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Painted Desert Sparsely Vegetated Alliance | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Painted Desert Sparsely Vegetated Alliance Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: This alliance occurs in the southern Colorado Plateau in southern Utah and northern Arizona. It includes sparsely vegetated `badlands' of the exposed Chinle and Moenkopi formations. Elevation ranges from 1200-1700 m. Stands typically occur on steep eroded slopes on any aspect, but also occur on alluvial flats and fans, drainage channels and gentle hillslopes. Substrates are typically deep, poorly drained, fine-textured soils derived from marine shales, siltstone, mudstones and sandstones. Sandy clay and silty clay are common soil textures because the shales weather to clay. Erosion is common and extensive. Bare ground cover is very high with total vegetation cover generally less than 10%. The vegetation has varied species composition. It is typically composed of scattered dwarf-shrubs and shrubs such as Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex obovata, Coleogyne ramosissima, Ericameria nauseosa, Eriogonum corymbosum, Eriogonum leptophyllum, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Parryella filifolia, Psorothamnus fremontii, or Zuckia brandegeei. Sparse cover of Achnatherum hymenoides, Elymus elymoides, Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus airoides, or other perennial graminoids may be present. Forb cover is very sparse and may include species of Cryptantha or Physaria. The introduced annual grass Bromus tectorum is common on some sites.  Accession Code: VB.CC.23417.PAINTEDDESERTSP Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 23-Jan-2002 to: 01-May-2019
	status: accepted This Community's Level: Alliance This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   Scientific: Painted Desert Sparsely Vegetated Alliance   Translated: Painted Desert Sparsely Vegetated Alliance   UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.125617 NatureServe Explorer   Code: A.2545