Print Report
CEGL001077 Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sand Sagebrush / Black Grama Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This sand sagebrush shrubland occurs in Bandelier National Monument in north-central New Mexico, in the northern Jornada del Muerto and Tulerosa basins in south-central New Mexico, and within Petrified Forest National Park in the southern Colorado Plateau. It occurs at elevations ranging from 1416-1748 m (4646-5735 feet). Stands frequently occur on flat to rolling sandsheets or sandy plains, mesatops, lower hillslopes and dunes. Within Bandelier National Monument, this association occurs at 1660 m (5430 feet) in elevation on a sloping east-facing bench above the mouth of Canon de los Frijoles. Slopes range from 0-27%. Soils are often sandy, but range from fine sandy loams to silty-clay loams with an abrupt clay or caliche layer within 100 cm of the surface, to rocky Aridisols derived from basalt colluvium. The ground surface is characterized by shrubs rooted in exposed sandy soil with scattered grass bunches and litter patches. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense (10-30 % cover) short-shrub layer (<1.5 m tall) dominated by Artemisia filifolia, with an open to moderately dense (5-60% cover) grassy understory dominated by Bouteloua eriopoda or sometimes codominated with Bouteloua gracilis or Sporobolus cryptandrus. Other common species include Aristida spp., Gutierrezia sarothrae, Opuntia spp., and Sporobolus flexuosus. In the southern portion of its range, Chihuahuan Desert species are usually present, such as Yucca elata and Dasyochloa pulchella.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Stands from the Tulerosa and Jornada basins have a strong Madrean floristic element that may justify classifying them as distinct from the Colorado Plateau stands. More classification work is needed to clarify this. Many stands have an open shrub layer and significant graminoid layer that may be better classified as a shrub-steppe or shrub-herbaceous vegetation association.
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 short-shrub layer (<1.5 m tall) dominated by Artemisia filifolia, with an open to moderately dense grassy understory dominated by Bouteloua eriopoda or sometimes codominated with Bouteloua gracilis. In Bandelier National Monument, graminoids dominate the herbaceous layer and are characterized by Bouteloua eriopoda and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Other common species may include Aristida spp., Gutierrezia sarothrae, and Sporobolus flexuosus. In the southern portion of its range, Chihuahuan Desert species are usually present, such as Yucca elata and Dasyochloa pulchella. Opuntia phaeacantha is also characteristic of northern Chihuahuan Desert and Bandelier National Monument stands. In northeastern Arizona, other characteristic species include Achnatherum hymenoides, Chamaesyce fendleri, Cryptantha crassisepala, Ephedra torreyana, Eriogonum leptocladon, Ipomopsis longiflora, Machaeranthera canescens, Phacelia crenulata, Plantago patagonica, Senecio spartioides, Stephanomeria exigua, and Yucca angustissima. The introduced annual grass Bromus tectorum is common in some stands.
Dynamics: Some sites in New Mexico are associated with eolian sand deposits that are maintained by fine sediments being blow out of the river valley onto the basin floor (Muldavin et al. 2000b). Artemisia filifolia is often found in areas with soil disturbance and increases with heavy grazing (Sims et al. 1976, Muldavin et al. 2000b).
Environmental Description: This sand sagebrush shrubland occurs in the northern Jornada and Tulerosa basins in south-central New Mexico and at Petrified Forest National Park in the southern Colorado Plateau at 1416-1748 m (4646-5735 feet) elevation. It also occurs within Bandelier National Monument at 1660 m (5430 feet) in elevation on a sloping east-facing bench above the mouth of Canon de los Frijoles. Stands frequently occur on flat to rolling sandsheets or sandy plains, mesatops, lower hillslopes and dunes. Northern Chihuahuan Desert stands are often found near the periphery of sandsheets or on deflated plains where sand deposits are thinner and soils more developed (Muldavin et al. 2000b). Slopes range from 2-11% in New Mexico and 0-27% in Arizona. Soils are often sandy, but range from fine sandy loams to silty-clay loams with an abrupt clay or caliche layer within 100 cm of the surface (Muldavin et al. 2000b). Within Bandelier National Monument, soils are mapped as rocky Aridisols derived from basalt colluvium. The ground surface is characterized by shrubs rooted in exposed sandy soil with scattered grass bunches and litter patches.
