Name:
Atriplex confertifolia / Achnatherum hymenoides Shrubland
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This plant association is widely scattered on benches, plateaus, and gullies within the <i>Atriplex confertifolia</i> zone of Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Oregon, and is also purported to occur in California and Wyoming. It is best developed in sites with an alkaline, yet coarse-textured soil. Elevations range from 1250 to 1780 m (4100-5840 feet) in Utah and Colorado. The association is typically found on well-drained, alkaline soils derived from volcanic tuff or shale that often have been modified by alluvial deposits. Low-growing <i>Atriplex confertifolia</i> is the dominant shrub, usually with up to 15% cover, although other shrubs, including <i>Picrothamnus desertorum (= Artemisia spinescens), Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Opuntia polyacantha, Grayia spinosa</i>, and <i>Sarcobatus vermiculatus</i>, may also be present in low amounts. In high-quality, ungrazed stands <i>Achnatherum hymenoides</i> may have up to 20% cover and dominates the otherwise sparse herbaceous understory. Lesser amounts of other perennial grasses, including <i>Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, Pleuraphis jamesii, Poa fendleriana</i>, and <i>Poa secunda</i>, are often present. Forbs vary greatly across the range of this association and never contribute significant cover. Some locally common species include <i>Eriogonum</i> spp., <i>Phlox hoodii, Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia, Thelypodium flexuosum</i>, and <i>Townsendia florifera</i>. Stands degraded by excessive livestock grazing have abundant <i>Bromus tectorum</i> in the understory and higher total herbaceous cover.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.34467.CEGL001311
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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