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CEGL001409 Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Shrub Grassland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Sagebrush / Idaho Fescue Shrub Grassland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This dwarf sagebrush shrub herbaceous association occurs from 1525 to 2775 m (5000-9100 feet) elevation. It occurs on dry, exposed moderate slopes, on undulating to rolling topography, lower mountain toeslopes, inaccessible ridges, and on very steep canyon talus slopes. Soils are shallow or moderately deep, from well- to moderately well-developed. Artemisia arbuscula is the characteristic and predominant low shrub, although it can be obscured by the grass cover. Cover of the low shrub is scattered and open (8-30%). Festuca idahoensis is the dominant understory grass (3-36% cover), with Pseudoroegneria spicata usually present, but can often be absent (0-25%). Koeleria macrantha, Poa secunda, Achnatherum thurberianum, and Elymus elymoides are typical co-occurring grasses. Common forbs include Phlox hoodii, Phlox longifolia, Antennaria rosea, Crepis acuminata, Senecio integerrimus, Balsamorhiza ssp., Eriogonum spp., and Erigeron compositus.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Physiognomy ranges from a grassland to a shrubland.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Artemisia arbuscula is the characteristic and predominant low shrub, although it can be obscured by the grass cover. Cover of the low shrub is scattered and open (8-30%). Festuca idahoensis is the dominant understory grass (3-36% cover), with Pseudoroegneria spicata usually present, but can often be absent (0-25%). Koeleria macrantha (= Koeleria cristata), Poa secunda (= Poa sandbergii), Achnatherum thurberianum (= Stipa thurberiana), and Elymus elymoides (= Sitanion hystrix) are typical co-occurring grasses. Common forbs include Phlox hoodii, Phlox longifolia, Antennaria rosea, Crepis acuminata, Senecio integerrimus, Balsamorhiza ssp., Eriogonum spp., and Erigeron compositus.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This dwarf sagebrush shrub herbaceous association occurs from 1525 to 2800 m (5000-9100 feet) elevation. It occurs on dry, exposed moderate slopes, on undulating to rolling topography, lower mountain toeslopes, inaccessible ridges, and on very steep canyon talus slopes. Slope ranges from 2 to 70%. Soils are shallow or moderately deep, from well- to moderately well-developed. Textures range from silt loam to gravel loams. Often there is a claypan limiting the rooting depth to 15-61 cm (6-24 inches).
Geographic Range: This association is common and widespread in the western United States and is documented in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Washington and possibly California.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA?, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT?, WA, WY


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.2 Little Sagebrush - Black Sagebrush - Scabland Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Macrogroup M170 3.B.1.Ne.2
Group 3.B.1.Ne.2.b Little Sagebrush - Bigelow''s Sagebrush - Black Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Group G308 3.B.1.Ne.2.b
Alliance A3219 Little Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Alliance A3219 3.B.1.Ne.2.b
Association CEGL001409 Little Sagebrush / Idaho Fescue Shrub Grassland CEGL001409 3.B.1.Ne.2.b
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Artemisia arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Association (Zamora and Tueller 1973)
= Artemisia arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Community (Blackburn et al. 1968b) [(p.11)]
= Artemisia arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Community (Blackburn et al. 1969c)
= Artemisia arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Community (Blackburn et al. 1969a)
= Artemisia arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Community (Jones 1992b)
= Artemisia arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Habitat Type (Mueggler and Stewart 1980) [(p.49)]
= Artemisia arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Habitat Type (Hironaka et al. 1983) [(p.22)]
= Artemisia arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Habitat Type (Tweit and Houston 1980) [(p.83)]
= Artemisia arbuscula arbuscula / Festuca idahoensis Habitat Type (Lewis 1975a) [(p.3) Refers to Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula.]
= Low sagebrush complex (Lewis 1971) [(p.14) Stands are dominated by Artemisia arbuscula with Festuca idahoensis listed as the most common understory species list, although percent cover and constancy data are unavailable.]
< Low sagebrush-Bunchgrass SD-19-11(Artemisia arbuscula - Agropyron - Festuca) (4a) (Hall 1973) [(p.14) Some stands have no Festuca idahoensis and up to 40% Pseudoroegneria spicata.]
Concept Author(s): Western Ecology Group

Author of Description: G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 07-13-04
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  • Blackburn, W. H., P. T. Tueller, and R. E. Eckert, Jr. 1969a. Vegetation and soils of the Cow Creek watershed. Vegetation and soils of the Mill Creek watershed. In cooperation with USDI Bureau of Land Management. University of Nevada, College of Agriculture, Reno. 71 pp.
  • Blackburn, W. H., P. T. Tueller, and R. E. Eckert, Jr. 1969c. Vegetation and soils of the Churchill Canyon watershed. Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin R-45. Reno. 157 pp.
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  • 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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  • Hall, F. C. 1973. Plant communities of the Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. R6 Area Guide 3-1. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR. 62 pp.
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  • Lewis, M. E. 1971. Flora and major plant communities of the Ruby-East Humboldt Mountains with special emphasis on Lamoille Canyon. Unpublished report compiled for USDA Forest Service, Region IV, Ogden, UT. 62 pp.
  • Lewis, M. E. 1975a. Plant communities of the Jarbidge Mountain Complex, Humboldt National Forest. Unpublished report compiled for USDA Forest Service, Region IV, Ogden, UT. 22 pp.
  • MTNHP [Montana Natural Heritage Program]. 2002b. List of ecological communities for Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana State Library, Helena, MT.
  • Mueggler, W. F., and W. L. Stewart. 1980. Grassland and shrubland habitat types of western Montana. General Technical Report INT-66. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT. 154 pp.
  • Sabinske, D. W. 1972. The sagebrush community of Grand Teton National Park: A vegetation analysis. Unpublished thesis, University of Wyoming, Laramie.
  • Tweit, S., and K. Houston. 1980. Grassland and shrubland habitat types of the Shoshone National Forest. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Shoshone National Forest.
  • WNDD [Wyoming Natural Diversity Database]. No date. Unpublished data on file. Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
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  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.
  • Zamora, B., and P. T. Tueller. 1973. Artemisia arbuscula, A. longiloba, and A. nova habitat types in northern Nevada. Great Basin Naturalist 33(4):225-242.