Prunus Virginianus melanocarpa—wild plum
- Crataegus spp. (Probably succulenta)—hawthorn
- Amelanchier spp.—service berry
- Crysothamus Lanceolata—rabbit brush
- Rhus trilobata—poison ivy
- Rosa Woodsi—wood rose
From the Ponderosa Pine-Douglas Fir Subdivision the following characteristic plants overlap: