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CEGL002176 Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua (curtipendula, gracilis) Shrubland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sand Sagebrush / (Sideoats Grama, Blue Grama) Shrubland

Colloquial Name: Sand Sagebrush / Grama Shrubland

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This sagebrush shrubland is found on sandy rolling hills in the southern Great Plains of the United States, ranging from Kansas south to Texas. The ground surface is characterized by large patches of exposed soil and scattered areas of grass and litter. The shrub layer is between 0.5 and 1 m tall and dominated by Artemisia filifolia with Chrysothamnus pulchellus as a frequent associate at some sites. Occasionally Pinus edulis or Pinus ponderosa are scattered, but typically trees are absent in these sandy shrublands. Short to medium grasses dominate the ground layer, including Bouteloua curtipendula and Bouteloua gracilis. Other graminoids include Andropogon hallii, Aristida purpurea, Cyperus schweinitzii, Paspalum setaceum, Pascopyrum smithii, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sporobolus cryptandrus, among others. Herbs may include Erigeron annuus, Helianthus petiolaris, and Grindelia papposa. Prairie forb species such as Gaillardia pulchella, Linum lewisii, Machaeranthera tanacetifolia, Melampodium leucanthum, Mirabilis linearis, and Oenothera pallida may be common and characteristic.

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: The shrub layer is between 0.5 and 1 m tall. The canopy is dominated by Artemisia filifolia with Chrysothamnus pulchellus as a frequent associate at some sites. Occasionally Pinus edulis or Pinus ponderosa are scattered, but typically trees are absent in these sandy shrublands. Short to medium grasses dominate the ground layer, including Bouteloua curtipendula and Bouteloua gracilis. Other graminoids may include Andropogon hallii, Aristida purpurea, Cyperus schweinitzii, Paspalum setaceum, Pascopyrum smithii, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sporobolus cryptandrus, among others. Herbs may include Erigeron annuus, Helianthus petiolaris, and Grindelia papposa (= Prionopsis ciliata) (Lauver et al. 1999). Prairie forb species such as Gaillardia pulchella, Linum lewisii, Machaeranthera tanacetifolia, Melampodium leucanthum, Mirabilis linearis, and Oenothera pallida may be common and characteristic.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This sagebrush shrubland is found on sandy rolling hills in the southern Great Plains of the United States. It is also known to occur at 1930 m (6325 feet) elevation on gently rolling hills and sandy alluvial plains within the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument in New Mexico and between 1960 and 2160 m (6430-7090 feet) on a variety of aspects and landforms, including gently rolling, old lava flows, gently sloping coppice dunes, or lower dipslopes of low sandstone hills at El Malpais National Monument. Soils are loamy fine sand to sandy, excessively drained, and formed in loamy or sandy eolian sediments. Soils are loamy fine sand to sandy, excessively drained, and formed in loamy or sandy eolian sediments (Lauver et al. 1999). The ground surface is characterized by large patches of exposed soil and scattered areas of grass and litter.
Geographic Range: This community is found in the southern Great Plains of the United States, ranging from Kansas south to Texas. It is also known to occur within the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument and El Malpais National Monument in New Mexico.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CO, KS, NM, OK, TX


Confidence Level: High

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass S18 2.B
Formation 2.B.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation F012 2.B.2
Division 2.B.2.Nb Central North American Grassland & Shrubland Division D023 2.B.2.Nb
Macrogroup 2.B.2.Nb.4 Sand Bluestem - Prairie Sandreed - Sand Sagebrush Great Plains Sand Grassland & Shrubland Macrogroup M052 2.B.2.Nb.4
Group 2.B.2.Nb.4.a Southern Great Plains Sand Grassland & Shrubland Group G888 2.B.2.Nb.4.a
Alliance A0816 Sand Sagebrush Great Plains Sand Prairie Scrub Alliance A0816 2.B.2.Nb.4.a
Association CEGL002176 Sand Sagebrush / (Sideoats Grama, Blue Grama) Shrubland CEGL002176 2.B.2.Nb.4.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua (curtipendula, gracilis) Shrubland (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
Concept Author(s): Great Plains Program

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen, K.S. King and M.E. Hall

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 05-24-10
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