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CEGL001024 Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana / Festuca thurberi Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Mountain Big Sagebrush / Thurber''s Fescue Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This relatively common mountain sagebrush shrubland occurs in the southern Rocky Mountains in central, north-central, and northwestern Colorado. Stands are found on mesic high-elevation sites with gentle to steep slopes (5-72% slopes) often on warm, southerly aspects too dry for forests at higher elevations and on more mesic north and northeasterly aspects at lower elevations. Elevations generally range between 2550 and 3200 m (8360-10,500 feet) but are reported up to 3660 m (12,000 feet). Substrates are typically deep, well-drained, variably gravelly or cobbly (skeletal) loamy to clayey soils derived from a variety of parent materials. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderate (25-50% cover) short-shrub layer (to 1 m tall) that is dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, with a typically patchy graminoid layer dominated by the tall bunchgrass Festuca thurberi. The shrub layer is typically diverse, with additional short and dwarf-shrubs providing low cover, such as Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Ericameria parryi, Mahonia repens, Rosa woodsii, and Symphoricarpos rotundifolius. Disturbed sites may have high cover of Ericameria nauseosa. The herbaceous layer is diverse and provides moderate to dense cover. Additional graminoids that provide low to moderate cover include Achnatherum pinetorum, Achnatherum lettermanii, Achnatherum nelsonii, Carex geyeri, Bromus anomalus, Bromus porteri, Elymus trachycaulus, Koeleria macrantha, Poa fendleriana, and introduced species Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis. Forbs are diverse and provide moderate cover, including Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Campanula rotundifolia, Cirsium undulatum var. tracyi, Delphinium x occidentale, Eriogonum umbellatum, Lathyrus lanszwertii, and Vicia americana.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Some stands in this association have high cover (>25%) of perennial graminoids in the herbaceous layer and fit the concept of a sagebrush steppe (shrub herbaceous association). More survey and classification work are needed to determine if this association should be changed from a shrubland to a shrub herbaceous type.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderate (25-50% cover) short-shrub layer (to 1 m tall) that is dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, with a typically patchy graminoid layer dominated by the tall bunchgrass Festuca thurberi. The shrub layer is typically diverse, with additional short and dwarf-shrubs providing low cover, such as Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Ericameria parryi, Mahonia repens, Rosa woodsii, and Symphoricarpos rotundifolius. Disturbed sites may have high cover of Ericameria nauseosa (Tiedemann et al. 1987). The herbaceous layer is diverse and provides moderate to dense cover. Additional graminoids that provide low to moderate cover include Achnatherum pinetorum, Achnatherum lettermanii, Achnatherum nelsonii, Carex geyeri, Bromus anomalus, Bromus porteri, Elymus trachycaulus, Koeleria macrantha, Poa fendleriana, and introduced species Bromus inermis and Poa pratensis. Forbs are diverse and provide moderate cover, including Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Campanula rotundifolia, Cirsium undulatum var. tracyi, Delphinium x occidentale, Eriogonum umbellatum, Lathyrus lanszwertii, and Vicia americana (Wasser and Hess 1982, Johnston 1987).
Dynamics: At lower elevations this type transitions to mountain sagebrush stands dominated by Idaho fescue (Wasser and Hess 1982). Disturbed stands may have high cover of Ericameria nauseosa (Tiedemann et al. 1987).
Environmental Description: This relatively common mountain sagebrush shrubland occurs in the southern Rocky Mountains in central, north-central, and northwestern Colorado. Stands are found on mesic high-elevation sites with gentle to steep slopes (5-72% slopes) often on warm, southerly aspects too dry for forests at higher elevations and on more mesic north and northeasterly aspects at lower elevations (Wasser and Hess 1982, Tiedemann et al. 1987). Elevations generally range between 2550 and 3200 m (8360-10,500 feet) but are reported up to 3660 m (12,000 feet) (Wasser and Hess 1982, Johnston 1987, Tiedemann et al. 1987). Substrates are typically deep, well-drained, variably gravelly or cobbly (skeletal) loamy to clayey soils derived from a variety of parent materials, including sandstone, limestone, and less frequently metamorphic rocks such as migmatitic gneiss and shale (Wasser and Hess 1982).
Geographic Range: This mountain sagebrush shrubland occurs in the southern Rocky Mountains in central, north-central and northwestern Colorado.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685656
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
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.c Spiked Big Sagebrush - Mountain Big Sagebrush - Mountain Silver Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Group | G304 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.c |
| Alliance | A3207 Spiked Big Sagebrush - Mountain Big Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Alliance | A3207 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.c |
| Association | CEGL001024 Mountain Big Sagebrush / Thurber''s Fescue Shrubland | CEGL001024 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type (Wasser and Hess 1982)
= Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type (Hess 1981)
= Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type (Hess and Wasser 1982)
= Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type/Association (Komarkova 1986)
= Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type (Tiedemann et al. 1987)
< Mountain big sagebrush/Thurber-Arizona fescue-Deep cold clay soils Ecological Type (Johnston 2001)
< Mountain big sagebrush/Thurber-Idaho fescue-Deep loamy clay soils Ecological Type (Johnston 2001)
= Sagebrush stands #1 & 2 (Giese 1975) [both have relatively high cover and frequency of Festuca thurberi.]
= Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type (Hess 1981)
= Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type (Hess and Wasser 1982)
= Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type/Association (Komarkova 1986)
= Artemisia tridentata / Festuca thurberi Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana / Festuca thurberi Habitat Type (Tiedemann et al. 1987)
< Mountain big sagebrush/Thurber-Arizona fescue-Deep cold clay soils Ecological Type (Johnston 2001)
< Mountain big sagebrush/Thurber-Idaho fescue-Deep loamy clay soils Ecological Type (Johnston 2001)
= Sagebrush stands #1 & 2 (Giese 1975) [both have relatively high cover and frequency of Festuca thurberi.]
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- Tiedemann, J. A., R. E. Francis, C. Terwilliger, Jr., and L. H. Carpenter. 1987. Shrub-steppe habitat types of Middle Park, Colorado. Research Paper RM-273. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 20 pp.
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