Name:
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus Steppe & Shrubland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderate shrub layer dominated by <i>Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus</i> with 3-35% cover. Other shrub species may be present with low cover, such as <i>Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia bigelovii, Artemisia tridentata, Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Eriogonum corymbosum, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria nauseosa, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Mahonia fremontii, Shepherdia rotundifolia, Symphoricarpos oreophilus, Tetradymia canescens</i>, and <i>Yucca baccata</i>. The herbaceous layer is variable and ranges from being moderately dense, diverse and bunchgrass-dominated to sparse and often depauperate. In some stands the herbaceous layer is dominant over shrubs. Dominant and common grasses may include <i>Achnatherum hymenoides, Bouteloua gracilis, Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, Koeleria macrantha, Leymus salinus ssp. salinus, Pascopyrum smithii, Poa fendleriana, Poa secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata</i>, and the introduced annuals <i>Bromus briziformis</i> and <i>Bromus tectorum</i>. <i>Leymus cinereus</i> may be present in mesic gully bottoms in Utah. Scattered forbs are present, such as <i>Antennaria</i> spp., <i>Astragalus bisulcatus, Castilleja</i> spp., <i>Cirsium undulatum, Cryptantha humilis, Linanthus pungens</i>, and <i>Linanthus watsonii</i>. Stands of the alliance occur in the southern San Luis Valley of Colorado, the lower slopes of mountains in western Wyoming and northern Utah, and on mesas and high plateaus of the Colorado Plateau. Stands occur on a variety of sites and range from level to moderately sloping, disturbed sites on ridges and in valleys. Elevations range from 1300 to 2440 m (4250-8000 feet). Substrates include eolian sands, alluvium, metamorphic rocks, granite or limestone, and the soil is likewise variable, with textures ranging from silt loam, sandy loam, loamy sand and silty clay loam.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38482-{016B8888-74B1-466E-A319-B3BE05974B57}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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