Name:
Artemisia arbuscula - Artemisia bigelovii - Artemisia nova Steppe & Shrubland Group
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This broadly defined semi-arid dwarf-shrubland and steppe occurs throughout much of the intermountain western U.S. The vegetation in this broadly defined shrubland and steppe group includes an open to moderately dense shrub or dwarf-shrub layer with a sparse to dense herbaceous layer. Several different taxa of sagebrush may dominate depending on location and by habitat. <i>Artemisia nova</i> is most widespread, occurring throughout most of the region on mid- to low-elevation, gravelly, calcareous soils. <i>Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula</i> occurs on low- to high-elevation sites often on shallow, fine-textured soils with a dense clay layer that impedes drainage in spring. <i>Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba</i> is widespread in the Columbia Basin and Great Basin into southwestern Wyoming and badlands in the western Great Plains. It occurs on shallow, alkaline, calcareous soils derived from shale. <i>Artemisia bigelovii</i> occurs throughout much of the Colorado Plateau and extends across northern New Mexico and southeastern Colorado on shallow soils on limestone hills and shale outcrops. Several other more restricted taxa include <i>Artemisia tripartita ssp. rupicola, Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longicaulis, Artemisia arbuscula ssp. thermopola</i>, and <i>Artemisia frigida</i>. Other shrubs present to codominant may include <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Grayia spinosa</i>, or <i>Purshia tridentata</i>, depending on habitat. The herbaceous layer, if present, ranges from sparse cushion plants such as <i>Arenaria hookeri, Eriogonum brevicaule</i>, and <i>Phlox hoodii</i> to moderate to dense cover of perennial grasses. Characteristic grasses include <i>Achnatherum hymenoides, Bouteloua gracilis, Elymus lanceolatus, Festuca idahoensis, Hesperostipa comata, Pascopyrum smithii, Pleuraphis jamesii, Poa fendleriana, Poa secunda</i>, and <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i>. Some stands have significant biological crust formation on the soil surface. Sites are generally xeric and may be wind-blown ridges and benches, gravelly alluvial fans, hilltops, canyons, gravelly draws, and dry flats. Substrates are typically shallow, gravelly or finer-textured alkaline, calcareous soils. Most stands occur from 1000 to 3000 m elevation with some extending to 3800 m in subalpine and alpine habitats of the Sierra Nevada. Substrates are variable, but are typically alluvium derived from limestone, shale, basalt, rhyolite or volcanics.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40066-{A0FCDB8D-5C91-4ABD-84FF-D98E2F44B7AB}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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