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Bouteloua hirsuta Herbaceous Alliance | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Bouteloua hirsuta Herbaceous Alliance Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: Grasslands in this alliance are dominated by Bouteloua hirsuta and occur in the southern Great Plains, on foothills in the southern Rocky Mountains, on mountain slopes and mesa escarpments in the Chihuahuan Desert and on the Colorado Plateau. Sites range from gently sloping plains, valleys and mesa tops to very steep slopes in the mountains. Elevation ranges from 1450-2000 m. Stands grow on relatively cooler sites at low elevations and warmer sites at high elevations. Ground cover is variable. Soils are generally sandy, but include silty loams and are derived from calcareous limestone, siltstone, igneous (rhyolite), and/or plutonic rocks. The vegetation is characterized by a sparse to moderately dense graminoid layer (10-65% cover) dominated by short sod-forming grasses. Mid grasses and sparse scattered shrubs may be also be present. The grass layer is dominated or codominated by the shortgrass Bouteloua hirsuta. Codominant grasses may include Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua radicosa, Digitaria californica, Eragrostis intermedia, and Hesperostipa neomexicana (= Stipa neomexicana). Forb cover is generally sparse (less than 10%). Scattered shrubs and dwarf-shrubs may be present, but make up less than 10% cover. Common shrubs include Prosopis glandulosa, Nolina microcarpa, Agave palmeri, Gutierrezia sarothrae, and Dasylirion wheeleri. Scattered cacti are also characteristic and often include Opuntia imbricata, Opuntia phaeacantha, and Coryphantha sp.  Accession Code: VB.CC.17949.BOUTELOUAHIRSUT Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 26-Nov-1997 to: 01-May-2019
	status: accepted This Community's Level: Alliance This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   Scientific: Bouteloua hirsuta Herbaceous Alliance   Translated: Hairy Grama Herbaceous Alliance   UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.125540 NatureServe Explorer   Code: A.1285