Name:
Bouteloua gracilis - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
These grasslands occur on alluvial flats, mesas and plains in the semi-arid southwestern Great Plains and the Colorado Plateau in southeastern Colorado, New Mexico, and southern Utah. Sites are flat to undulating, with shallow to moderately deep, loam to silty clay loam textured soil. Stands are codominated by the graminoids Bouteloua gracilis and Pleuraphis jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii). These short and medium-tall perennial bunch grasses may form a sod-like ground cover with patches of bare ground, especially where grazing by livestock encourages a prostrate growth form. Canopy cover is relatively sparse to moderately dense (20-80% cover). Other grasses include Buchloe dactyloides, Muhlenbergia torreyi, Sporobolus cryptandrus, Aristida spp., Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides), Pascopyrum smithii, Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), or Hesperostipa neomexicana (= Stipa neomexicana). Forb cover is generally sparse, but may be diverse. Characteristic species include Sphaeralcea coccinea, Grindelia squarrosa, Cryptantha spp., Machaeranthera pinnatifida, Ratibida spp., and Zinnia grandiflora. Scattered dwarf-shrubs, shrubs and cacti such as Gutierrezia sarothrae, Artemisia bigelovii, Artemisia frigida, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Prosopis glandulosa, Yucca glauca, Opuntia imbricata, and Opuntia polyacantha are not uncommon. Codominance of Bouteloua gracilis and Pleuraphis jamesii distinguish this vegetation from several closely related grasslands.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.21002.BOUTELOUAGRACIL
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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