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CEGL000689 Quercus grisea / Bouteloua curtipendula Scrub Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Gray Oak / Sideoats Grama Scrub Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This encinal association occurs in southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and possibly Trans-Pecos Texas and adjacent Mexico. Stands occur on gently to moderately sloping alluvial plains, bajadas and canyon bottoms to steep, rocky slopes in canyons, piedmont hills and mountains. Elevation ranges from 1300-1980 m (4270-6500 feet) extending up to 2285 m (7500 feet) on southern to western aspects. Soils are shallow, gravelly or stony sandy loams or sandy clay loams, derived from a mixture of alluvium and colluvium. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense evergreen tree layer (10-60% cover) dominated by Quercus grisea with a grassy understory. The tree canopy is typically 3-5 m tall and >5 m tall in bottomland stands. Stands range from tree savanna to open woodland and moderately dense woodland at higher elevations and in canyon bottoms. Quercus arizonica, Quercus emoryi, Quercus gravesii, Quercus oblongifolia, Prosopis spp., Juniperus deppeana, Juniperus monosperma, and occasional Pinus cembroides, Pinus discolor, or Pinus edulis may be present in tree canopy but generally not codominant. There may be a sparse to moderately dense shrub layer, but graminoids dominate the understory. Shrubs and succulents present may include Agave palmeri, Acacia constricta, Arctostaphylos pungens, Brickellia spp., Cercocarpus montanus, Dasylirion wheeleri, Dodonaea viscosa, Ericameria laricifolia, Eriogonum wrightii, Erythrina flabelliformis, Eysenhardtia orthocarpa, Garrya wrightii, Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera, Mimosa dysocarpa, Nolina microcarpa, Opuntia engelmannii, Opuntia phaeacantha, Cylindropuntia spinosior, Quercus turbinella, Rhus trilobata, Yucca baccata, and Yucca madrensis. The graminoid layer is moderately dense to dense (25-80% cover) and typically dominated by medium-tall bunchgrasses such as Bouteloua curtipendula, Schizachyrium cirratum, or Muhlenbergia emersleyi, but it can be very diverse. Other common graminoids may include Aristida schiedeana var. orcuttiana, Bouteloua chondrosioides, Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua gracilis, Bouteloua hirsuta, Bothriochloa barbinodis, Eragrostis intermedia, Leptochloa dubia, Muhlenbergia longiligula, and Poa fendleriana. The usually sparse, but often diverse, forb layer may include Artemisia ludoviciana, Boerhavia intermedia, Commelina erecta, Chenopodium spp., Datura wrightii, Ipomoea cristulata, Geranium caespitosum, Phaseolus spp., and many others. Diagnostic of this association is the dominance of Quercus grisea in the tree canopy with at least 5% cover and a grass-dominated understory.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Oak savannas on foothills and canyons with Quercus grisea and other oaks, pinyons and junipers with a grassy understory.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Quercus arizonica is hard to distinguish from Quercus grisea where sympatric because of taxonomic difficulties between the dominant Quercus species and similar habitats. Some riparian stands in canyon bottoms are dense enough to be classified as forests (plot EM17 in Bourgeron et al. 1993b).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense evergreen tree layer (10-60% cover) dominated by Quercus grisea with a grassy understory. The tree canopy is typically 3-5 m tall and >5 m tall in bottomland stands. Stands range from tree savanna to open woodland and moderately dense woodland at higher elevations and in canyon bottoms. Quercus arizonica, Quercus emoryi, Quercus gravesii, Quercus oblongifolia, Prosopis spp., Juniperus deppeana, Juniperus monosperma, and occasional Pinus cembroides, Pinus discolor, or Pinus edulis may be present in tree canopy but generally not codominant. There may be a sparse to moderately dense shrub layer, but graminoids dominate the understory. Shrubs and succulents present may include Agave palmeri, Acacia constricta, Arctostaphylos pungens, Brickellia spp., Cercocarpus montanus, Dasylirion wheeleri, Dodonaea viscosa, Ericameria laricifolia, Eriogonum wrightii, Erythrina flabelliformis, Eysenhardtia orthocarpa, Garrya wrightii, Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera, Mimosa dysocarpa, Nolina microcarpa, Opuntia engelmannii, Opuntia phaeacantha, Cylindropuntia spinosior (= Opuntia spinosior), Quercus turbinella, Rhus trilobata, Yucca baccata, and Yucca madrensis (= Yucca schottii). The graminoid layer is moderately dense to dense (25-80% cover) and typically dominated by medium-tall bunchgrasses such as Bouteloua curtipendula, Schizachyrium cirratum (= Andropogon cirratus), or Muhlenbergia emersleyi, but it can be very diverse. Other common graminoids may include Aristida schiedeana var. orcuttiana (= Aristida orcuttiana), Bouteloua chondrosioides, Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua gracilis, Bouteloua hirsuta, Bothriochloa barbinodis, Eragrostis intermedia, Leptochloa dubia, Muhlenbergia longiligula, and Poa fendleriana. The usually sparse, but often diverse, forb layer may include Artemisia ludoviciana, Boerhavia intermedia, Commelina erecta, Chenopodium spp., Datura wrightii, Ipomoea cristulata, Geranium caespitosum, Phaseolus spp., and many others.
