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CEGL002972 Pinus ponderosa Slickrock Sparse Vegetation
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Ponderosa Pine Slickrock Sparse Vegetation
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This sparse wooded association is restricted to exposures of massive Navajo sandstone in the canyons and plateaus of southern Utah. The vegetation is rooted in joints in the sandstone. Because Navajo sandstone is a massive formation and is relatively undeformed in the Colorado Plateau, joints and fractures are relatively rare; thus the vegetation is sparse. Sites are on gentle to vertical slopes, occur between 1800 and 2430 m elevation, and are oriented to any aspect. The unvegetated surface has high exposure of bedrock and sparse to low cover of litter, large rocks, and sand. Soils are rapidly drained, shallow loamy sands and form only in cracks and potholes in the bedrock. This ponderosa pine slickrock sparse vegetation association is characterized by Pinus ponderosa trees, often stunted to less than 10 m tall, that range in cover from 1% to less than 20%. The shrub element is depauperate also and provides sparse to low cover. Common shrubs include Amelanchier utahensis, Cercocarpus intricatus, and Arctostaphylos patula. The herbaceous layer is diverse in terms of species composition but is sparse, less than 5% total cover. The forb Helianthella microcephala is relatively common.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type is poorly sampled because many occurrences are on inaccessible near-vertical sandstone cliffs that are hundreds of feet high. When viewed with binoculars, the community appears to be relatively homogenous.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This ponderosa pine slickrock sparse vegetation association is characterized by Pinus ponderosa trees, often stunted to less than 10 m tall, that range in cover from 1% to less than 20%. The shrub element is depauperate also and provides sparse to low cover. Common shrubs include Amelanchier utahensis, Cercocarpus intricatus, and Arctostaphylos patula. The herbaceous layer is diverse in terms of species composition but is sparse, less than 5% total cover. The forb Helianthella microcephala is relatively common.
Dynamics: vegetation is rooted in joints in the sandstone. Because Navajo sandstone is a massive formation and is relatively undeformed in the Colorado Plateau, joints and fractures are relatively rare; thus the vegetation is sparse.
Environmental Description: This sparse vegetation association was observed on exposures of massive Navajo sandstone in the canyons and plateaus of southern Utah. Sites are on gentle to vertical slopes, occur between 1800 and 2430 m elevation, and are oriented to any aspect. The unvegetated surface has high exposure of bedrock and sparse to low cover of litter, large rocks, and sand. Soils are rapidly drained, shallow loamy sands and form only in cracks and potholes in the bedrock.
Geographic Range: This association is currently only known from southern Utah. It is relatively common on Navajo sandstone outcrops at Zion National Park and, although less common, occurs on similar substrates in Capitol Reef National Park.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686984
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.6 Saltbush species - Joint-fir species - Buckwheat species Intermountain Basins Sparse Vegetation Macrogroup | M118 | 3.B.1.Ne.6 |
| Group | 3.B.1.Ne.6.a Saltbush species - Mountain-mahogany species - Joint-fir species Intermountain Basins Sparse Vegetation Group | G570 | 3.B.1.Ne.6.a |
| Alliance | A4051 Ponderosa Pine - Littleleaf Mountain-mahogany Bedrock Cliff & Canyon Wooded Scrub Alliance | A4051 | 3.B.1.Ne.6.a |
| Association | CEGL002972 Ponderosa Pine Slickrock Sparse Vegetation | CEGL002972 | 3.B.1.Ne.6.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pinus ponderosa Slickrock Sparse Vegetation (Cogan et al. 2004)
- Clark, D., M. Dela Cruz, T. Clark, J. Coles, S. Topp, A. Evenden, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, and J. Von Loh. 2009. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Capitol Reef National Park. Natural Resource Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR--2009/187. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 882 pp.
- 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.
- Romme, W. H., K. D. Heil, J. M. Porter, and R. Fleming. 1993. Plant communities of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. USDI National Park Service, Technical Report NPS/NAUCARE/NRTER-93/02. Cooperative Park Studies Unit, Northern Arizona University. 37 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.