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Symphoricarpos oreophilus Shrubland | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Symphoricarpos oreophilus Shrubland
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This low-statured shrubland is known from Colorado, southern Utah, western Wyoming and central Oregon. It is a small and often overlooked yet common shrubland. It generally occurs as small patches between 2070 and 3200 m (6800-10,500 feet) elevation, and may have an even wider amplitude throughout the known range of the dominant shrub species. It occurs on a variety of sites, from gentle to steep slopes, on ridges, canyon slopes, in swales, or on landsides, with any orientation. Soils are rapidly drained sandy clay to silty clay loams or clay loams. It is overlooked as a community type because it often occupies the "transition zone" between forests and grasslands or between riparian vegetation and drier upslope communities. This shrubland is often 0.3-0.9 m (1-3 feet) tall. <i>Symphoricarpos oreophilus</i> or closely related <i>Symphoricarpos</i> species, <i>Symphoricarpos rotundifolius</i>, or <i>Symphoricarpos palmeri</i> dominate the shrub canopy. Other shrubs can be present but in much less abundance and may include <i>Artemisia tridentata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Amelanchier utahensis, Purshia tridentata</i>, and <i>Cercocarpus montanus</i>. Trees from neighboring forests may appear and range from several conifer species to aspen, but rarely have more than single digit cover. The herbaceous undergrowth is highly variable, both in abundance (total cover ranging from 1-30%) and in species composition, depending on local topographic position and geographic locale. Most often it is a rich mix of graminoids and forbs, but it can be dominated by graminoids. Typical graminoid species include <i>Poa pratensis</i> and <i>Carex geyeri</i>. Forb species include <i>Eriogonum umbellatum, Geranium viscosissimum, Balsamorhiza sagittata</i>, and <i>Agastache urticifolia</i>. <i>Achillea millefolium</i> and <i>Poa pratensis</i> are common in disturbed stands. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:31853-{8856EEFA-1D75-4913-A064-F0C8D496D3DD}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 24-Feb-2009 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683691 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: CEGL002951
  Translated: Mountain Snowberry Shrubland
  Scientific: Symphoricarpos oreophilus Shrubland
(convergence) and Synonyms:
(similar) Symphoricarpos oreophilus Shrubland