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CEGL000995 Artemisia tridentata / Bouteloua gracilis Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Big Sagebrush / Blue Grama Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This shrubland has only been described from the plateaus and mesas of Grand Canyon and Zion national parks in northwestern Arizona and southwestern Utah, but it is more widespread and likely occurs in New Mexico and Nevada. Sites range from valley bottoms and drainages to rolling hills, mesa tops and terraces. Substrates are alluvial soils derived from limestone or volcanic flows or sandy-textured soil derived from sandstone or sandy limestone. Stands have an open, short-shrub canopy (less than 1 m tall) that is dominated by the evergreen microphyllous shrub Artemisia tridentata usually with greater than 20% cover. Other common shrubs and dwarf-shrubs may include Gutierrezia sarothrae, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Atriplex canescens, Krascheninnikovia lanata, or Ephedra viridis. The sparse herbaceous layer is dominated by the short perennial bunchgrass Bouteloua gracilis with Achnatherum hymenoides, Pascopyrum smithii, or Sporobolus cryptandrus often present. Forbs are sparse. Scattered Juniperus osteosperma trees and succulents such as Opuntia spp. may also be present.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: On Fishtail Mesa, cover of Artemisia bigelovii was lumped with Artemisia tridentata in plot summary tables as "Artemisia" by Jameson et al. (1962) and Rowlands and Brian (1996). It is not clear if these shrub species co-occurred within the plot sites or not.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This shrubland is characterized by an open, short-shrub canopy (less than 2 m tall) that is dominated by the evergreen microphyllous shrub Artemisia tridentata usually with greater than 20% cover. Other common shrubs and dwarf-shrubs may include Gutierrezia sarothrae, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Atriplex canescens, Ephedra viridis, Krascheninnikovia lanata, or Tetradymia canescens. The sparse herbaceous layer is dominated by the short perennial bunchgrass Bouteloua gracilis with Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides), Pascopyrum smithii, or Sporobolus cryptandrus often present. Forbs are sparse but may include species of Castilleja, Eriogonum, Lupinus, and Penstemon. Scattered Juniperus osteosperma trees and succulents such as Opuntia spp. may also be present.
Dynamics: Artemisia tridentata shrubs are readily killed by fire and do not resprout (Wright et al. 1979). Artemisia tridentata will re-establish relatively quickly (about 10-20 years) if a seed source is nearby (Bunting 1987). If fire-return intervals are more frequent than 10 years then Artemisia tridentata has difficulty recovering (Bunting 1987, Everett 1987). However, this association has an open, short-shrub canopy and a relatively sparse herbaceous layer (low fine fuels to carry the fire), so it is unlikely that it would burn except under extreme conditions.
Environmental Description: This shrubland has only been described from the plateaus and mesas of Grand Canyon and Zion national parks in northwestern Arizona and southwestern Utah, but it is more widespread and likely occurs in New Mexico and Nevada. Elevations range from 1370-2040 m. Sites range from valley bottoms and drainages to rolling hills, mesa tops and terraces. Substrates include sandy-textured soils derived from sandstone or sandy limestone and moderately deep, fine-textured, alkaline, calcareous, alluvial soils derived from limestone or volcanic flows.
Geographic Range: This association is described from Zion and Grand Canyon national parks in southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona. It is likely widespread across the Colorado Plateau and also may occur in New Mexico and Nevada.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ, UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685758
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4
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.a Wyoming Big Sagebrush - Basin Big Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Group | G303 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
| Alliance | A3194 Basin Big Sagebrush - Foothill Big Sagebrush Dry Steppe & Shrubland Alliance | A3194 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
| Association | CEGL000995 Big Sagebrush / Blue Grama Shrubland | CEGL000995 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = 152.1111 Artemisia tridentata - Gutierrezia sarothrae - Bouteloua gracilis (Warren et al. 1982)
= Shrub Type (Jameson et al. 1962)
= Shrub Type (Jameson et al. 1962)
- 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.
- Bunting, S. C. 1987. Use of prescribed burning in juniper and pinyon-juniper woodlands. Pages 141-144 in: R. L. Everett, compiler. Proceedings--pinyon-juniper conference; 1986 January 13-16; Reno, NV. General Technical Report INT-215. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT.
- Cogan, D., M. Reid, K. Schulz, and M. Pucherelli. 2004. Zion National Park, Utah 1999-2003. Vegetation Mapping Project. Technical Memorandum 8260-03-01. Remote Sensing and GIS Group Technical Service Center, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO. Appendix F: Vegetation Association Descriptions for Zion.
- Everett, R. L. 1987. Plant response to fire in the pinyon-juniper zone. Pages 152-157 in R. L. Everett, compiler. Proceedings pinyon-juniper conference: 1986 January 13-16, Reno, NV. General Technical Report INT-215. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT.
- Jameson, D. A., J. A. Williams, and E. W. Wilton. 1962. Vegetation and soils of Fishtail Mesa, Arizona. Ecology 43:403-410.
- Kearsley, M. J. C., K. Green, M. Tukman, M. Reid, M. Hall, T. J. Ayers, and K. Christie. 2015. Grand Canyon National Park-Grand Canyon / Parashant National Monument vegetation classification and mapping project. Natural Resource Report NPS/GRCA/NRR--2015/913. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 75 pp. plus appendices.
- Reid, M. S., and M. E. Hall. 2010. Vegetation classification of Grand Canyon National Park. Draft report submitted to National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
- Rowlands, P. G., and N. J. Brian. 1996. A perimeter tracing method for estimating basal cover: Monitoring the endangered sentry milk-vetch at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Southwestern Naturalist 41(2):169-178.
- Warren, P. L., K. L. Reichhardt, D. A. Mouat, B. T. Brown, and R. R. Johnson. 1982. Vegetation of Grand Canyon National Park. Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit Technical Report 9. Tucson, AZ. 140 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.
- Wright, H. A., L. F. Neuenschwander, and C. M. Britton. 1979. The role and use of fire in sagebrush-grass and pinyon-juniper plant communities: A state of the art review. General Technical Report INT-58. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT.