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CEGL001489 Juniperus osteosperma / Hesperostipa comata Wooded Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Utah Juniper / Needle-and-Thread Wooded Grassland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This plant association is described from the southwestern foothills of the Lemhi Range, Idaho, within the Bitterroot Mountains ecoregional section. The plant association occurs within a region of cool, arid climatic conditions. The average annual precipitation is 25.4-30.5 cm (10-12 inches). The association occurs in lower slope positions, on relatively steep slopes, at 1585 to 2045 m (5200-6700 feet) elevation, on limestone parent materials. Soils are poorly developed, thin and rocky. Little information is available regarding the structure and composition of this association. Stands are characterized by an open woodland structure dominated by Juniperus osteosperma. Hesperostipa comata is abundant in the understory and is the dominant herbaceous species. No additional information is available on species composition of these stands.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Little information is available regarding the structure and composition of this association. It is an open savanna-like vegetation, with a tree layer of scattered evergreen needle-leaved Juniperus osteosperma. There is no shrub layer. The herbaceous layer is dominated by Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), a perennial bunchgrass typically occurring on rocky or sandy soils. Cover of the graminoid layer is apparently high, roughly 50-60%. No other information is available on species composition or cover.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: The region where this association occurs is to the east of a major mountain mass which strongly affects the climate of the region. The region is mountainous with high, massive ranges, dissected by deep valleys. The topography is controlled by fault block activity, and much of the region has a linear basin and range topography typical of the Great Basin. The valleys are broad and gentle. The high mountains to the west create a rainshadow effect, allowing only occasional incursions of moisture-laden winter storms from the Pacific. Average annual precipitation is low, ranging from 18 cm (7 inches) in the valleys to roughly 114 cm (45 inches) at the highest elevations. There is a peak during May and June, when convective showers are common, but winters are relatively dry. Summers are cool, and winters cold. This plant association occurs in the foothills zone on relatively steep slopes, and where average annual precipitation is 25.4-30.5 cm (10-12 inches). Elevations range from 1585 to approximately 2045 m (5200-6700 feet). All exposed bedrock is limestone, with some interbedding of sandy limestone, and calcareous siltstone and sandstone. Soils are poorly developed, thin and somewhat sandy.
Geographic Range: The plant association occurs within the southwestern region of the Bitterroot Mountains ecoregional section, within east-central Idaho. The association is described from the southwestern foothills of the Lemhi Range, Idaho.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, ID
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687527
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1Q
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 | A3497 Utah Juniper Grassy Open Woodland Alliance | A3497 | 1.B.2.Nc.1.a |
| Association | CEGL001489 Utah Juniper / Needle-and-Thread Wooded Grassland | CEGL001489 | 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: No Data Available
- 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.
- 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/]
- Caicco, S. L., and C. A. Wellner. 1983c. Research Natural Area recommendation for Southwest Lemhi Range. Unpublished report prepared for USDI Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Falls District, Idaho by Idaho Natural Areas Coordinating Committee. On file at Idaho Conservation Data Center, Boise, ID.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.