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Pascopyrum smithii - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous Vegetation | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Pascopyrum smithii - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous Vegetation Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: This western wheatgrass - blue grama prairie of the southern Great Plains, Chihuahuan Desert and western New Mexico mountains of the United States was once an extensive grassland. Stands occur within montane swales or along upland valley bottoms. It generally occurs on northerly or northeasterly aspects at elevations between 915 and 2440 m (3000-8000 feet). Slopes are typically gentle with fine-textured and well-developed soils that are predominantly from eroded Paleozoic sandstone and limestone. Ground cover is characterized by scattered bunchgrasses and patches of the rhizomatous grasses and litter with exposed soil and gravel in the intergrass spaces. Luxuriant cover that can be dominated by either <i>Bouteloua gracilis</i> or <i>Pascopyrum smithii</i> typifies this grassland. <i>Juniperus monosperma</i> or <i>Pinus edulis</i> communities usually surround this swale association. In New Mexico, <i>Atriplex canescens</i> is the most frequently occurring and abundant shrub, with <i>Ericameria nauseosa, Opuntia phaeacantha</i>, and <i>Gutierrezia sarothrae</i> common associates, but overall cover seldom exceeds 2.5%. Graminoid diversity is usually low, with scattered grasses such as <i>Elymus elymoides, Koeleria macrantha</i>, and <i>Muhlenbergia repens</i> often present. In Kansas, <i>Bouteloua curtipendula</i> and <i>Buchloe dactyloides</i> may also be present. The shrub layer is very open and moderate in diversity and generally includes <i>Atriplex canescens</i> and <i>Krascheninnikovia lanata</i> (which both occur as phases and can become dominant in disturbed areas), as well as <i>Opuntia imbricata</i> and <i>Opuntia phaeacantha</i>. Forb diversity and cover are generally low.  Accession Code: VB.CC.33459.CEGL001578 Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 17-Nov-2014 to: 01-May-2019
	status: accepted This Community's Level: association This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685680 NatureServe Explorer   Common: Western Wheatgrass - Blue Grama Mixedgrass Prairie   Translated: Western Wheatgrass - Blue Grama Herbaceous Vegetation   Scientific: Pascopyrum smithii - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous Vegetation   Code: CEGL001578