Name:
Arctostaphylos pungens Shrubland Alliance
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
Shrublands included in this alliance occur on dry mountain slopes in southeastern Nevada, southwestern Utah, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico. Elevations range from 980-2470 m depending on aspect. The climate is arid to semi-arid with temperatures rarely falling below freezing. Annual precipitation has a bimodal distribution with about half to a third of the highly variable mean annual precipitation occurring in July through September during the late summer monsoon, and most of the rest falling during the winter months. Soils are gravelly with rocks. Parent material includes rhyolite, granite and quartzite. Stands have a moderately dense canopy dominated by the sclerophyllous evergreen shrub Arctostaphylos pungens. Other characteristic shrubs include Cercocarpus ledifolius, Robinia neomexicana, Garrya flavescens, Ephedra viridis, Quercus arizonica, Quercus turbinella, Amelanchier utahensis, Mahonia fremontii (= Berberis fremontii), and Ceanothus greggii. Understory species include Mahonia repens, Castilleja sp., Calochortus flexuosus, Delphinium parishii, Eriogonum wrightii, and Lomatium foeniculaceum ssp. macdougalii (= Lomatium macdougalii). A stand described from southwestern New Mexico had a canopy cover of Arctostaphylos pungens, Nolina microcarpa, Garrya wrightii, Pinus discolor, Quercus hypoleucoides, and Quercus rugosa at 70%, 3%, 1%, 1%, 3% and 1%, respectively. Herbaceous cover of Muhlenbergia emersleyi and Macroptilium gibbosifolium (= Phaseolus heterophyllus) totaled only 2%.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.20543.ARCTOSTAPHYLOSP
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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