Print Report
CEGL001069 Amelanchier utahensis / Pseudoroegneria spicata Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Utah Serviceberry / Bluebunch Wheatgrass Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This shrubland association occurs on steep colluvial sites between 2400 and 2625 m (7875-8610 feet) elevation on south- and west-facing mountain slopes in Middle Park of north-central Colorado and between 1650 and 1800 m (5410-5900 feet) on north-facing canyon slopes in northwestern Colorado and adjacent Utah. Soils tend to be coarse and gravelly, with a high percentage of surface rock. The vegetation is somewhat heterogeneous but is characterized by a moderate to dense shrub layer that is usually dominated by Amelanchier utahensis, with Symphoricarpos oreophilus and the perennial bunchgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata always present in the herbaceous layer. Other shrubs may include Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Cercocarpus montanus, Ephedra viridis, Holodiscus dumosus, Philadelphus microphyllus, Prunus virginiana, Purshia tridentata, Rhus trilobata, and Ribes cereum. The herbaceous layer is variable among sites but often includes Achnatherum hymenoides. Commonly associated forb species include Astragalus convallarius, Delphinium x occidentale, Delphinium nuttallianum, Castilleja flava, Linum lewisii, Packera cana, and Mertensia lanceolata.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This plant association is similar to ~Amelanchier alnifolia / Pseudoroegneria spicata - Bunchgrass Shrubland (CEGL001065)$$, which occurs in Wyoming and Montana, and because of the difficulty of distinguishing Amelanchier alnifolia and Amelanchier utahensis in the field, some stands may be misidentified. Review of field data may result in lumping these two associations into one. This association was first identified as Amelanchier utahensis - Symphoricarpos oreophilus / Pseudoroegneria spicata Shrubland by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program and, as currently known, is endemic to northern Colorado.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is somewhat heterogeneous but is characterized by a moderate to dense shrub layer that is usually dominated by Amelanchier utahensis, with Symphoricarpos oreophilus and the perennial bunchgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata always present in the herbaceous layer. Other shrubs may include Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Cercocarpus montanus, Ephedra viridis, Holodiscus dumosus, Philadelphus microphyllus, Prunus virginiana, Purshia tridentata, Rhus trilobata, and Ribes cereum. The herbaceous layer is variable among sites but often includes Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides). Commonly associated forb species include Astragalus convallarius, Delphinium x occidentale, Delphinium nuttallianum, Castilleja flava, Linum lewisii, Packera cana (= Senecio canus), and Mertensia lanceolata.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This plant association occurs on steep colluvial sites between 2400 and 2625 m (7875-8610 feet) elevation on south- and west-facing mountain slopes in Middle Park of north-central Colorado and between 1650 and 1800 m (5410-5900 feet) on north-facing canyon slopes in northwestern Colorado. Soils tend to be coarse and gravelly, with a high percentage of surface rock.
Geographic Range: Despite the relative ecological breadth and range overlap of the key species, they are known to co-occur in this association only in Dinosaur National Monument in northwestern Colorado and adjacent Utah and in Middle Park in the north-central part of Colorado.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688394
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass | S18 | 2.B |
| Formation | 2.B.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation | F012 | 2.B.2 |
| Division | 2.B.2.Nf Western North American Grassland & Shrubland Division | D022 | 2.B.2.Nf |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.2.Nf.1 Gambel Oak - Alderleaf Mountain-mahogany - Bitterbrush species Southern Rocky Mountain Montane Shrubland Macrogroup | M049 | 2.B.2.Nf.1 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nf.1.b Alderleaf Mountain-mahogany - Wavyleaf Oak - Skunkbush Sumac Foothill Shrubland Group | G276 | 2.B.2.Nf.1.b |
| Alliance | A3732 Utah Serviceberry - Alderleaf Mountain-mahogany - Littleleaf Mountain-mahogany Shrubland Alliance | A3732 | 2.B.2.Nf.1.b |
| Association | CEGL001069 Utah Serviceberry / Bluebunch Wheatgrass Shrubland | CEGL001069 | 2.B.2.Nf.1.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Amelanchier alnifolia / Agropyron spicatum Habitat Type (Francis 1983)
= Amelanchier alnifolia / Agropyron spicatum Habitat Type (Tiedemann et al. 1987)
= Amelanchier alnifolia / Agropyron spicatum Habitat Type (Tiedemann et al. 1987)
- 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/]
- Coles, J., D. Cogan, D. Salas, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, J. Von Loh, and A. Evenden. 2008a. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Dinosaur National Monument. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR-2008/112. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 814 pp.
- Francis, R. E. 1983. Sagebrush-steppe habitat types in northern Colorado: A first approximation. Pages 67-71 in: Proceedings of the Workshop on Southwestern habitat types. USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM.
- Soil Conservation Service. 1978. Range site descriptions for Colorado. Technical Guide, Section II-E. USDA Soil Conservation Service, Colorado State Office, Denver.
- Terwilliger, C., Jr., and J. A. Tiedemann. 1978. Habitat types of the mule deer critical winter range and adjacent steppe region of Middle Park, Colorado. Unpublished report prepared for USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 108 pp.
- Tiedemann, J. A., R. E. Francis, C. Terwilliger, Jr., and L. H. Carpenter. 1987. Shrub-steppe habitat types of Middle Park, Colorado. Research Paper RM-273. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 20 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.