Name:
Pinus edulis - Juniperus osteosperma / Bromus tectorum Ruderal Woodland
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This woodland association has only been described from Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in western Colorado. Stands are found on mesas, canyon sides, ridges, hillslopes, often on steep colluvial midslopes, valley bottoms and high stream terraces. Sites are typically moderate to steep, but range from 4- to 38-degree slopes, occur between 1555 and 2274 m elevation, and are often oriented to warmer southerly aspects. The unvegetated ground surface is generally bedrock, rock and gravel with moderate cover of bare ground and relatively low cover of litter. Soils in bottomland and stream terrace sites are typically well-drained fine sand derived from alluvium. It occurs in areas that experienced more than a century of concentrated domestic livestock grazing. The vegetation is characterized by an open to relatively closed canopy, typically 5-10 m tall, of <i>Pinus edulis</i> and <i>Juniperus osteosperma</i> trees that range in cover from 15 to 50%. <i>Juniperus osteosperma</i> cover tends to be more abundant than <i>Pinus edulis</i>, but either can dominate. The shrub layer is diverse but sparse to low in cover, providing less than 15% cover per stratum. Common shrubs include <i>Amelanchier alnifolia, Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Brickellia californica, Cercocarpus montanus, Ericameria nauseosa, Opuntia fragilis, Opuntia polyacantha, Quercus gambelii, Ribes inerme, Symphoricarpos oreophilus</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos rotundifolius</i>. The herbaceous layer has sparse to low cover (typically <15%) and has low diversity, being characteristically dominated by <i>Bromus tectorum</i>. Common graminoids with low cover include <i>Achnatherum hymenoides, Carex geyeri, Poa fendleriana, Sporobolus cryptandrus</i>, and <i>Sporobolus airoides</i>. Forbs are of moderate diversity and include <i>Agoseris glauca var. laciniata, Allium</i> sp., <i>Antennaria rosea, Arabis</i> spp., <i>Arenaria fendleri, Astragalus</i> sp., <i>Balsamorhiza sagittata, Chaenactis douglasii, Collinsia parviflora, Descurainia pinnata, Eriogonum lonchophyllum, Heterotheca villosa, Lomatium simplex, Machaeranthera canescens, Phlox longifolia</i>, and <i>Senecio</i> spp.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.31986.CEGL002367
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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