Print Report
CEGL001008 Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata / Poa secunda Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Basin Big Sagebrush / Sandberg Bluegrass Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This basin big sagebrush shrubland is known from the Great Basin, southern Columbia Plateau, Colorado Plateau, and Wyoming Basins. Stands occur on valley floors, drainages, and lower leeward slopes of ridges. Sites are flat to moderate sloping (1-8°) and are found on all aspects. Elevation ranges between 241 m in eastern Washington up to 2095 m in southwestern Wyoming. The unvegetated surface has high exposure of bare soil, low cover of litter, and sparse cover of small rocks and downed wood. Soils are moderately well-drained to rapidly drained and vary texturally from sandy and silty loams to silty clay loam and clay. Parent materials include sandstones and shale. The vegetation is characterized by open to moderate cover of the tall shrub Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata (10-35% cover) and sparse to moderate cover of the perennial bunchgrass Poa secunda (1-50% cover). The shrub layer includes other short and dwarf-shrubs with sparse to low cover, such as Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Atriplex gardneri, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, and Eriogonum spp. The herbaceous layer has low diversity. Other grasses present may include low cover of Aristida purpurea, Elymus elymoides, Elymus lanceolatus, Hesperostipa comata, Poa glauca, and the non-native bunchgrass Agropyron cristatum. Pseudoroegneria spicata is usually absent or sparse. Forbs have very low cover and species diversity.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This association is characterized by open to moderate cover of the tall shrub Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata (10-35% cover) and sparse to moderate cover of the perennial bunchgrass Poa secunda (1-50% cover). The shrub layer includes other short and dwarf-shrubs with sparse to low cover, such as Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Atriplex gardneri, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, and Eriogonum spp. The herbaceous layer has low diversity. Other grasses present may include low cover of Aristida purpurea, Elymus elymoides, Elymus lanceolatus, Hesperostipa comata, Poa glauca, and the non-native bunchgrass Agropyron cristatum. Pseudoroegneria spicata is usually absent or sparse. Forbs have very low cover and species diversity and may include Alyssum desertorum, Antennaria dimorpha, Descurainia sp., Lappula occidentalis (= Lappula redowskii), Lepidium virginicum, and Ceratocephala testiculata (= Ranunculus testiculatus) (Daubenmire 1970).
Dynamics: Daubenmire (1970) tentatively considers this type to be an edaphic climax. It appears to have sharp ecotones with other big sagebrush types that are dominated by taller grasses such as Pseudoroegneria spicata, so a grazing disclimax does not seem plausible in his stands. Fire frequency is low because of the low volume of fine fuels produced by the Poa secunda-dominated herbaceous layer which will not carry fire except under extreme conditions. Daubenmire (1970) considers this type to be essentially non-flammable, frequently acting as a firebreak.
Environmental Description: This basin big sagebrush shrubland is known from the Great Basin, southern Columbia Plateau, Colorado Plateau, and Wyoming Basins. Stands occur on valley floors, drainages, and lower leeward slopes of ridges. Sites are flat to moderate sloping (1-8°) and are found on all aspects. Elevation ranges between 241 m in eastern Washington up to 2095 m in southwestern Wyoming (Daubenmire 1970). The unvegetated surface has high exposure of bare soil, low cover of litter, and sparse cover of small rocks and downed wood. Soils are moderately well-drained to rapidly drained and vary texturally from sandy and silty loams to silty clay loam and clay. Parent materials include sandstones and shale that have eroded and deposited as secondary stream alluvium.
Geographic Range: This basin big sagebrush shrubland is reported from the Great Basin, southern Columbia Plateau, Colorado Plateau, and Wyoming Basins of Nevada, Utah and Wyoming.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: ID, NV, UT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683718
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.3 Big Sagebrush - Threetip Sagebrush - Antelope Bitterbrush Steppe & Shrubland Macrogroup | M169 | 3.B.1.Ne.3 |
| Group | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a Wyoming Big Sagebrush - Basin Big Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Group | G303 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
| Alliance | A3194 Basin Big Sagebrush - Foothill Big Sagebrush Dry Steppe & Shrubland Alliance | A3194 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
| Association | CEGL001008 Basin Big Sagebrush / Sandberg Bluegrass Shrubland | CEGL001008 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Artemisia tridentata / Poa secunda Habitat Type (Daubenmire 1970)
= Basin Big Sagebrush / Sandberg Bluegrass Shrubland (Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata / Poa secunda Shrubland) (Bell et al. 2009)
= Basin Big Sagebrush / Sandberg Bluegrass Shrubland (Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata / Poa secunda Shrubland) (Bell et al. 2009)
- Bell, J., D. Cogan, J. Erixson, and J. Von Loh. 2009. Vegetation inventory project report, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/UCBN/NRTR-2009/277. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 358 pp.
- 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.
- Coles, J., A. Wight, J. Von Loh, K. Schulz, and A. Evenden. 2011. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Golden Spike National Historic Site. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR---2011/508. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 252 pp. [http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/units/NCPN]
- Daubenmire, R. F. 1970. Steppe vegetation of Washington. Washington State University Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 62. 131 pp.
- Friesen, B. A., S. Blauer, K. Landgraf, J. Von Loh, J. Coles, K. Schulz, A. Tendick, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, and A. Evenden. 2010. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Fossil Butte National Monument. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR--2010/319. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 552 pp. [http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/fobu/foburpt.pdf]
- Moretti, M. C. 1979. Vegetation and soil factors in relation to slope position: A study of plant communities on foothill knolls in the Uintah Basin of Utah. Unpublished thesis, Brigham Young University, Provo. 31 pp.
- Moretti, M. C., and J. D. Brotherson. 1982. Vegetation and soil factors in relation to slope position of foothill knolls in the Uinta Basin of Utah. Great Basin Naturalist 42(1):81-90.
- Peterson, E. B. 2008. International Vegetation Classification alliances and associations occurring in Nevada with proposed additions. Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, NV. 348 pp.
- Robertson, J. H. 1971. Changes on a sagebrush-grass range in Nevada ungrazed for 30 years. Journal of Range Management 24:397-400.
- WNDD [Wyoming Natural Diversity Database]. No date. Unpublished data on file. Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.