Name:
Atriplex canescens / Sporobolus airoides Shrubland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This shrubland occurs in the northern Chihuahua Desert extending into the Trans-Pecos of Texas, southwestern Great Plains, and Colorado Plateau. Stands are found in washes, floodplains and on alluvial flats, extending up lower slopes of alluvial fans or bajadas. Elevation ranges from 915-2170 m (3000-7100 feet). Sites are level to gently sloping. Substrates are typically moderately deep, alkaline, calcareous, fine-textured soils or calcareous sands. Some areas are subject to periodic inundation from direct precipitation onto the clayey, somewhat impermeable soils, and runoff from surrounding higher elevations and overtopping drainages. Sediment deposition may occur during these events. Cover of bare soil can be high (>50%). The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense (10-50% cover) short-shrub layer dominated by <i>Atriplex canescens</i> with a perennial graminoid layer dominated by <i>Sporobolus airoides</i>. The shrub layer has greater cover than the herbaceous layer, which may include other scattered shrubs and dwarf-shrubs, such as <i>Artemisia filifolia, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex obovata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Ericameria nauseosa, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Isocoma pluriflora, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Lycium</i> spp., <i>Opuntia</i> spp., <i>Prosopis glandulosa</i>, and <i>Sarcobatus vermiculatus</i>. Associated herbaceous species, such as <i>Achnatherum hymenoides, Ambrosia psilostachya, Artemisia campestris, Elymus elymoides, Pascopyrum smithii, Pleuraphis jamesii, Sphaeralcea coccinea, Sporobolus cryptandrus, Sporobolus nealleyi</i>, and <i>Suaeda</i> spp., may be present. <i>Bouteloua gracilis</i> cover is typically minor and inconsistent. Forbs are limited and scattered and trees are accidental or absent. Diagnostic of this <i>Atriplex canescens</i>-dominated shrubland is a <i>Sporobolus airoides</i>-dominated herbaceous layer.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30200-{0D2F95CD-BF34-4A09-BA1C-F280C23490B6}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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