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Sphaeromeria argentea Herbaceous Alliance | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Sphaeromeria argentea Herbaceous Alliance Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: This alliance occurs in east-central Idaho in intermountain valleys near the Lost River and Lemhi ranges. The average annual precipitation is very low, typically around 5 cm. This alliance is found from approximately 1890-1980 m on coalescing alluvial fans which have been deposited at the base of many of the ranges. These fans are a complex of interlayered materials consisting of boulders, cobbles, and pebbles mixed with sand, silt, and clay. Most of the ground surface is covered by a cobble or boulder pavement. The soils are dry gravelly loams, with shallow rooting depths, and a wind-swept surface. The vegetation mosaic on these alluvial fans appears to be related to depth of winter snowpack. These communities are similar to wind-swept tundra vegetation, with a low sparsely vegetated appearance. The dominant species is Sphaeromeria argentea, a suffrutescent, perennial forb less than 0.2 m in height. Artemisia frigida, another suffrutescent forb, is codominant in some stands. The perennial bunch grasses Achnatherum swallenii (= Oryzopsis swallenii) and Poa secunda are the most common graminoids, but are typically short in height (less than 0.5 m) and inconspicuous. Other forbs occurring include Phlox hoodii ssp. muscoides (= Phlox muscoides), Ionactis alpina (= Aster scopulorum), and Penstemon pumilus. No information is given on cover values or other species present.  Accession Code: VB.CC.21895.SPHAEROMERIAARG 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: Sphaeromeria argentea Herbaceous Alliance   Translated: Nuttall's False Sagebrush Herbaceous Alliance   UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.126008 NatureServe Explorer   Code: A.1654