Name:
Artemisia tridentata ssp. spiciformis - Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana - Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula Steppe & Shrubland Group
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This group includes sagebrush communities occurring at foothills (in Wyoming) to montane and subalpine elevations across the western U.S. from 1000 m in eastern Oregon and Washington to over 3000 m in the Southern Rockies. In Montana, it occurs on mountain "islands" in the north-central portion of the state and possibly along the Boulder River south of Absarokee and at higher elevations. In British Columbia, it occurs between 450 and 1650 m in the southern Fraser Plateau and the Thompson and Okanagan basins. Across its range of distribution, this is a compositionally diverse group. It is composed primarily of <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana</i>, and related taxon <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. spiciformis</i> often with <i>Symphoricarpos</i> spp. present to codominant. Also included, but less common, are stands dominated by <i>Artemisia cana ssp. bolanderi, Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula</i>, and <i>Artemisia rothrockii</i> (a California endemic). Additionally, there are mixed shrub stands codominated by <i>Amelanchier</i> spp., <i>Chamaebatiaria millefolium, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Ericameria nauseosa, Peraphyllum ramosissimum, Purshia tridentata</i>, and <i>Ribes cereum</i>. <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis</i> may be present to codominant if the stand is clearly montane as indicated by montane indicator species such as <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Danthonia intermedia, Festuca thurberi</i>, or <i>Leucopoa kingii</i>.<br /><br />Most stands have an abundant perennial herbaceous layer (over 25% cover, and in many cases over 50% cover), but this group also includes <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana</i> shrublands that lack a significant herbaceous layer. Other common graminoids include <i>Achnatherum lettermanii, Achnatherum occidentale, Achnatherum pinetorum, Bromus carinatus, Calamagrostis rubescens</i>, Carex geyeri, <i>Elymus trachycaulus, Festuca arizonica, Festuca campestris, Festuca idahoensis, Hesperostipa comata, Leucopoa kingii, Muhlenbergia montana, Pascopyrum smithii, Poa fendleriana, Poa secunda</i>, and <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i>. In many areas, wildfires can maintain an open herbaceous-rich steppe condition, although at most sites, shrub cover can be unusually high for a steppe system (>40%), with the moisture providing equally high grass and forb cover.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40063-{4D3DED22-F0AD-42A1-88B1-B1246017D1ED}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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