Dynamics: Quercus grisea is probably top-killed by fire. Survivors having a shrubby growth form may sprout. Acorns on the surface are probably killed by fire, while those buried by soil are likely to be able to survive low-intensity fires.
Environmental Description: Stands occur on gently to moderately sloping alluvial plains, bajadas and canyon bottoms to steep, rocky slopes in canyons, piedmont hills and mountains. Elevation ranges from 1300-1980 m (4270-6500 feet) extending up to 2285 m (7500 feet) on southern to western aspects. Soils are shallow, gravelly or stony sandy loams or sandy clay loams, derived from a mixture of alluvium and colluvium.
Geographic Range: These woodlands occur in the mountains of southern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. They likely also occur in the mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora.
Nations: MX?,US
States/Provinces: AZ, MXCHH?, MXCOA?, MXSON?, NM, TX?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683469
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G5
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass | S15 | 1.B |
| Formation | 1.B.1 Warm Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F018 | 1.B.1 |
| Division | 1.B.1.Nd Madrean-Balconian Forest & Woodland Division | D060 | 1.B.1.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.1.Nd.1 Alligator Juniper - Mexican Pinyon - Arizona White Oak Madrean Lowland Evergreen Woodland Macrogroup | M010 | 1.B.1.Nd.1 |
| Group | 1.B.1.Nd.1.a Arizona White Oak - Emory Oak - Mexican Blue Oak Woodland Group | G201 | 1.B.1.Nd.1.a |
| Alliance | A3101 Arizona White Oak - Emory Oak - Gray Oak Scrub Woodland Alliance | A3101 | 1.B.1.Nd.1.a |
| Association | CEGL000689 Gray Oak / Sideoats Grama Scrub Woodland | CEGL000689 | 1.B.1.Nd.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Quercus grisea / Bouteloua curtipendula (Stuever and Hayden 1997b)
= Quercus grisea / Bouteloua curtipendula PA (Bourgeron et al. 1993b)
= Quercus grisea / Bouteloua curtipendula PA (Larson and Moir 1986)
= Quercus grisea / Bouteloua curtipendula PA (Bourgeron et al. 1995a)
= Quercus grisea / Bouteloua curtipendula PA (Bourgeron et al. 1993b)
= Quercus grisea / Bouteloua curtipendula PA (Larson and Moir 1986)
= Quercus grisea / Bouteloua curtipendula PA (Bourgeron et al. 1995a)
- Bourgeron, P. S., L. D. Engelking, H. C. Humphries, E. Muldavin, and W. H. Moir. 1993b. Assessing the conservation value of the Gray Ranch: Rarity, diversity and representativeness. Unpublished report prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Western Heritage Task Force, Boulder, CO. (Volume I and II).
- Bourgeron, P. S., L. D. Engelking, H. C. Humphries, E. Muldavin, and W. H. Moir. 1995a. Assessing the conservation value of the Gray Ranch: Rarity, diversity and representativeness. Desert Plants 11(2-3):3-68.
- Bourgeron, P. S., and L. D. Engelking, editors. 1994. A preliminary vegetation classification of the western United States. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy, Western Heritage Task Force, Boulder, CO. 175 pp. plus appendix.
- Dick-Peddie, W. A., and W. H. Moir. 1970. Vegetation of the Organ Mountains, New Mexico. Colorado State University, Range Science Department. Science Series 4. 28 pp.
- Gehlbach, F. R. 1967. Vegetation of the Guadalupe Escarpment, New Mexico-Texas. Ecology 48:404-419.
- Larson, M., and W. H. Moir. 1986. Forest and woodland habitat types (plant associations) of southern New Mexico and central Arizona (north of the Mogollon Rim). USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM. 76 pp.
- Schulz, K. A. 2004. Vegetation classification of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona. Unpublished report submitted to USDI Fish and Wildlife Service. NatureServe, Western Regional Office, Boulder, CO.
- Stuever, M. C., and J. S. Hayden. 1997b. Plant associations of Arizona and New Mexico. Volume 2: Woodlands. USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Habitat Typing Guides. 196 pp.
- USFS [U.S. Forest Service]. 1986. Forest and woodland habitat types (plant associations) of southern New Mexico and central Arizona (north of the Mogollon Rim). USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM. Second edition, 140 pp. plus insert.
- USFS [U.S. Forest Service]. 1987b. Forest and woodland habitat types (plant associations) of Arizona south of the Mogollon Rim and southwestern New Mexico. USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM. Second edition, 168 pp. plus insert.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.