Name:
Pseudoroegneria spicata Grassland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This grassland association occurs on rock outcrops, talus, mesas, plateaus, windswept bluffs, ridgetops and mountains in northern Colorado, northeastern and northern Utah and western and southwestern Wyoming. It frequently occurs on moderately to steep, mid- to high-slope landforms, although gentle slopes are not uncommon. Sites are relatively xeric and are often found on southerly aspects at lower elevations or on harsh or on windswept areas at higher elevation sites. Substrates are typically shallow, often calcareous, rocky soils. Ground surface often has significant cover of bare ground, gravel and/or rock (10-90% cover). Stands are also reported east of the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park on a windward knoll and at Grand Teton National Park from a very steep northeast-facing high slope. The vegetation is characterized by an open herbaceous layer that is typically dominated by the cool-season, perennial bunchgrass <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i> with low to moderate cover (5-30%) and low-growing forbs. <i>Koeleria macrantha</i> is repeatedly present in low abundance. Other dry grasses may be present with low cover (less than half the cover of <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i>). A sparse dwarf-shrub layer (<10% cover) occurs with a variety of woody species of <i>Artemisia, Atriplex confertifolia, Cercocarpus, Eriogonum, Gutierrezia, Krascheninnikovia</i> or <i>Tetradymia</i> depending on elevation and substrate. There are several to many low-growing forbs (cushion plants) present with low cover, such as <i>Arenaria</i> spp., <i>Arenaria hookeri, Astragalus</i> spp., <i>Paronychia sessiliflora, Phlox</i> spp., <i>Stenotus acaulis, Tetraneuris acaulis</i>, and <i>Townsendia incana</i>. There are no clear dominants in this list, and the percent cover of each species present will vary from site to site. A diverse and abundant forb layer probably indicates a degraded occurrence.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30569-{306245FF-E502-40D8-B42B-6ECA8C09BC2D}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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