Name:
Pinus ponderosa / Cercocarpus montanus / Andropogon gerardii Wooded Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This association is found on the eastern side of the Colorado Front Range. It occurs from 1585 to 2105 m (5200-6900 feet) elevation, on topographic features including hogbacks, ridges, mesas and slopes. This is an open, shrubby, woodland association. The evergreen, needle-leaved tree <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> forms an open tree layer (cover varying from 10 to over 30% over an understory composed of broad-leaved deciduous shrubs, succulents, suffrutescents and graminoids. <i>Cercocarpus montanus</i> dominates the shrub layer, typically with cover values varying from 10 to over 40%, with <i>Rhus trilobata</i> always present in lower abundance. Succulent species, such as <i>Opuntia polyacantha, Echinocereus viridiflorus</i>, and <i>Yucca glauca</i>, are more important in this association than in other foothill woodlands of this region. Suffrutescent species are also common, the most abundant include <i>Artemisia frigida, Artemisia ludoviciana</i>, and <i>Eriogonum umbellatum</i>. The herbaceous layer is dominated by perennial grasses. <i>Andropogon gerardii</i> is always present, varying from 5-30% cover. Several other species can be abundant, including <i>Elymus albicans (= Elymus lanceolatus ssp. albicans), Schizachyrium scoparium, Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), Bouteloua hirsuta</i>, and <i>Bouteloua curtipendula</i>. Both perennial and annual forbs occur in the herbaceous layer in low abundance; some of the more important species include <i>Heterotheca villosa, Erigeron pumilus, Astragalus</i> spp., and <i>Penstemon</i> spp. Total herbaceous cover is high, usually over 30% and occasionally as high as 60%.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.31169.CEGL000852
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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