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CEGL000178 Pinus ponderosa / Artemisia tridentata - Purshia tridentata Woodland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available


Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Ponderosa Pine / Big Sagebrush - Antelope Bitterbrush Woodland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association is a fairly open woodland with a shrub and grass mosaic understory. The tree canopy is composed of Pinus ponderosa often with Juniperus occidentalis. Shrubs include Purshia tridentata and Artemisia tridentata. The bunchgrasses Festuca idahoensis and Elymus elymoides are found in the herbaceous layer. This association is known only from the southern Oregon portions of the East Cascades and Modoc Plateau, and possibly in adjacent California, and occurs on sites at 780-1710 m (2550-5600 feet) elevation. Soils are sand or loam to clay-loam in texture and are underlain by pumice, lava, and basalt. Stands occur on all aspects and slopes up to 55%.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Volland (1976) categorized this community in two separate associations, Ponderosa pine / bitterbrush-sagebrush / squirreltail and Ponderosa pine/ bitterbrush-sagebrush / fescue. Hopkins (1979b) refers to it as Ponderosa pine / bitterbrush-big sagebrush / fescue. It is similar to Smith''s (1994b) yellowpine / sagebrush-bitterbrush community except for the absence of Pinus jeffreyi.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available

Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This association is a fairly open woodland with a shrub and grass mosaic understory. The tree canopy is composed of Pinus ponderosa often with Juniperus occidentalis, both with 1-30% cover. Shrubs include Purshia tridentata (1-30% cover) and Artemisia tridentata (0-50% cover). The bunchgrasses Festuca idahoensis and Elymus elymoides (= Sitanion hystrix) support cover of 0-30% and 0-10%, respectively.

Dynamics:  No Data Available

Environmental Description:  This association is known only from the southern Oregon portions of the East Cascades and Modoc Plateau, and possibly in adjacent California, and occurs on sites at 780-1710 m (2550-5600 feet) elevation. Soils are sand or loam to clay-loam in texture and are underlain by pumice, lava, and basalt. Stands occur on all aspects and slopes up to 55%.

Geographic Range: This association is known only from the southern Oregon portions of the East Cascades and Modoc Plateau. Possibly occurs in adjacent California, but described similar associations are significantly different.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA?, OR




Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available

Grank: G3

Greasons: No Data Available


Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available

Synonomy: > Ponderosa Pine / Bitterbrush - Sagebrush / Fescue (Volland 1976)
> Ponderosa Pine / Bitterbrush - Sagebrush / Squirreltail (Volland 1976)
? Ponderosa pine / bitterbrush-big sagebrush / fescue (Hopkins 1979b)
? yellowpine / sagebrush-bitterbrush community (Smith 1994b) [similar except for the presence of Pinus jeffreyi.]

Concept Author(s): M.P. Murray

Author of Description: M.P. Murray

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 11-26-97

  • 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.
  • Hopkins, W. E. 1979b. Plant associations of South Chiloquin and Klamath Ranger Districts - Winema National Forest. Publication R6-ECOL-79-005. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR. 96 pp.
  • Kagan, J. S., J. A. Christy, M. P. Murray, and J. A. Titus. 2004. Classification of native vegetation of Oregon. January 2004. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Portland. 52 pp.
  • Smith, S. 1994b. Ecological guide to eastside pine plant associations, northeastern California. R5-ECOL-TP-004. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco, CA. 174 pp.
  • Volland, L. A. 1976. Plant communities of the central Oregon pumice zone. USDA Forest Service R-6 Area Guide 4-2. Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR. 113 pp.
  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.