Name:
Pinus edulis - Juniperus osteosperma / Coleogyne ramosissima Woodland
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This woodland association has been described from valley bottoms, terraces, benches, slopes, mesa rims, elevated plains and rolling terrain sometimes interrupted by bedrock. It occurs extensively across the Colorado Plateau from southwestern Colorado through southern Utah into Arizona and probably also Nevada. Sites are on flat to moderate slopes (0-20%) between 1070 and 1890 m (3500-6200 feet) elevation on all aspects. Bare soil covers most of the unvegetated surface, although cryptogam cover can be as high as 45%. Soils are typically shallow, rocky sandy loams derived from sandstone, eolian sands, alluvium or limestone. A few stands occur on deep or clay-textured soils derived from shale. Stands of this association can vary greatly in appearance, ranging from sparsely vegetated (<10% total cover) to relatively dense (80% cover). Sparsely vegetated stands also tend to have dwarfed trees not exceeding 2 m in height. Typically, stands have an open (5-25% cover) tree canopy 3-6 m tall that contains both <i>Pinus edulis</i> and <i>Juniperus osteosperma</i>, although one or the other tree may dominate. The shrub layer has 5 to 55% cover and is dominated by <i>Coleogyne ramosissima</i>. In Arizona, <i>Mortonia sempervirens</i> may be codominant. Other common shrub species may include <i>Agave utahensis, Cercocarpus montanus, Ephedra viridis, Glossopetalon spinescens var. aridum (= Glossopetalon nevadense), Glossopetalon spinescens , Gutierrezia sarothrae, Opuntia polyacantha, Purshia stansburiana, Quercus turbinella, Yucca baccata, Yucca harrimaniae</i>, and <i>Yucca elata var. utahensis (= Yucca utahensis)</i>. The sparse herbaceous layer is composed of graminoids such as <i>Achnatherum hymenoides, Achnatherum speciosum (= Stipa speciosa), Elymus elymoides, Poa fendleriana, Bouteloua curtipendula</i>, and <i>Aristida</i> species. <i>Bromus rubens, Bromus tectorum</i>, and <i>Vulpia octoflora</i> may be present to abundant in disturbed sites. Forbs are typically variable and scattered, contributing little cover. <i>Lappula occidentalis, </i><i>Lepidium montanum, Chaenactis stevioides, Psilostrophe sparsiflora</i>, and <i>Streptanthella longirostris</i> are among the many species that have been recorded. Scattered cacti are often present, including <i>Opuntia erinacea, Opuntia phaeacantha, Opuntia polyacantha, Echinocereus triglochidiatus</i>, and <i>Echinocereus engelmannii</i>.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.33305.CEGL000781
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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