Name:
Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis / Pseudoroegneria spicata Shrub Grassland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This bunchgrass vegetation type with an open Wyoming big sagebrush shrub layer occurs in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Oregon (apparently), Nevada, and British Columbia, Canada. It probably also occurs in western North Dakota and Utah, and it may occur in South Dakota. Stands occur on moderate to steep slopes at low to mid elevations, and on a variety of soils. Throughout the range of this association, the vegetation consists of an open to moderately dense shrub layer (about 10-25% canopy cover) dominated by <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis</i>, and a herbaceous layer dominated by <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i> with lesser amounts of <i>Poa secunda</i> (sometimes a codominant grass). From the Great Plains westward to eastern Idaho and south to Colorado, the sagebrush seldom exceeds 0.5 m in height, but in western Idaho and Washington, the shrubs typically are 1 m tall. Other shrubs (especially <i>Chrysothamnus</i> sp.) and herbaceous species (especially <i>Hesperostipa comata</i>) usually are present. <i>Festuca idahoensis</i> is absent or present in small amounts. The stands in the eastern half of the geographic range often contain small amounts of <i>Gutierrezia sarothrae, Artemisia frigida, Sphaeralcea coccinea, Phlox hoodii, Koeleria macrantha</i>, and <i>Opuntia polyacantha</i>. Less constant species are <i>Bouteloua</i> spp. (especially <i>Bouteloua gracilis), Carex filifolia</i>, and <i>Pascopyrum smithii</i>. Missing from these stands is <i>Achnatherum thurberianum</i>. In the western half of the geographic range, the vegetation generally lacks the associated species listed above and often contains <i>Antennaria dimorpha</i> and <i>Achnatherum thurberianum</i>. In addition, the stands in Washington often contain large amounts of crustose lichens as ground cover.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30444-{B09EFBB5-0581-4280-9E07-B3697A252878}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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