Name:
Pinus edulis - Juniperus (monosperma, deppeana) / Cercocarpus montanus - Mixed Shrubs Woodland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This widespread woodland association occurs in foothills in the southern Rocky Mountains east of the Continental Divide in southern Colorado and New Mexico, extending east into the southwestern Great Plains the hills, canyons, escarpments and other breaks. It can be found on any slope position, though lower slopes are less common. Elevations range from 1472 to 2480 m (4830-8135 feet). Stands occur on gentle to steep slopes on all aspects. The soils are variable but generally shallow, poorly developed and skeletal, ranging from clayey marl to loamy sands. The unvegetated surface is characterized by bedrock, large and small rocks, and/or bare soil with little litter. Sandstone or shale are the most common parent materials. This association is characterized by an open to moderately dense tree canopy (10-60% cover) dominated by a combination of <i>Pinus edulis</i> and <i>Juniperus</i> spp. with a shrub layer dominated by <i>Cercocarpus montanus</i>. The tree canopy averages 2-5 m tall, but some stands may be as tall as 10 m. <i>Pinus edulis</i> and <i>Juniperus monosperma</i> codominate in most stands, but sometimes one may be more prevalent than the other. Other species of <i>Juniperus</i> may be present varying with geography and elevation such as <i>Juniperus deppeana</i> southern extent or and <i>Juniperus scopulorum</i> in higher elevation stands and along drainages. <i>Juniperus osteosperma</i> is not present. The total shrub cover may range from sparse to moderate. <i>Cercocarpus montanus</i> is the dominant shrub with up to 35% cover. It typically occurs as a short shrub but can be a tall shrub on some sites. Other shrubs may be present, including <i>Amelanchier</i> spp., <i>Artemisia bigelovii, Artemisia tridentata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Fendlera rupicola, Garrya ovata, Mahonia</i> spp., <i>Nolina microcarpa, Quercus gambelii, Quercus grisea, Rhus trilobata</i>, or species of <i>Yucca</i> and <i>Opuntia</i>. Herbaceous cover is variable, ranging from sparse to moderately dense, and generally dominated by graminoids (>5% cover) with scattered forbs. Extremely open stands of this association, usually occurring on fractured slickrock exposures, may have as little as 5% total vegetation cover and an upper canopy only 2 m tall.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:34395-{537043A6-D9A8-492B-876A-A55B14FB89FC}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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