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Atriplex canescens / Bouteloua gracilis Shrubland | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Atriplex canescens / Bouteloua gracilis Shrubland Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: This saltbush shrubland is found in the southern Great Plains of the United States, from Kansas and Colorado south and west to Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Texas. In the Great Plains, stands occur on dry barren flats, slopes and bluffs supported by shallow, rocky, alkaline soils. In the Colorado Plateau, this association occurs on valley floors and alluvial flats. Slopes are gentle, and most stands are below 2120 m (6960 feet) elevation. Soils are deep and alkaline. Throughout its range, stands are dominated by <i>Atriplex canescens</i> shrubs between 0.5 and 1 m tall. Associated species include <i>Rhus aromatica, Opuntia polyacantha, Opuntia phaeacantha, Opuntia imbricata, Toxicodendron rydbergii</i>, and <i>Yucca glauca</i>. The herbaceous layer of short to medium-tall grasses is dominated by <i>Bouteloua gracilis</i> and includes <i>Bouteloua curtipendula</i> in the Great Plains and <i>Achnatherum hymenoides</i> in the Colorado Plateau as important associated species. Occasionally <i>Pascopyrum smithii</i> or <i>Sporobolus cryptandrus</i> can codominate, though typically other graminoid species are scarce or absent. The rhizomatous <i>Bouteloua gracilis</i> is more tolerant of heavy grazing than most bunchgrasses; this association may represent a grazing remnant of what was once a more diverse grass understory.  Accession Code: VB.CC.34010.CEGL001283 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.2.684552 NatureServe Explorer   Translated: Fourwing Saltbush / Blue Grama Shrubland   Scientific: Atriplex canescens / Bouteloua gracilis Shrubland   Code: CEGL001283