Name:
Pinus monophylla - Juniperus osteosperma - Juniperus occidentalis Intermountain Woodland Macrogroup
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This broadly defined macrogroup is composed of woodland, savanna and scrub characterized by an open to closed tree canopy of <i>Juniperus occidentalis, Juniperus osteosperma, Pinus monophylla</i>, and/or <i>Cercocarpus ledifolius</i>. Shrub layers are frequently dominated by <i>Artemisia tridentata</i>, which in places can form a moderately dense shrub canopy. Other common associated shrub species include <i>Arctostaphylos patula, Artemisia arbuscula, Artemisia nova, Cercocarpus intricatus, Cercocarpus ledifolius</i> (shrub form), <i>Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Coleogyne ramosissima, Ericameria nauseosa, Glossopetalon spinescens, Purshia stansburiana, Purshia tridentata, Quercus chrysolepis, Quercus gambelii, Quercus john-tuckeri, Quercus turbinella, Ribes cereum, Tetradymia</i> spp., and <i>Yucca brevifolia</i>. The herbaceous layer may be sparse to dense depending on overstory density, substrate, landscape position, and disturbance history, with the densest graminoid layer in open tree savanna. Common graminoid associates include <i>Bouteloua gracilis, Carex filifolia, Hesperostipa comata, Festuca idahoensis, Leymus cinereus, Leymus salinus, Pleuraphis jamesii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Poa fendleriana</i>, and <i>Poa secunda</i>. Forb species may be diverse but typically have low canopy cover values. Pinyon and juniper stands in the Colorado Plateau and Great Basin occur between 1500-2600 m elevation on warm, dry sites of lower mountain slopes, hills, mesas, plateaus, ridges, and more recently on basins and flats where trees are expanding into semi-desert grasslands and steppe. Substrates are variable, but are generally shallow, cobbly, gravelly, or sandy loams to clay loam or clay. Juniper stands in the Columbia Plateau range from under 200 m elevation along the Columbia River in central Washington to over 1500 m. In central Oregon, the center of distribution, they occur on all aspects and slope positions. <i>Cercocarpus ledifolius</i> woodland and scrub stands occur in hills and mountain ranges in the Great Basin and eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada northeast to the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. It typically occurs from 600 m to over 2650 m in elevation on rocky outcrops or escarpments and forms small- to large-patch stands. Most stands occur as shrublands on ridges and steep rimrock slopes, but they may be composed of small trees in steppe areas.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:41113-{B4332082-55E0-40F1-94CC-419AF9982E31}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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