Name:
Artemisia bigelovii Steppe & Shrubland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
The structure of this vegetation may be shrub-herbaceous or shrub-dominated. The shrub layer is characterized by a sparse to moderately dense dwarf-shrub layer that is dominated or codominated by <i>Artemisia bigelovii</i>. Dwarf-shrub associates from the shortgrass steppe include <i>Frankenia jamesii, Glossopetalon spinescens var. meionandrum, Krascheninnikovia lanata</i>, and <i>Yucca glauca</i>, which may be present to codominant. On the Colorado Plateau, stands may be codominated by <i>Ephedra</i> spp., <i>Eriogonum corymbosum, Parryella filifolia</i>, or <i>Purshia stansburiana</i>. <i>Gutierrezia sarothrae</i> and species of <i>Atriplex</i> are common in most stands. Scattered <i>Juniperus</i> spp. and <i>Pinus edulis</i> trees are occasionally present. A sparse to dense graminoid layer is usually present. Dominant grasses include <i>Aristida purpurea, Achnatherum hymenoides, Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa neomexicana, Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus cryptandrus</i>, or less commonly <i>Pascopyrum smithii</i>. On the Colorado Plateau, forbs are generally sparse. However, cushion plants are common on shortgrass steppe slopes. Other forbs, such as <i>Astragalus missouriensis, Heterotheca villosa, Melampodium cinereum, Picradeniopsis oppositifolia, Stanleya pinnata</i>, and <i>Zinnia grandiflora</i>, may be present. Exotic annuals, such as <i>Bromus arvensis, Bromus tectorum, Descurainia sophia</i>, and <i>Salsola kali</i>, may be present to common depending on disturbance and the amount of seasonal precipitation. This alliance is reported from the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico and the Colorado Plateau in southwestern Utah and northern Arizona and near canyon rims and along escarpments in southeastern Colorado. Sites include gentle to moderately steep shale hillslopes and mesas in Arizona and Utah and escarpment and canyon breaks and shaly plains in the shortgrass steppe west to the foothills near the Colorado Front Range. Soils are typically shallow, well-drained, calcareous loams, clay loams, and clays derived from limestone, sandstone, shale and alluvium. The soil surface has high cover of bare soil and rock.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38510-{218BFAF2-767E-4A8F-B90F-B666375F3743}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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