Print Report
CEGL001417 Artemisia nova Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Black Sagebrush Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This broadly defined association is reported from eastern Wyoming and western Colorado to eastern California but may be found elsewhere in the interior western U.S. Stands occur at middle to upper elevations of 1400 to 2730 m (4590-8960 feet) on mountain and hillslopes, ridges, mesatops, alluvial fans and river bluffs. Sites are nearly level to steeply sloping; aspects are variable. Soils are shallow (often <30 cm deep), well-drained, and coarse-textured with high cover of gravel and cobble (desert pavement). Soil texture ranges from gravelly loam to sandy clay loam. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense (12-40% cover) dwarf-shrub layer (<0.5 m tall) that is dominated by Artemisia nova. Other woody species present include Picrothamnus desertorum, Atriplex confertifolia, Artemisia tridentata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Ericameria nauseosa, Ephedra spp., Grayia spinosa, Krascheninnikovia lanata, and Opuntia polyacantha var. erinacea. Diagnostic of this community is a sparse herbaceous understory with only scattered grasses and forbs. Common grasses may include Achnatherum hymenoides, Aristida purpurea, Hesperostipa comata, Pleuraphis jamesii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, and Poa secunda. Forbs such as Erysimum asperum, Erigeron aphanactis, Stenotus acaulis, and Phlox spp. may also be present. Scattered trees may be present, such as Juniperus osteosperma, Pinus edulis, Pinus monophylla, or Yucca brevifolia, depending on location. Introduced species are important in some stands and may include Bromus tectorum, Salsola kali, and Halogeton glomeratus.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This wide-ranging and broadly defined association is distinguished from other Artemisia nova dwarf-shrublands by the lack of a significant graminoid layer and therefore is quite variable in species composition. Blackburn et al. (1968c) described an Artemisia nova / Bromus tectorum association that may be included here until a new Artemisia nova / Bromus tectorum Shrubland association is created in the USNVC.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This association has an open to moderately dense (10-40% cover) dwarf-shrub layer (<0.5 m tall) that is dominated by Artemisia nova. Other woody species present include Picrothamnus desertorum (= Artemisia spinescens), Artemisia tridentata, Atriplex confertifolia, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Ericameria nauseosa, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Grayia spinosa, Krascheninnikovia lanata, and Opuntia polyacantha var. erinacea (= Opuntia erinacea). Diagnostic of this community is a sparse herbaceous understory with only scattered grasses and forbs. Common grasses may include Achnatherum hymenoides, Aristida purpurea, Hesperostipa comata, Pleuraphis jamesii, and Poa secunda. Forbs such as Erysimum asperum, Erigeron aphanactis, and Phlox viridis may be present. Scattered Juniperus osteosperma, Pinus monophylla, and Yucca brevifolia may be present in eastern Mojave stands such as Cottonwood Mountains in Death Valley National Park in California. Juniperus osteosperma and Pinus edulis have been noted in Colorado Plateau stands. Introduced species are important in some stands and may include Bromus tectorum, Salsola kali, and Halogeton glomeratus.
Dynamics: Beatley (1976) observed Artemisia nova communities above the Coleogyne ramosissima and Atriplex confertifolia Zones and below the Pinyon-Juniper Zone in the Great Basin. Milton and Purdy (1983) found Artemisia nova common on hydrothermally altered rocks of the Harmony Formation at the Battle Mountain study site in Utah. They reported that altered soils had lower total vegetation cover, higher pH and more kaolinite and less illite than the unaltered sites, but could not explain why Artemisia nova replaced Artemisia tridentata on the altered sites. The presence of Artemisia nova at Dinosaur National Monument indicates that the substrate is derived from limestone; at Mesa Verde National Park, small inclusions of Artemisia nova shrubland occur in the heads of draws surrounded by a matrix of tall shrublands of Quercus gambelii and Amelanchier spp.
Environmental Description: Stands occur at middle to upper elevations (1400-2730 m) on mountain and hillslopes, ridges, mesatops, alluvial fans and river bluffs. Sites are nearly level to steeply sloping; aspects are variable, but stands are reported from northwestern slopes. Soils are often shallow (<30 cm deep), well-drained, calcareous and coarse-textured with high cover (35-70% cover) of gravel and cobble (desert pavement). Soil texture ranges from gravelly loam to sandy clay loam. Adjacent vegetation includes Juniperus osteosperma-dominated woodlands. At Dinosaur National Monument, stands of Artemisia nova indicate limestone; at Mesa Verde National Park, stands occur in deep soils at the heads of drainages, as islands in a tall, mixed Quercus - Amelanchier shrubland.
Geographic Range: This association occurs from eastern Wyoming south to west-central Colorado and west to eastern California.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CA, CO, NV, UT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683199
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G5
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 3 Desert & Semi-Desert Class | C03 | 3 |
| Subclass | 3.B Cool Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland Subclass | S11 | 3.B |
| Formation | 3.B.1 Cool Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland Formation | F033 | 3.B.1 |
| Division | 3.B.1.Ne Western North American Cool Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland Division | D040 | 3.B.1.Ne |
| Macrogroup | 3.B.1.Ne.2 Little Sagebrush - Black Sagebrush - Scabland Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Macrogroup | M170 | 3.B.1.Ne.2 |
| Group | 3.B.1.Ne.2.b Little Sagebrush - Bigelow''s Sagebrush - Black Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Group | G308 | 3.B.1.Ne.2.b |
| Alliance | A3222 Black Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Alliance | A3222 | 3.B.1.Ne.2.b |
| Association | CEGL001417 Black Sagebrush Shrubland | CEGL001417 | 3.B.1.Ne.2.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Artemisia nova (Sawyer et al. 2009) [35.130.01]
= Artemisia nova Association (Evens et al. 2014)
= Artemisia nova Association (Leary and Peterson 1984)
= Artemisia nova Association (Peterson 1984a)
= Artemisia nova Community (Blackburn et al. 1968c)
< Artemisia nova communities (Beatley 1976)
< Black Sagebrush Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
= Artemisia nova Association (Evens et al. 2014)
= Artemisia nova Association (Leary and Peterson 1984)
= Artemisia nova Association (Peterson 1984a)
= Artemisia nova Community (Blackburn et al. 1968c)
< Artemisia nova communities (Beatley 1976)
< Black Sagebrush Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
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