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CEGL003767 Atriplex spp. Desert Pavement Sparse Vegetation
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Saltbush species Desert Pavement Sparse Vegetation
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is known from Arches National Park but likely is widespread in the canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau in eastern Utah. Stands are restricted to flats and low hills of the Morrison Formation (Brushy Basin Member) armored by a nearly solid veneer of pebbles and small rocks polished and stained to form a desert pavement. Elevations range from 1396 to 1451 m, and slopes do not exceed 5°. The silty or sandy clay soils are exposed only where drainages cross the pavement or fossorial rodents have churned it. Some sites have a hardpan only a few inches below the surface, preventing the penetration of roots and dwarfing the vegetation. The vegetation is sparse and does not exceed 5% total cover and often is as low as 1 or 2%. Stands consist of scattered shrubs of Atriplex gardneri or Atriplex confertifolia separated by broad expanses of dark, wind-polished desert pavement. Herbaceous species are variable but never exceed 1% cover. Common species include Encelia nutans, Sphaeralcea spp., Calochortus nuttallii, and Platyschkuhria integrifolia.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is sparse and does not exceed 5% total cover and often is as low as 1 or 2%. Stands consist of scattered shrubs of Atriplex gardneri or Atriplex confertifolia separated by broad expanses of dark, wind-polished desert pavement. Herbaceous species are variable but never exceed 1% cover. Common species include Encelia nutans (= Enceliopsis nutans), Sphaeralcea spp., Calochortus nuttallii, and Platyschkuhria integrifolia.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Stands are restricted to flats and low hills of the Morrison Formation (Brushy Basin Member) armored by a nearly solid veneer of pebbles and small rocks polished and stained to form a desert pavement. Elevations range from 1396 to 1451 m, and slopes do not exceed 5°. The silty or sandy clay soils are exposed only where drainages cross the pavement or fossorial rodents have churned it. Some sites have a hardpan only a few inches below the surface, preventing the penetration of roots and dwarfing the vegetation.
Geographic Range: This association is known from Arches National Park but likely is widespread in the canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau in eastern Utah.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.792225
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
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.6 Saltbush species - Joint-fir species - Buckwheat species Intermountain Basins Sparse Vegetation Macrogroup | M118 | 3.B.1.Ne.6 |
| Group | 3.B.1.Ne.6.a Saltbush species - Mountain-mahogany species - Joint-fir species Intermountain Basins Sparse Vegetation Group | G570 | 3.B.1.Ne.6.a |
| Alliance | A4051 Ponderosa Pine - Littleleaf Mountain-mahogany Bedrock Cliff & Canyon Wooded Scrub Alliance | A4051 | 3.B.1.Ne.6.a |
| Association | CEGL003767 Saltbush species Desert Pavement Sparse Vegetation | CEGL003767 | 3.B.1.Ne.6.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Atriplex spp. Desert Pavement Sparse Vegetation (Coles et al. 2009a)
- Coles, J., A. Tendick, G. Manis, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, J. Von Loh, and A. Evenden. 2009a. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Arches National Park. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR--2009/253. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 544 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.