Name:
Psorothamnus fremontii - Ambrosia dumosa Desert Wash Shrubland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This association is currently described only from the Mojave Desert Network. Additional global information will be added as it becomes available. It is found in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and beyond in Nevada, and was sampled at low to mid elevations. Elevation ranges from approximately 500 to 1200 m, and averages 903 m. It is found on variable slope positions, with slopes ranging from gentle to somewhat steep (3-20°), and on variable aspects. Soils include loamy sand and sandy loam and are derived from a variety of substrates such as basalt, gneiss, and sandstone/limestone. This association is found on lower slopes and toeslope along hills and mountains that transition between creosote - white bursage scrub and mid-elevation mixed desert scrub within the Mojave Desert of Nevada. Shrub cover is variable from sparse to open in cover, which could be related to nutrient availability as stands are often found on nutrient-poor calcareous or volcanic sediments. Vegetation forms an open shrub canopy in which the shrub cover ranges from 5 to 17%. An emergent tree layer is absent, and the herb understory is variable and ranges from 0 to 12% cover. <i>Psorothamnus fremontii</i> is the dominant shrub in the overstory along with characteristically occurring <i>Ambrosia dumosa, Krameria erecta</i>, and <i>Opuntia basilaris</i>. Other shrubs often present include <i>Acacia greggii, Amphipappus fremontii, Bebbia juncea, Encelia farinosa, Ephedra</i> spp., <i>Ephedra torreyana, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Ferocactus cylindraceus, Larrea tridentata</i>, and <i>Stephanomeria pauciflora</i>. Commonly associated herbs include <i>Amsinckia</i> spp., <i>Chaenactis</i> spp., <i>Cryptantha</i> spp., <i>Eriogonum inflatum, Pectocarya</i> spp., <i>Phacelia crenulata, Plantago ovata</i>, and <i>Sphaeralcea ambigua</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:37509-{DE930BF2-2BBE-46AE-B0C9-28300FDFBC1B}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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