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Ephedra viridis Shrubland Alliance | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Ephedra viridis Shrubland Alliance Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: Stands of this alliance occur on canyon slopes in the Colorado Plateau, Mojave and Sonoran deserts of Arizona and California. The climate is semi-arid. Where described in the Grand Canyon, sites occur on moderate to steep northern slopes, the most mesic slopes of the Inner Gorge. Elevation ranges from 580-980 m. The soils are shallow, coarse-textured and rocky, and derived from limestone, sandstone and igneous rocks. Total mean annual precipitation is approximately 20 cm with almost all falling as rain. Information on other sites was not available. Stands are dominated by a sparse to moderately dense cover of xeromorphic evergreen and broad-leaved shrubs ranging from 0.3-1.0 m in height with perennial grasses usually less than 0.3 m tall. Total vegetation cover is 15-25%. The diagnostic species are the microphyllous shrub Ephedra viridis and the perennial bunchgrass Pleuraphis rigida (= Hilaria rigida). Other characteristic species include the shrub Acacia greggii, the dwarf-shrub Gutierrezia sarothrae, the perennial forbs Machaeranthera pinnatifida and Sphaeralcea ambigua, and the cactus Ferocactus cylindraceus (= Ferocactus acanthodes). Associated species include Echinocereus engelmannii, Agave utahensis, Galium stellatum, Porophyllum gracile, and Encelia farinosa.  Accession Code: VB.CC.18883.EPHEDRAVIRIDISS 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: Ephedra viridis Shrubland Alliance   Translated: Mormon-tea Shrubland Alliance   UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.124843 NatureServe Explorer   Code: A.858