Geographic Range: This association is described from north-central and south-central New Mexico and northeastern Arizona.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ, NM
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683556
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 3 Desert & Semi-Desert Class | C03 | 3 |
| Subclass | 3.A Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Woodland, Scrub & Grassland Subclass | S06 | 3.A |
| Formation | 3.A.2 Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland Formation | F015 | 3.A.2 |
| Division | 3.A.2.Na North American Warm Desert Scrub & Grassland Division | D039 | 3.A.2.Na |
| Macrogroup | 3.A.2.Na.2 Creosotebush - American Tarwort - Mesquite species Chihuahuan Desert Scrub Macrogroup | M086 | 3.A.2.Na.2 |
| Group | 3.A.2.Na.2.c Sand Sagebrush - Broom Smokebush Sand Scrub Group | G287 | 3.A.2.Na.2.c |
| Alliance | A3136 Sand Sagebrush Desert Sand Scrub Alliance | A3136 | 3.A.2.Na.2.c |
| Association | CEGL001077 Sand Sagebrush / Black Grama Shrubland | CEGL001077 | 3.A.2.Na.2.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda - Sporobolus spp. Vegetation (Dick-Peddie 1993) [Part of the Sand Sagebrush Series.]
= Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda PA (Muldavin and Mehlhop 1992)
= Populus deltoides ssp. wislizeni / Muhlenbergia asperifolia Association (Donnelly et al. 2006)
= Sand Sagebrush/Black Grama PA (Muldavin et al. 2000b) [(Artemisia filifolia/Bouteloua eriopoda: ARTFIL/BOUERI)]
= Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda PA (Muldavin and Mehlhop 1992)
= Populus deltoides ssp. wislizeni / Muhlenbergia asperifolia Association (Donnelly et al. 2006)
= Sand Sagebrush/Black Grama PA (Muldavin et al. 2000b) [(Artemisia filifolia/Bouteloua eriopoda: ARTFIL/BOUERI)]
- 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. 1993. New Mexico vegetation: Past, present, and future. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 244 pp.
- Donnelly, P., D. Lindsey, E. Muldavin, Y. Chauvin, and A. Browder. 2006. Vegetation communities of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Prepared by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge Remote Sensing Lab, Albuquerque, NM, and Natural Heritage New Mexico, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Final report submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southwest Region (R2), National Wildlife Refuge System (NWR), NWR Remote Sensing Lab, Division of Planning. 27 pp. [http://www.fws.gov/data/documents/BDA%20NVCS%20Veg%20Community%20Report%20Example.pdf]
- Muldavin, E., A. Kennedy, C. Jackson, P. Neville, T. Neville, K. Schulz, and M. Reid. 2011b. Vegetation classification and map: Bandelier National Monument. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SCPN/NRTR--2011/438. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
- Muldavin, E., Y. Chauvin, L. Arnold, T. Neville, P. Arbetan, and P. Neville. 2012f. Vegetation classification and map: Petroglyph National Monument. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SCPN/NRTR--2012/627. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 171 pp.
- Muldavin, E., Y. Chauvin, and G. Harper. 2000b. The vegetation of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico: Volume I. Handbook of vegetation communities. Final report to Environmental Directorate, White Sands Missile Range. New Mexico Natural Heritage Program, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. 195 pp. plus appendices
- Muldavin, E., and P. Mehlhop. 1992. A preliminary classification and test vegetation map for White Sands Missile Range and San Andreas National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico. University of New Mexico, New Mexico Natural Heritage Program.
- Sims, P. L., B. E. Dahl, and A. H. Denham. 1976. Vegetation and livestock response at three grazing intensities on sandhill rangeland in eastern Colorado. Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station. Technical Bulletin 130. 48 pp.
- Thomas, K. A., M. L. McTeague, A. Cully, K. Schulz, and J. M. S. Hutchinson. 2009a. Vegetation classification and distribution mapping report: Petrified Forest National Park. National Resource Technical Report NPS/SCPN/NRTR--2009/273. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 294 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.