Print Report
G900 Pinus edulis - Juniperus osteosperma Woodland Group
Type Concept Sentence: This woodland group is centered in the Colorado Plateau region and is composed of Pinus edulis often with Juniperus osteosperma or Juniperus scopulorum codominant in the tree canopy and a variable understory.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Two-needle Pinyon - Utah Juniper Woodland Group
Colloquial Name: Colorado Plateau Pinyon - Juniper Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This woodland group occurs in dry mountains and foothills of the Colorado Plateau region, including the Western Slope of Colorado and the Wasatch Range, south to the Mogollon Rim, and east into the northwestern corner of New Mexico. These woodlands are typically composed of a mix of Pinus edulis and Juniperus osteosperma in the tree canopy. Either tree may dominate as long as there is significant presence of Pinus edulis (not accidental) to characterize the stand as a pinyon-juniper stand and not the typically more xeric lower-elevation Juniperus osteosperma woodland and savanna. Juniperus scopulorum may replace Juniperus osteosperma and codominate at higher-elevation/less xeric sites.
In the southern portion of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico, hybrids of Juniperus monosperma and Juniperus osteosperma or both juniper species may dominate or codominate the tree canopy. Understory layers are variable and may be dominated by shrubs, graminoids, or be absent. Associated species include Arctostaphylos patula, Artemisia tridentata, Cercocarpus intricatus, Cercocarpus montanus, Coleogyne ramosissima, Purshia stansburiana, Purshia tridentata, Quercus gambelii, Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Poa secunda, or Poa fendleriana. This group occurs at higher elevations than ~Great Basin Pinyon - Juniper Woodland Group (G899)$$ where sympatric on the Colorado Plateau.
Stands are typically found at lower elevations but ranges from 1500-2440 m. These woodlands occur on warm, dry sites on mountain slopes, mesas, plateaus, and ridges. Severe climatic events occurring during the growing season, such as frosts and drought, are thought to limit the distribution of pinyon-juniper woodlands to relatively narrow altitudinal belts on mountainsides. Soils supporting this group vary in texture, ranging from stony, cobbly, gravelly, or sandy loams to clay loam or clay.
In the southern portion of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico, hybrids of Juniperus monosperma and Juniperus osteosperma or both juniper species may dominate or codominate the tree canopy. Understory layers are variable and may be dominated by shrubs, graminoids, or be absent. Associated species include Arctostaphylos patula, Artemisia tridentata, Cercocarpus intricatus, Cercocarpus montanus, Coleogyne ramosissima, Purshia stansburiana, Purshia tridentata, Quercus gambelii, Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Poa secunda, or Poa fendleriana. This group occurs at higher elevations than ~Great Basin Pinyon - Juniper Woodland Group (G899)$$ where sympatric on the Colorado Plateau.
