Name:
Pinus edulis - Juniperus spp. / Cercocarpus montanus - Mixed Shrubs Woodland
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This broadly defined woodland association is common on the Colorado Plateau, occurring on sheltered colluvial slopes, sandstone hogbacks, dry foothills and mesas from north-central New Mexico and southern Colorado west to the Mogollon Rim of Arizona, and in western Colorado and adjacent Utah. It can be found on any slope position, though lower slopes are less common. Elevations range from 1472 to 2480 m (4830-8135 feet). Stands occur on gentle to steep slopes on all aspects. The soils are variable but generally shallow, poorly developed and skeletal, ranging from clayey marl to loamy sands. The unvegetated surface is characterized by bedrock, large and small rocks, and/or bare soil with little litter. Sandstone or shale are the most common parent materials. This association is characterized by an open to moderately dense tree canopy (10-60% cover) dominated by a combination of <i>Pinus edulis</i> and <i>Juniperus</i> spp. with a shrub layer dominated by <i>Cercocarpus montanus</i>. The tree canopy averages 2-5 m tall, but some stands may be as tall as 10 m. <i>Pinus edulis</i> and <i>Juniperus</i> spp. codominate in most stands, but sometimes one may be more prevalent than the other. The species of <i>Juniperus</i> varies with geography and elevation and includes <i>Juniperus deppeana, Juniperus monosperma, Juniperus osteosperma</i>, and <i>Juniperus scopulorum</i>. The total shrub cover may range from sparse to moderate. <i>Cercocarpus montanus</i> is the dominant shrub with up to 35% cover. It typically occurs as a short shrub but can be a tall shrub on some sites. Other shrubs may be present, including <i>Amelanchier</i> spp., <i>Artemisia bigelovii, Artemisia tridentata, Ephedra viridis, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Fendlera rupicola, Garrya ovata, Mahonia</i> spp., <i>Nolina microcarpa, Quercus gambelii, Quercus grisea, Rhus trilobata</i>, or species of <i>Yucca</i> and <i>Opuntia</i>. Herbaceous cover is variable, ranging from sparse to moderately dense, and generally dominated by graminoids (>5% cover) with scattered forbs. Extremely open stands of this association, usually occurring on fractured slickrock exposures, may have as little as 5% total vegetation cover and an upper canopy only 2 m tall.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.32046.CEGL000780
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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