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Festuca arizonica - Festuca thurberi - Muhlenbergia montana Grassland Group | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Festuca arizonica - Festuca thurberi - Muhlenbergia montana Grassland Group
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This southern Rocky Mountains group extends west to high plateaus and mountains in the Colorado Plateau. Vegetation is characterized by an open to dense perennial graminoid layer. Larger occurrences usually consist of a mosaic of two or three plant associations with one of the following dominant grasses: <i>Blepharoneuron tricholepis, Danthonia parryi, Festuca arizonica, Muhlenbergia montana, Pascopyrum smithii</i>, or <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i> at lower elevation / warmer aspects, or <i>Danthonia intermedia, Festuca idahoensis, Festuca thurberi</i>, or <i>Muhlenbergia filiculmis</i> at subalpine elevation / cooler aspects. The common subdominants include <i>Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa comata</i>, or <i>Poa secunda</i>. <i>Bouteloua gracilis</i> often dominates sites with warm aspects and heavy grazing history. Forb species such as <i>Potentilla hippiana</i> may be present to codominant. These large-patch grasslands are intermixed with matrix stands of spruce-fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, and aspen forests. In limited circumstances (e.g., South Park in Colorado), they form the "matrix" of high-elevation plateaus and inter-montane valleys. Stands typically occur between 2200 and 3000 m elevation on flat to rolling plains and parks or on lower sideslopes that are dry, but may extend up to 3350 m on warm aspects. Soils resemble prairie soils in that the A-horizon is dark brown, relatively high in organic matter, slightly acidic, and usually well-drained. Small-patch representations of this group do occur at high elevations of the Trans-Pecos where they present as occurrences of ~<i>Festuca arizonica - Blepharoneuron tricholepis</i> Grassland (CEGL004508)$$. These occurrences often occupy sites adjacent to ~Eastern Madrean Chaparral Group (G280)$$. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40038-{557BD809-0416-4072-ADB8-C943C443F1D7}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 09-Nov-2015 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.836955 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: G268
  Scientific: Festuca arizonica - Festuca thurberi - Muhlenbergia montana Grassland Group