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The following classification of wetlands and aquatic deep water habitat for Buckeye Ranch <br /> combines that of Cowardin (1985), Holland (1986), and Mayer and Landenslayer (1988). <br /> An informal classification of the wetland types for the site include: lake, permanent open <br /> water ponds, permanent emergent marsh, riverine (the Mokelumne River) described in <br /> Section 2.55, and seasonal wetlands, including vernal pools, which are discussed in <br /> Section 2.53. <br /> The basin of Tracy Lakes, though highly degraded,constitutes the most significant <br /> wetlands on the site. Historically, the wetlands constituted an ever-changing series of <br /> habitats. Depending upon the time of the year, the basin of Tracy Lakes could be <br /> considered an open water lake habitat in midwinter when the water is at the 25 foot <br /> elevation, then as waters recede an emergent marsh in late spring, a seasonal wetland <br /> environment by early summer, and finally an empty lake basin with mud flats and annual <br /> plants by late summer through mid-winter. Historically, a dense ring of riparian <br /> vegetation,ringed the entire area. Due to grazing and past farming of the site,vegetation <br /> has been virtually eliminated and the functional wetlands values have therefore been greatly <br /> diminished. <br /> 2.5 Biotic Communities <br /> Plant Communities <br /> Visually, Buckeye Ranch is dominated by three natural features: the large linear lake beds, <br /> a mixed oak-buckeye savanna, and a densely canopied,Great Valley live oak forest. The <br /> terrain is rolling with obvious micro-relief relating to drainage and deposition. Site <br /> `r vegetation will be described for the oak-buckeye savanna, the live oak forest, aquatic and <br /> Buckeye Ranch Resource Plan (November, 1993) <br /> 31 <br />