Name:
Pinus edulis - (Juniperus monosperma, Juniperus deppeana) / Bouteloua gracilis Open Woodland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This widespread woodland association occurs in Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and possibly Texas and east-central Arizona. It is known from the foothills and mountains of the southern Colorado Front Range, New Mexico, and the hills, canyons, escarpments and other breaks in the southwestern Great Plains. Elevations range from 1525-2445 m (5000-8000 feet), but may be higher in stands in southern New Mexico. Stands occur on gently sloping low hills and plains, on flat to moderate slopes along drainages and on mesatops, and on moderate to steep rocky slopes of foothills, mountains and canyons. The soils are variable but are typically shallow, gravelly calcareous, finer-textured soils (clay loam or silty clay) with a caliche layer or bedrock outcrops not uncommon. Parent materials include limestone, sandstone, and basalt. The ground surface is may be characterized by scattered grass patches and litter amid an equal amount of exposed soil and gravel. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense tree canopy (10-60% cover) codominated by <i>Pinus edulis</i> and <i>Juniperus monosperma</i> with a grassy understory dominated by <i>Bouteloua gracilis</i>. <i>Pinus edulis</i> may be present with relatively small cover in some stands. <i>Juniperus deppeana</i> or <i>Juniperus coahuilensis</i> may replace <i>Juniperus monosperma</i> in southern stands. Other species of <i>Juniperus</i> such as <i>Juniperus scopulorum</i> may be present at upper elevations. The shrub canopy ranges from low to high cover. If <i>Quercus gambelii</i> is present, it has less than 5% cover. Scattered <i>Agave</i> spp., <i>Cercocarpus montanus, Dasylirion wheeleri, Ericameria nauseosa, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Opuntia</i> spp., <i>Tetradymia canescens</i>, or <i>Yucca</i> spp. may be present. The herbaceous layer is moderately dense to dense and is dominated by the warm-season, perennial shortgrass <i>Bouteloua gracilis</i>. Associated graminoids include <i>Aristida</i> spp., <i>Achnatherum hymenoides, Elymus elymoides, Koeleria macrantha, Hesperostipa comata, Hesperostipa neomexicana, Muhlenbergia torreyi</i>, and <i>Pleuraphis jamesii</i>. <i>Muhlenbergia montana</i> is absent or scarce (<1% cover). Forb cover is typically low, but may be moderately diverse. Species such as <i>Cryptantha cinerea var. jamesii, Eriogonum jamesii, Hymenopappus filifolius</i>, and <i>Mentzelia</i> spp. are common.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:31060-{45D5EE84-28DF-4FBA-AB68-C09CBF06AC13}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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