Stands are typically found at lower elevations but ranges from 1500-2440 m. These woodlands occur on warm, dry sites on mountain slopes, mesas, plateaus, and ridges. Severe climatic events occurring during the growing season, such as frosts and drought, are thought to limit the distribution of pinyon-juniper woodlands to relatively narrow altitudinal belts on mountainsides. Soils supporting this group vary in texture, ranging from stony, cobbly, gravelly, or sandy loams to clay loam or clay.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Pinus edulis and Juniperus osteosperma typically codominate the tree canopy in this group. However, either tree may dominate as long as there is significant presence of Pinus edulis (not accidental) to characterize the stand as a pinyon-juniper stand and not the typically more xeric lower-elevation Juniperus osteosperma woodland and savanna. This group is restricted to where the ranges of Pinus edulis and Juniperus osteosperma overlap and includes areas where hybrids between Juniperus monosperma and Juniperus osteosperma or mixed stands occur in northern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico. Understory diagnostic species are more characteristic of the Great Basin than Rocky Mountains, such as Arctostaphylos patula, Artemisia nova, Artemisia tridentata, Cercocarpus intricatus, Coleogyne ramosissima, Purshia stansburiana, Purshia tridentata, Pleuraphis jamesii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Poa secunda, or Poa fendleriana.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This group corresponds to the Pinus edulis-dominated portion of the persistent pinyon-juniper woodland type from Romme et al. (2009) that occurs in the Colorado Plateau on rocky uplands with shallow, coarse-textured, and often skeletal soils that support relatively sparse herbaceous cover and rarely burn. The similar ~Great Basin Pinyon - Juniper Woodland Group (G899)$$ is dominated or codominated by Pinus monophylla, not Pinus edulis. Hybrid pinyon stands are evaluated by overall floristics and environment with Juniperus monosperma more prevalent on more xeric, lower-elevation sites. Another similar group, ~Southern Rocky Mountain Pinyon - Juniper Woodland Group (G253)$$, that is defined by the range of Juniperus monosperma and Pinus edulis in the southern Rocky Mountains, transitions into this group in the northwestern corner of New Mexico.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These woodlands are characterized by diagnostic tree species Pinus edulis and Juniperus osteosperma that form an open to dense tree layer 3-10 m tall. Shrub and herbaceous layers are variable and may be sparse to dense or absent. On extremely xeric sites, diagnostic trees species may only attain 2 m in height and have more of shrub form.
Floristics: This woodland group is dominated by Pinus edulis and/or Juniperus osteosperma in the tree canopy. Juniperus scopulorum may codominate at higher elevations. In the southern portion of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico, hybrids between Juniperus monosperma and of Juniperus osteosperma or both may dominate or codominate the tree canopy. Juniperus scopulorum may codominate with Juniperus osteosperma at higher elevations. Understory layers are variable and may be dominated by shrubs, graminoids, or be absent. Associated species include Arctostaphylos patula, Artemisia tridentata, Cercocarpus intricatus, Cercocarpus montanus, Coleogyne ramosissima, Purshia stansburiana, Purshia tridentata, Quercus gambelii, Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Poa secunda, or Poa fendleriana.
Dynamics: Key ecological processes are drought, fire, herbivory, and insect/disease outbreaks. Both Pinus edulis and Juniperus osteosperma are relatively short (generally <15 m tall), shade-intolerant, drought-tolerant, slow-growing, long-lived trees (especially Juniperus osteosperma can reach 650 years old) (Meeuwig and Bassett 1983, Little 1987, Zlatnik 1999e, Romme et al. 2003). Both tree species are also non-sprouting and may be killed by fire (Wright et al. 1979). The effect of a fire on these stands is largely dependent on the tree height and density, fine fuel load on the ground, weather conditions and season (Wright et al. 1979). Large trees generally survive unless the fire gets into the crown due to heavy fuel loads in the understory. In this system fire acts to open stands, increase diversity and productivity in understory species, and create a mosaic of stands of different sizes and ages across the landscape while maintaining the boundary between woodlands and adjacent shrublands or grasslands (Bradley et al. 1992).
Environmental Description: This woodland group occurs in dry mountains and foothills of the Colorado Plateau region and is typically found at lower elevations but ranges from 1500-2440 m. These woodlands occur on warm, dry sites on mountain slopes, mesas, plateaus, and ridges. Severe climatic events occurring during the growing season, such as frosts and drought, are thought to limit the distribution of pinyon-juniper woodlands to relatively narrow altitudinal belts on mountainsides. Soils supporting this group vary in texture, ranging from stony, cobbly, gravelly, or sandy loams to clay loam or clay.
Geographic Range: This group occurs on dry mountains and foothills of the Colorado Plateau region from the Western Slope of Colorado to the Wasatch Range, south to the Mogollon Rim, and east into the northwestern corner of New Mexico.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ, CO, NM, UT, WY?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1085061
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Colorado Pinyon-Utah Juniper Series (Dick-Peddie 1993)
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