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CEGL002940 Pinus edulis - Juniperus osteosperma / Cercocarpus ledifolius Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Two-needle Pinyon - Utah Juniper / Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This woodland association occurs on ridges, mountains and plateaus in the Colorado Plateau of eastern and southern Utah and western Colorado. Sites are moderately steep to steep. Stands in the northern part of the range tend to be on slopes with southerly aspects; in the southern part of the range, northerly aspects are more common. Elevations range from 2400 to 2770 m (7900-9100 feet) in Utah and from 2200 to 2260 m (7200-7400 feet) in Colorado. The unvegetated surface is primarily covered by large rocks, bare soil and bedrock exposures. Downed wood is common. Parent materials are sandstone or quartzite bedrock or colluvium. Soils are rapidly drained and range in texture from clay loam to loamy sand. Total vegetation cover ranges from 13 to 80%. The vegetation is characterized by an open canopy of Pinus edulis, Juniperus scopulorum, and Juniperus osteosperma trees, with Cercocarpus ledifolius trees or shrubs that range in cover from 5 to 30%. The associated short- and dwarf-shrub layer typically provides sparse to low cover and includes Amelanchier utahensis, Arctostaphylos patula, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Cercocarpus montanus, Ericameria nauseosa, Quercus gambelii, and Gutierrezia sarothrae. The herbaceous layer is somewhat diverse in terms of species composition but provides less than 10% total cover. Common graminoids include Achnatherum hymenoides, Elymus elymoides, Poa fendleriana, and Carex spp. Forbs present may include Balsamorhiza sagittata, Chenopodium album, Descurainia californica, and Petradoria pumila. Seedling Pinus edulis and Juniperus spp. are often present.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association may be ecotonal, as it tends to occur at the upper end of the range of pinyon-juniper woodlands. However, it covers extensive areas where it does occur and may be considered a legitimate ecological type.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This woodland association is patchy and somewhat rare within the Colorado Plateau. Total vegetation cover ranges from sparse to dense (13-80%). It is characterized by an open canopy, typically 5-10 m tall, of Pinus edulis, Juniperus scopulorum, and Juniperus osteosperma trees that provide up to 40% canopy closure, and Cercocarpus ledifolius shrubs that range in cover from 5 to 30%. Cercocarpus ledifolius may also occur in the tree canopy with its large trunks, wide-spreading branches and heights reaching 4 m. The associated short- and dwarf-shrub layer is low in terms of species composition, typically provides sparse to low cover and includes Amelanchier utahensis, Arctostaphylos patula, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Cercocarpus montanus, Ericameria nauseosa, Quercus gambelii, and Gutierrezia sarothrae. The herbaceous layer is somewhat diverse in terms of species composition but provides less than 10% total cover. Common graminoids include Achnatherum hymenoides, Elymus elymoides, Poa fendleriana, and Carex spp. Forbs present may include Balsamorhiza sagittata, Chenopodium album, Descurainia californica, and Petradoria pumila. Seedling Pinus edulis and Juniperus spp. are often present.
Dynamics: This association is subject to fire; when burned, the pinyon and juniper are eliminated, and although the Cercocarpus ledifolius and many of the other shrubs resprout following fire, regrowth is slow.
Environmental Description: This woodland association occurs on ridges, mountains and plateaus in eastern and southern Utah and western Colorado. Sites are moderately steep to steep. Stands in the northern part of the range tend to be on slopes with southerly aspects and at higher elevations (2400-2770 m ); in the southern part of the range, northerly aspects and lower elevations (2200-2260 m) are more common. The unvegetated surface is primarily covered by large rocks, bare soil and bedrock exposures. Parent materials are sandstone or quartzite bedrock or colluvium, and the soils are rapidly drained clay loams and loamy sands.
Geographic Range: This association has been described from high ridges in the Colorado Plateau in eastern and southern Utah and western Colorado.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ, CO, UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685062
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.1 Singleleaf Pinyon - Utah Juniper - Western Juniper Intermountain Woodland Macrogroup | M896 | 1.B.2.Nc.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nc.1.a Two-needle Pinyon - Utah Juniper Woodland Group | G900 | 1.B.2.Nc.1.a |
| Alliance | A3571 Two-needle Pinyon - Utah Juniper / Shrub Understory Foothill & Lower Montane Dry-Mesic Woodland Alliance | A3571 | 1.B.2.Nc.1.a |
| Association | CEGL002940 Two-needle Pinyon - Utah Juniper / Curl-leaf Mountain-mahogany Woodland | CEGL002940 | 1.B.2.Nc.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pinus edulis / Cercocarpus ledifolius Woodland [Provisional] (Cogan et al. 2004)
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