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CEGL001334 Coleogyne ramosissima / Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Blackbrush / James'' Galleta Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This shrubland association occurs in the Colorado Plateau and Mojave Desert in areas with hot summers and cold winters. The vegetation is characterized by an open (10-30% cover) short-shrub layer that is dominated by the deciduous, microphyllous shrub Coleogyne ramosissima with a sparse to moderately dense perennial graminoid layer that is dominated or codominated by Pleuraphis jamesii. Shrub associates may be present, including Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra torreyana, Ericameria nauseosa, Gutierrezia sarothrae, and Opuntia spp. Achnatherum hymenoides, Calochortus nuttallii, and several annuals may be present to abundant in the herbaceous layer, especially during wet years. Cover of introduced annual Bromus species and Salsola tragus may be high in disturbed stands. Occasional Juniperus osteosperma or Pinus edulis trees are present in some stands. Sites are gently sloping to flat and are found on a variety of landforms from canyon rims and ledges to alluvial fans, valleys and washes with some stands occurring on sandsheets or shale barrens. Elevations range up to 1850 m (6070 feet). Substrates are variable and range from deep, well-drained, sandy soils derived from sandstone to rocky, clayey soils derived from shale.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association is largely known and described from National Park Service inventory efforts in the Colorado Plateau. This association is similar to the broadly-defined ~Coleogyne ramosissima Shrubland (CEGL001332)$$, which generally has a sparse to extremely sparse herbaceous layer. This association is separated only by the presence of a developed herbaceous layer in which Pleuraphis jamesii has at least 1% cover.
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 moderately dense (10-60% cover) short-shrub layer that is dominated by the deciduous, microphyllous shrub Coleogyne ramosissima with a sparse to moderately dense perennial graminoid layer that is typically dominated or codominated by Pleuraphis jamesii. Shrub associates may be present, including Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus, Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Chrysothamnus vaseyi, Ephedra cutleri, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria nauseosa, Eriogonum corymbosum, Gutierrezia microcephala, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Opuntia polyacantha, and other Opuntia species, Psorothamnus fremontii, Sclerocactus whipplei, Yucca baccata, and Yucca angustissima. Cover of Pleuraphis jamesii ranges from 1-5% in stands with sparse herbaceous layers to over 30% where the understory is denser. Additional graminoids include Achnatherum hymenoides, Aristida purpurea, Sporobolus contractus, Sporobolus cryptandrus, Sporobolus flexuosus, or introduced annual Bromus species, which may be common in disturbed stands. Forb cover is generally low and is highly variable in species composition among sites. Forbs include Abronia fragrans, Amsonia tomentosa, Astragalus sp., Calochortus nuttallii, Eriogonum inflatum, Eriogonum nutans, Heterotheca villosa, Ipomopsis polycladon, Phacelia spp., Sphaeralcea leptophylla, Stenotus acaulis (= Haplopappus acaulis), Xylorhiza tortifolia, and the introduced annual forb Salsola tragus. Annuals provide abundant cover during wet years. Occasional Juniperus osteosperma or Pinus edulis trees are present in some stands.
Dynamics: Coleogyne ramosissima is very sensitive to fire because it does not resprout after burning, and seeds in the seed bank are short-lived and destroyed by fire (Bowns and West 1976, Wright 1980). It is slow to recolonize burns, often requiring over 60 years to re-establish (Wright 1980). Burned-over areas often convert to Gutierrezia microcephala- or Artemisia tridentata-dominated shrublands (Bowns and West 1976). Invasion of introduced annual Bromus spp. creates a fire hazard and increases fire frequency in some parts of the range (Warren et al. 1982).
Environmental Description: This shrubland association occurs in the Colorado Plateau and Mojave Desert in areas with hot summers and cold winters. Elevation ranges from 1152-1850 m (3789-6070 feet). Sites are located on level to gently sloping plateaus, canyon rims, ledges, hills, alluvial fans, toeslopes, basins, valleys, dunes, and washes, generally not exceeding a 20% gradient. The unvegetated surface is covered by either bare soil, sand or gravel. There is sparse cover by litter and typically early-stage biological soil crusts, although there may be significant cover locally. Substrates are extremely variable, with some stands occurring on stabilized sandsheets, others on shale barrens. Soil textures range from eolian or alluvial sand; to deep, rapidly drained, alkaline loamy sands or sandy loams derived from sandstone; to silt loam, silty clay loam or rocky clay soils derived from shale and sandstone, including Navajo Moenkopi Formation (Utah Environmental and Agricultural Consultants 1973).
Geographic Range: This shrubland association occurs in the Colorado Plateau and northern Mojave Desert from southwestern Colorado across southern Utah and Nevada, and possibly into northern Arizona and southeastern California.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ?, CA, CO, NV, UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687332
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G5
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.1 Yellow Rabbitbrush - Blackbrush / Indian Ricegrass Dry Shrubland & Grassland Macrogroup | M171 | 3.B.1.Ne.1 |
| Group | 3.B.1.Ne.1.b Blackbrush - Cutler''s Joint-fir - Torrey''s Joint-fir Colorado Plateau Shrubland Group | G312 | 3.B.1.Ne.1.b |
| Alliance | A3220 Blackbrush Colorado Plateau Shrubland Alliance | A3220 | 3.B.1.Ne.1.b |
| Association | CEGL001334 Blackbrush / James'' Galleta Shrubland | CEGL001334 | 3.B.1.Ne.1.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Coleogyne ramosissima / Pleuraphis jamesii Association (Evens et al. 2014)
= Blackbrush Community (Utah Environmental and Agricultural Consultants 1973)
= Blackbrush Community (Utah Environmental and Agricultural Consultants 1973)
- 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.
- Bowns, J. E., and N. E. West. 1976. Blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima Torr.) on southwestern Utah rangelands. Utah Agricultural Experiment Station Research Report 27. Logan, UT. 27 pp.
- CNHP [Colorado Natural Heritage Program]. 2006-2017. Tracked natural plant communities. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. [https://cnhp.colostate.edu/ourdata/trackinglist/plant_communities/]
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- Peterson, E. B. 2008. International Vegetation Classification alliances and associations occurring in Nevada with proposed additions. Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Carson City, NV. 348 pp.
- 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.
- Tendick, A., J. Coles, K. Decker, M. Hall, J. Von Loh, T. Belote, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, and A. Evenden. 2012. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Canyonlands National Park. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR--2012/577. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
- Tendick, A., J. Spence, M. Reid, K. Shulz, G. Kittel, K. Green, A. Wight, and G. Wakefield. 2017. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Rainbow Bridge National Monument. Natural Resource Report NPS/NCPN/NRR—2017/1500. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 1464 pp.
- Utah Environmental and Agricultural Consultants. 1973. Pages 2-38 in: Environmental setting, impact, mitigation and recommendations for a proposed oil products pipeline between Lisbon Valley, Utah and Parachute Creek, Colorado. Unpublished report for Colony Development Operation, Atlantic Richfield Company, Denver, CO.
- 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. 1980. The role and use of fire in the semi-desert grass-shrub type. General Technical Report INT-85. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT. 23 pp.