Print Report

CEGL002924 Adenostoma fasciculatum Shrubland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Chamise Shrubland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This shrubland association occurs on extremely xeric sites at 38 to 1097 m (124-3600 feet) elevation on mid to upper slopes and ridgetops on all aspects. Surface is undulating to linear, on moderately steep to steep slopes. Soils tend to be moderately well-developed and somewhat stony with variable textures including sand, clay, silt, and various loams. The parent material ranges from igneous, granitic, metamorphic, to gneiss and may include gabbro and serpentine substrates in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Vegetation is dominated by Adenostoma fasciculatum in the shrub layer, with a diverse but low cover herbaceous layer. Arctostaphylos glauca, Arctostaphylos pungens, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Salvia columbariae, Salvia apiana, and Hesperoyucca whipplei may occur at low cover. The herb layer is open and may include Bromus madritensis, Aira caryophyllea, Avena barbata, Erodium cicutarium, and Lotus spp. There are rarely emergent trees, at very low cover, which may include Pinus sabiniana, Quercus agrifolia, Umbellularia californica, or Platanus racemosa.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: The chamise alliance is the most widespread chaparral vegetation in California and ranges from Shasta County in the north to northwestern Baja California, Mexico. It is differentiated from other Adenostoma fasciculatum shrublands by a near total dominance of chamise. Other shrubs that codominant in other associations may be present, but these are generally much less than 10% cover, usually <1%.

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

Floristics: Adenostoma fasciculatum is the sole dominant species in the shrub overstory. Hesperoyucca whipplei (= Yucca whipplei), Eriogonum fasciculatum, Arctostaphylos glauca, Arctostaphylos pungens, Heteromeles arbutifolia, Salvia columbariae, and Salvia apiana may occur at low cover. The herb layer is open and may include Bromus madritensis, Aira caryophyllea, Avena barbata, Erodium cicutarium, and Lotus spp. There are rarely emergent trees, which may include Pinus sabiniana, Quercus agrifolia, Umbellularia californica, or Platanus racemosa.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This shrubland occurs on extremely xeric sites at 38 to 1097 m (124-3600 feet) elevation on mid to upper slopes and ridgetops of mostly southeast- to southwest-facing, but can occur on north-facing slopes. Surface is undulating to linear, with moderately steep to steep slopes. Soils tend to be moderately well-developed and somewhat stony with variable textures including sand, clay, silt, and various loams. The parent material ranges from igneous, granitic, metamorphic, to gneiss and may include gabbro and serpentine substrates in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Geographic Range: This association is known from the interior Central Coast Ranges (Pinnacles National Monument), San Diego County (Evens and San 2006), western Riverside County (Klein and Evens 2006), mafic soils type from the Peninsular Ranges (Gordon and White 1994), the Santa Monica Mountains region (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006 [469514]), the Sierra Nevada foothills (Klein et al. 2007) including the Yosemite region, Central Coast (including Santa Clara County to San Benito County), South Coast Ranges (Ventura to San Diego County), and Peninsular Ranges (western Riverside to San Diego counties).

Nations: MX,US

States/Provinces:  CA, MXBCN


Confidence Level: High

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G5

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.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation F038 2.B.1
Division 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division D327 2.B.1.Na
Macrogroup 2.B.1.Na.1 Chamise - Whiteleaf Manzanita - Scrub Oak Chaparral Macrogroup M043 2.B.1.Na.1
Group 2.B.1.Na.1.a Chamise - Buckbrush - Sticky Whiteleaf Manzanita Xeric Chaparral Group G257 2.B.1.Na.1.a
Alliance A3868 Chamise Chaparral Alliance A3868 2.B.1.Na.1.a
Association CEGL002924 Chamise Shrubland CEGL002924 2.B.1.Na.1.a
Concept Lineage: The provisional/placeholder CEGL003002 has been replaced with several new types: CEGL002924, CEGL002926, CEGL002934, CEGL003467, and CEGL003498.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Adenostoma fasciculatum (Sawyer et al. 2009) [37.101.16]
= Adenostoma fasciculatum (pure) Association (Evens and San 2006)
= Adenostoma fasciculatum (pure) Shrubland Association (Evens and San 2004)
= Adenostoma fasciculatum Association (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
= Adenostoma fasciculatum Association (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
= Adenostoma fasciculatum Pure Association (Klein and Evens 2006)
= Adenostoma fasciculatum Shrubland Association (Klein et al. 2007)
= Adenostoma fasciculatum Shrubland Association (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2003a)
= Adenostoma fasciculatum Shrubland [Provisional] (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2012)
Concept Author(s): T. Keeler-Wolf and J. Evens (2006)

Author of Description: T. Keeler-Wolf, J. Evens, G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 09-24-07
  • Buck-Diaz, J., S. Batiuk, and J. M. Evens. 2012. Vegetation alliances and associations of the Great Valley ecoregion, California. California Native Society, Sacramento, CA. [http://cnps.org/cnps/vegetation/pdf/great_valley_eco-vegclass2012.pdf]
  • Evens, J., A. Klein, J. Taylor, T. Keeler-Wolf, and D. Hickson, principal investigators. 2006. Vegetation classification, descriptions, and mapping of the Clear Creek Management Area, Joaquin Ridge, Monocline Ridge, and Environs in San Benito and western Fresno counties, California. Final report prepared by California Native Plant Society and California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, CA. 273 pp.
  • Evens, J., and S. San. 2004. Vegetation associations of a serpentine area: Coyote Ridge, Santa Clara County, California. Unpublished report. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA.
  • Evens, J., and S. San. 2006. Vegetation alliances of the San Dieguito River Park region, San Diego County, California. Final report (August 2005) Version 2 (revised May 2006). Prepared by California Native Plant Society in cooperation with the California Natural Heritage Program of the California Department of Fish and Game and San Diego Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. Sacramento, CA. 271 pp.
  • Gordon, H. J., and T. C. White. 1994. Ecological guide to the southern California chaparral plant series. Technical Report R5-ECOL-TP-005. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco, CA.
  • Keeler-Wolf, T., M. Schindel, S. San, P. Moore, and D. Hickson. 2003a. Classification of the vegetation of Yosemite National Park and surrounding environs in Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera and Mono counties, California. Unpublished report by NatureServe in cooperation with the California Native Plant Society and California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch, Sacramento, CA.
  • Keeler-Wolf, T., P. E. Moore, E. T. Reyes, J. M. Menke, D. N. Johnson, and D. L. Karavidas. 2012. Yosemite National Park vegetation classification and mapping project report. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/YOSE/NRTR--2012/598. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
  • Keeler-Wolf, T., and J. Evens. 2006. Vegetation classification of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and environs in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, California. A report submitted to National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area by California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch and The California Native Plant Society, Vegetation Program, Sacramento, CA.
  • Kittel, G., E. Reyes, J. Evens, J. Buck, and D. Johnson. 2012a. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Pinnacles National Monument. Natural Resource Report NPS/SFAN/NRR-2012/574. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 428 pp.
  • Klein, A., J. Crawford, J. Evens, T. Keeler-Wolf, and D. Hickson. 2007. Classification of the vegetation alliances and associations of the northern Sierra Nevada foothills, California. Volumes 1 and 2. Report prepared for California Department of Fish and Game, Habitat Conservation Division. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. [https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=18232&inline=1]
  • Klein, A., and J. Evens. 2006. Vegetation alliances of western Riverside County, California. Contract Number: P0185404. Final report prepared for The California Department of Fish and Game, Habitat Conservation Division. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA. 332 pp. [http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/vegcamp/pdfs/VegMappingRpt_Western_Riverside.pdf]
  • Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.