Name:
Arctostaphylos pungens - Arctostaphylos pringlei - Ceanothus greggii Chaparral Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
Stands of this alliance have a moderately dense canopy dominated or codominated by the sclerophyllous evergreen shrubs <i>Arctostaphylos pungens, Arctostaphylos pringlei, Ceanothus greggii, Mortonia scabrella</i>, or <i>Mortonia utahensis</i>. Other characteristic shrubs include <i>Amelanchier utahensis, Cercocarpus montanus var. paucidentatus, Dasylirion wheeleri, Ephedra viridis, Garrya flavescens, Mahonia fremontii</i>, and <i>Robinia neomexicana</i>. Scattered oaks such as <i>Quercus arizonica, Quercus pungens</i>, or <i>Quercus turbinella</i> may be present, but not codominant. Herbaceous cover is typically low (<15% cover). Common grasses include <i>Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua eriopoda</i>, and <i>Muhlenbergia emersleyi</i>. Frequent forbs include <i>Astrolepis sinuata, Bahia absinthifolia</i>, and <i>Macroptilium gibbosifolium</i>. This alliance occurs in southeastern Nevada, southwestern Utah, Arizona, and southwestern New Mexico. This chaparral occurs on dry mountain slopes ranging from 980-2470 m elevation depending on aspect. The climate is arid to semi-arid with temperatures rarely falling below freezing. Annual precipitation has a bimodal distribution with about a third to two-thirds of the highly variable annual precipitation occurring in July through September during the late summer monsoon, and most of the rest falling during the winter months. Mean annual precipitation is approximately 40 cm. Soils are gravelly with rocks. Parent material includes limestone, rhyolite, granite and quartzite. Adjacent vegetation includes desert grasslands dominated by <i>Elionurus barbiculmis, Heteropogon contortus</i>, and <i>Bouteloua</i> spp. at lower elevations and desert scrub stands dominated by <i>Acacia neovernicosa</i> or <i>Parthenium incanum</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:39004-{6C1FF6F9-0078-41D3-A09F-F46CA386FB03}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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