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CEGL000795 Pinus edulis / Sparse Understory Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Two-needle Pinyon / Sparse Understory Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: These forests and woodlands occur in foothills, mesas, plateaus and mountains of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Sites are flat to moderately sloping. Stands frequently occur on less xeric, northern and eastern exposures, but can occur on all aspects. Elevations range from 1850-2290 m (6065-7500 feet). Substrates are variable, but often include eroded, shallow, coarse-textured substrates such as cinder (but not rock outcrops) that limit understory growth. Cover of tree litter is dense in some stands, but in others the ground surface is characterized by exposed soil and gravel with widely scattered grass patches and litter. A moderately dense (over 25% cover) to dense tree canopy with little or no understory characterizes the vegetation. The tree canopy is dominated by Pinus edulis. Other trees may codominate especially one or more of several species of Juniperus that vary with geography. If other species of Pinus are present they do not codominate. The sparse understory (<10% cover and usually <2%) may include scattered shrubs, dwarf-shrubs, succulents, grasses and forbs, such as Ageratina herbacea, Cercocarpus montanus, Fallugia paradoxa, Rhus trilobata, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Achnatherum hymenoides, and species of Poa, Opuntia, Yucca, Penstemon, and Phlox. The original concept of this association was of a nearly closed, Pinus edulis-dominated tree canopy that shaded out understory vegetation and often occurred on relatively mesic sites with high tree growth potential. However, the association also now includes fire-suppressed stands, woodlands growing on eroded or "badlands" substrates, and/or overgrazed stands that lack understory vegetation.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Understory is sparse, although annual plants may be well-represented. Tree cover of pinyon and juniper is usually dense, often forming a closed canopy.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The original concept of this plant association had a nearly closed tree canopy with a sparse, shaded understory growing on relatively mesic sites. These forests may actually be a product of fire suppression, livestock grazing removal of fine fuels, and/or soil erosion, and may be present in degraded examples of other Pinus edulis associations (Stuever and Hayden 1997b). The association concept has been expanded to include more open-growing stands by Muldavin et al. (2000b) who included stands under 20% tree cover.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This plant association is characterized by a moderate (over 25% cover) to dense tree canopy with little or no understory. The tree canopy is dominated by Pinus edulis. Other trees may codominate, especially one or more of several species of Juniperus that vary with geography, such as Juniperus monosperma, Juniperus osteosperma, Juniperus scopulorum, or Juniperus deppeana. If other species of Pinus are present they do not codominate. The sparse understory (<10% cover and usually <2%) may include scattered shrubs, dwarf-shrubs, succulents, grasses and forbs, such as Ageratina herbacea, Bouteloua gracilis, Cercocarpus montanus, Fallugia paradoxa, Muhlenbergia setifolia, Rhus trilobata, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Achnatherum hymenoides, and species of Opuntia, Yucca, Poa, Penstemon, and Phlox.
Dynamics: Pinus edulis is extremely drought-tolerant and slow-growing (Little 1987, Powell 1988b, Muldavin et al. 1998a). It is also non-sprouting and may be killed by fire However, fire frequency is relatively low because of the lack of continuous fine fuel needed to spread surface fire. When fire occurs, it will likely be severe, occurring under the extreme conditions (high winds) needed to carry a crown fire (Wright et al. 1979, Bradley et al. 1992). Active fire suppression and historic grazing by livestock, which has removed the fine fuels that carry fire, have likely altered fire regimes and may have contributed to the conversion of open woodlands to closed tree canopies with sparse understories. Subsequent erosion of bare soil can be expected to reduce site productivity (Baker et al. 1995).
Environmental Description: These forests and woodlands occur in foothills, mesas, plateaus and mountains of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Sites are flat to moderately sloping at elevations that range from 1850-2290 m (6065-7500 feet). Stands frequently occur on less xeric, northern and eastern exposures but can occur on all aspects. Substrates are variable but often include eroded, shallow or coarse-textured substrates such as cinder (but not rock outcrops) that limit the growth of understory shrubs and herbaceous plants. Cover of tree litter is dense in some stands (Kennedy 1983a). In others, the ground surface is characterized by exposed soil and gravel with widely scattered grass patches and litter. The original concept of this association included stands on relatively mesic sites with high tree growth potential that produced a dense tree canopy which shades out the understory vegetation. However, the association also now includes fire-suppressed stands and woodlands growing on eroded or "badlands" substrates and/or overgrazed stands that lack understory vegetation (Baker et al. 1995, Stuever and Hayden 1997a).
Geographic Range: These forests and woodlands occur in foothills, mesas, plateaus and mountains of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ, CO, NM, UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684526
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F008 | 1.B.2 |
| Division | 1.B.2.Nc Western North American Pinyon - Juniper Woodland & Scrub Division | D010 | 1.B.2.Nc |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nc.2 Two-needle Pinyon - One-seed Juniper Southern Rocky Mountain Woodland Macrogroup | M897 | 1.B.2.Nc.2 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nc.2.b One-seed Juniper Open Woodland Group | G252 | 1.B.2.Nc.2.b |
| Alliance | A3574 One-seed Juniper Shrubby Woodland Alliance | A3574 | 1.B.2.Nc.2.b |
| Association | CEGL000795 Two-needle Pinyon / Sparse Understory Forest | CEGL000795 | 1.B.2.Nc.2.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pinus edulis / Sparse Community Type (Larson and Moir 1987)
= Pinus edulis / sparse (Stuever and Hayden 1997b)
= Pinus edulis / Sparse Community Type (Kennedy 1983a)
= Pinus edulis / Sparse Understory Forest (Thomas et al. 2003c)
= Pinus edulis / Sparse Understory PA (Muldavin and Mehlhop 1992)
= Pinus edulis / Sparse Understory PA (Muldavin et al. 1998a)
= Pinyon Pine/Sparse PA (Muldavin et al. 2000b) [(Pinus edulis/Sparse; PINEDU/SPARSE)]
? Pinyon-Juniper Woodland (Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 1987)
= Pinus edulis / sparse (Stuever and Hayden 1997b)
= Pinus edulis / Sparse Community Type (Kennedy 1983a)
= Pinus edulis / Sparse Understory Forest (Thomas et al. 2003c)
= Pinus edulis / Sparse Understory PA (Muldavin and Mehlhop 1992)
= Pinus edulis / Sparse Understory PA (Muldavin et al. 1998a)
= Pinyon Pine/Sparse PA (Muldavin et al. 2000b) [(Pinus edulis/Sparse; PINEDU/SPARSE)]
? Pinyon-Juniper Woodland (Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 1987)
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- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.
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