Name:
Pinus edulis - Juniperus osteosperma / Amelanchier utahensis Woodland
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This association is characteristic of rocky slopes in the Colorado Plateau and extends into the southern Rocky Mountains in western Colorado and northeastern Arizona. Elevations and aspects are variable. Stands occurring at lower elevations (1406-2006 m) on the Colorado Plateau and northwestern Colorado tend to occur on northerly aspects, whereas stands occurring in west-central and southwestern Colorado occur at higher elevations (2481-2510 m) and have southerly aspects. Stands throughout the range may be on gentle to steep slopes (7-160%). Soils are rapidly drained, but texture and parent materials vary from clay to sandy loam and from marine shale to sandstone and granite. The unvegetated ground surface is composed primarily of exposed bedrock, rocks, gravel and bare ground. This woodland association has an open to relatively closed tree canopy and sparse to dense total vegetation cover. <i>Juniperus osteosperma</i> and <i>Pinus edulis</i> comprise the tree canopy, but individually do not exceed 25% cover. There is a tall-shrub stratum with up to 25% cover dominated by <i>Amelanchier utahensis</i>. Other shrubs that may be present with low cover include <i>Artemisia tridentata, Cercocarpus montanus, Fraxinus anomala, Ephedra viridis, Fendlera rupicola, Quercus gambelii, Rhus trilobata</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos oreophilus</i>. Dwarf-shrubs may include <i>Yucca harrimaniae, Gutierrezia sarothrae</i>, and <i>Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus</i>. The herbaceous layer has sparse to low cover and contains graminoids, such as <i>Achnatherum hymenoides, Carex geyeri, Leymus salinus</i>, and <i>Poa fendleriana</i>, and forbs, such as <i>Antennaria parvifolia, Erigeron peregrinus, Eriogonum ovalifolium, Heterotheca villosa, Lathyrus lanszwertii, Lepidium montanum, Phlox austromontana</i>, and <i>Streptanthella longirostris</i>. Disturbed stands may contain <i>Bromus tectorum</i>.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.31994.CEGL002329
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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