Print Report
CEGL002812 Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana / Poa fendleriana Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Mountain Big Sagebrush / Muttongrass Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This sagebrush shrubland covers medium to large patches on the slopes of mesas, valleys, plateaus, hills and ridges in western Colorado, eastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. It often occurs in a mosaic with other sagebrush communities that cover very large areas. Elevations range from 2100 to 2875 m (6900-9430 feet). Slopes vary from gentle to steep and may be oriented to any aspect. Litter cover is generally high, and soils are deep and mostly relatively fine-textured clay loams or clays, with a few stands on sandy sites. Total vegetation cover ranges from approximately 35% to nearly 100%. The shrub layer is dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana shrubs up to 1 m tall with between 20 and 50% cover. The bunchgrass Poa fendleriana is dominant in the herbaceous layer with 1 to 25% cover. Other shrub species present, in addition to the sagebrush, include Purshia tridentata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, and Symphoricarpos oreophilus. The herbaceous layer may be sparse to dense and well-developed, diverse or depauperate, depending on location and grazing history. The grass component in particular is generally mixed, and common associated or codominant graminoids include Koeleria macrantha, Poa secunda, Elymus lanceolatus, Bouteloua gracilis, Carex duriuscula, Elymus elymoides, Pseudoroegneria spicata, and Hesperostipa comata. Forbs commonly present may include Antennaria parvifolia, Castilleja linariifolia, Eriogonum umbellatum, Lupinus sericeus, Artemisia frigida, and Penstemon caespitosus. Grazing has likely contributed to the increase in cover by mountain big sagebrush in these stands at the expense of native grasses. Fire would eliminate the mountain big sagebrush canopy in favor of a mixed graminoid and forb community. In the absence of fire over long periods, some stands show evidence of invasion by Pinus edulis, Juniperus osteosperma, or Pseudotsuga menziesii.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Although Poa fendleriana is the dominant grass in the understory of this sagebrush association, it is often accompanied by other grasses, many with significant cover and indicator value. In a sagebrush landscape, the dominant grass in any given spot may depend on many variables, including grazing history and drought cycles, as well as subtle differences in soil, aspect, slope and slope position. In practice it may be difficult to distinguish this association in the field from many of the similar associations listed above.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This Wyoming big sagebrush association occurs in a mosaic with other sagebrush communities that in aggregate may cover entire landscapes. Total vegetation cover ranges from approximately 35% to nearly 100%. The shrub layer is dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana shrubs up to 1 m tall with between 20 and 50% cover. The bunchgrass Poa fendleriana is dominant in the herbaceous layer with 1 to 25% cover. Other shrub species present, in addition to the sagebrush, include Purshia tridentata, Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia arbuscula ssp. longiloba, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, and Symphoricarpos oreophilus. The herbaceous layer may be sparse to dense and well-developed, diverse or depauperate, depending on location and grazing history. The grass component in particular is generally mixed, and common associated or codominant graminoids include Koeleria macrantha, Poa secunda, Elymus lanceolatus, Bouteloua gracilis, Carex duriuscula (= Carex stenophylla), Elymus elymoides, Leymus cinereus, Pascopyrum smithii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, and Hesperostipa comata. Forbs commonly present may include Antennaria parvifolia, Castilleja linariifolia, Cirsium undulatum, Eriogonum umbellatum, Lupinus sericeus, Argentina anserina (= Potentilla anserina), Artemisia frigida, and Penstemon caespitosus. The non-native annual Bromus tectorum and the non-native perennial Poa pratensis are common in some stands.
Dynamics: Grazing has likely contributed to the increase in cover by mountain big sagebrush in these stands at the expense of native grasses. Fire would eliminate the mountain big sagebrush canopy in favor of a mixed graminoid and forb community. In the absence of fire over long periods, some stands show evidence of invasion by Pinus edulis, Juniperus osteosperma, or Pseudotsuga menziesii.
Environmental Description: This sagebrush shrubland association covers medium to large patches on the slopes of mesas, valleys, plateaus, hills and ridges in western Colorado, eastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. Elevations range from 2100 to 2875 m (6900-9430 feet). Slopes vary from gentle to steep and may be oriented to any aspect. Litter cover is generally high, and soils are deep and mostly relatively fine-textured clay loams or clays, with a few stands on sandy sites. Parent materials include volcanic rocks and shale from the Wasatch Formation.
Geographic Range: This association has been documented in the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountains in western Colorado, eastern Utah and southwestern Wyoming. It is likely to be significantly more common than is currently known.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, NV, UT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.785242
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.3 Big Sagebrush - Threetip Sagebrush - Antelope Bitterbrush Steppe & Shrubland Macrogroup | M169 | 3.B.1.Ne.3 |
| Group | 3.B.1.Ne.3.c Spiked Big Sagebrush - Mountain Big Sagebrush - Mountain Silver Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Group | G304 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.c |
| Alliance | A3207 Spiked Big Sagebrush - Mountain Big Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Alliance | A3207 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.c |
| Association | CEGL002812 Mountain Big Sagebrush / Muttongrass Shrubland | CEGL002812 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana / Poa fendleriana Shrubland (Tendick et al. 2010)
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- Tendick, A., J. Coles, P. Williams, G. Bradshaw, G. Manis, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, and A. Evenden. 2010. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Curecanti National Recreation Area. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR--2010/408. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 797 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.