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CEGL000747 Juniperus scopulorum / Piptatheropsis micrantha Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Rocky Mountain Juniper / Little-seed Ricegrass Woodland
Colloquial Name: Rocky Mountain Juniper / Little-seed Ricegrass Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This Rocky Mountain juniper community type is found in the western Great Plains of the United States. Stands occur almost exclusively on steep (30-70%) north-facing slopes. The soils are shallow and poorly developed; loamy sands and sandy loams predominate. The vegetation is an evergreen woodland with moderately open to dense cover of Juniperus scopulorum, Juniperus virginiana, or introgressant hybrids of the two. Woody species other than Juniperus scopulorum or Juniperus virginiana occur sporadically, but none achieves prominence. Most of the trees are small (10-20 cm dbh) and few exceed 6 m. Where the density of the tree canopy is high, the short-shrub and herbaceous strata are not well-developed. In more open places Piptatheropsis micrantha is often abundant. Other common herbaceous species include Campanula rotundifolia, Galium boreale, and Maianthemum stellatum. Mosses and lichens can cover much of the ground.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This description includes stands with both Juniperus scopulorum and Juniperus virginiana over a herbaceous layer with Piptatheropsis micrantha. Pinus ponderosa, if present, is less than 25% tree canopy cover.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This woodland community is dominated by small Juniperus scopulorum trees through most of its range, and is replaced by Juniperus virginiana and introgressant hybrids in the eastern portion of its range in Nebraska and South Dakota (Kaul et al. 1983, Von Loh et al. 1999). Acer negundo and Fraxinus pennsylvanica saplings are sometimes found in depressions where soil and moisture accumulate. Most of the juniper trees are 10-20 cm dbh and 4-6 m tall, but some trees can be up to 30-40 cm dbh. The basal area has been reported at 22-29 m2/ha in North Dakota and up to 22-41 m2/ha in southeastern Montana and northwestern South Dakota (Nelson 1961, Hansen et al. 1984, Hansen and Hoffman 1988). Tree canopy is moderate to dense, e.g., in North Dakota, Girard et al. (1989) measured densities of 975 trees/ha. Where the canopy is dense the shrub and herbaceous strata are poorly developed. Where the canopy is less full, shrubs and herbaceous species are more abundant, e.g. on 7 stands in southwest North Dakota mosses and lichens covered 72% of the ground surface, shrubs covered 17.4%; graminoids 69.1%, and forbs 9.4% (Hansen et al. 1984). Among the shrubs that may be found in this community are Juniperus communis, Juniperus horizontalis, small Juniperus scopulorum or Juniperus virginiana, Mahonia repens, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda), Prunus virginiana, Rhus trilobata, Ribes aureum, Ribes cereum, Rosa woodsii, Symphoricarpos albus, and Symphoricarpos occidentalis. Typical herbaceous species include Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida (= Anemone patens), Antennaria microphylla, Campanula rotundifolia, Carex inops ssp. heliophila, Chenopodium fremontii, Elymus lanceolatus, Elymus trachycaulus, Galium boreale, Geum triflorum, Koeleria macrantha, Piptatheropsis micrantha (= Oryzopsis micrantha), and Maianthemum stellatum, Parietaria pensylvanica, and Taraxacum officinale (Hansen et al. 1984, Hansen and Hoffman 1988).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This community typically occurs on moderate to steep (16-70%), north-facing slopes, but can occur on a variety of aspects (Johnston 1987, Von Loh et al. 1999). The soils are poorly developed, shallow, loamy sands, sandy loams, and clay loams, sometimes with high gravel content. These woodlands are frequently associated with outcrops of sandstone (DeVelice et al. 1995) or scoria and clay slopes (Girard et al. 1989).
Geographic Range: This Rocky Mountain juniper community type is found in the western Great Plains of the United States. It is found in the Black Hills and the Badlands of North and South Dakota and Montana, and from the High Plains of eastern Wyoming eastward to central Nebraska.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, MT, ND, NE, SD, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687620
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
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.Nb Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Division | D194 | 1.B.2.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nb.2 Ponderosa Pine - Douglas-fir - Limber Pine Central Rocky Mountain Dry Forest Macrogroup | M501 | 1.B.2.Nb.2 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.2.d Limber Pine - Rocky Mountain Juniper Rocky Mountain Foothill Woodland Group | G209 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.d |
| Alliance | A3427 Rocky Mountain Juniper - Utah Juniper / Grass Understory Central Rocky Mountain Woodland Alliance | A3427 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.d |
| Association | CEGL000747 Rocky Mountain Juniper / Little-seed Ricegrass Woodland | CEGL000747 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.d |
Concept Lineage: The 2 types were synonymous.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha Habitat Type (Hansen and Hoffman 1988)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha Habitat Type (Hansen et al. 1984)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha Habitat Type (Girard et al. 1989)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha plant association (DeVelice et al. 1995)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Piptatherum micranthum Woodland (Cooper et al. 2001)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Piptatherum micranthum Woodland (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Closed canopy juniper groves (Kaul et al. 1983)
= Juniper Woodland (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha Habitat Type (Hansen et al. 1984)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha Habitat Type (Girard et al. 1989)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Oryzopsis micrantha plant association (DeVelice et al. 1995)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Piptatherum micranthum Woodland (Cooper et al. 2001)
= Juniperus scopulorum / Piptatherum micranthum Woodland (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Closed canopy juniper groves (Kaul et al. 1983)
= Juniper Woodland (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003)
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