Print Report
CEGL005365 Populus fremontii / Artemisia tridentata Riparian Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Fremont Cottonwood / Big Sagebrush Riparian Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This deciduous woodland association occurs on the Colorado Plateau on upper stream terraces and the banks of dry washes in valleys and canyon bottoms between 1220 and 1355 m elevation. These sites may flood occasionally but are located high above the water table during the growing season. Sites are generally flat with one known stand occurring on a sloping terrace. Litter covers most of the unvegetated surface with bare ground and downed wood covering the rest. Soils are rapidly drained to well-drained sandy loams derived from alluvium. The vegetation is characterized by an open to relatively closed canopy, typically 10-15 m tall, of mature to decadent Populus fremontii trees with up to 30% cover. The subcanopy layer, if present, includes smaller Populus fremontii and Salix gooddingii trees, and occasional Juniperus osteosperma may be present. Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata dominates or codominates the understory, although cover may be as low as 4%. Low cover of associated shrub species may be diverse and include Ericameria nauseosa, Purshia stansburiana, Rhus trilobata, Rosa woodsii, Salix exigua, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, and the vine Clematis ligusticifolia. Exotic shrub Tamarix chinensis is present in some stands. The herbaceous layer is generally diverse in terms of species composition, includes a number of exotic species, and provides sparse to moderate cover.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This Populus fremontii woodland is very similar ecologically to ~Populus deltoides (ssp. wislizeni, ssp. monilifera) / Artemisia tridentata Flooded Woodland (CEGL005966)$$. With upcoming taxonomic changes to Populus fremontii and Populus deltoides, these will likely be merged in the future (Mary Ellen Ford, Colorado Native Plant Society, pers. comm. 2008).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is characterized by an open to relatively closed canopy, typically 10-15 m tall, of mature to decadent Populus fremontii trees with up to 30% cover. The subcanopy layer, if present, includes smaller Populus fremontii and Salix gooddingii trees, and occasional Juniperus osteosperma may be present. Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata dominates or codominates the understory, although cover may be as low as 4%. Low cover of associated shrub species may be diverse and include Ericameria nauseosa (= Chrysothamnus nauseosus), Purshia stansburiana, Rhus trilobata, Rosa woodsii, Salix exigua, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, and the vine Clematis ligusticifolia. Exotic shrub Tamarix chinensis is present in some stands. The herbaceous layer is generally diverse in terms of species composition, includes a number of exotic species, and provides sparse to moderate cover.
Dynamics: This association forms as more mesic, early-seral Populus fremontii communities become isolated from the water table. The tree canopy has deep roots and is long-lived, but shallow-rooted and short-lived riparian species are gradually replaced as the water table drops further below the level of the stream terrace.
Environmental Description: This deciduous woodland association occurs on upper stream terraces and the banks of dry washes in valleys and canyon bottoms between 1220 and 1355 m elevation. These sites may flood occasionally but are located high above the water table during the growing season. Sites are generally flat with one known stand occurring on a sloping terrace. Litter covers most of the unvegetated surface with bare ground and downed wood covering the rest. Soils are rapidly drained to well-drained sandy loams derived from alluvium.
Geographic Range: This association has been described from Arches National Park in southeastern Utah. It is likely to be widespread throughout the Colorado Plateau.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.816382
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass | S15 | 1.B |
| Formation | 1.B.3 Temperate Flooded & Swamp Forest Formation | F026 | 1.B.3 |
| Division | 1.B.3.Nd Western North American Interior Flooded Forest Division | D013 | 1.B.3.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.3.Nd.2 Interior Warm & Cool Desert Riparian Forest Macrogroup | M036 | 1.B.3.Nd.2 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nd.2.b Western Interior Riparian Forest & Woodland Group | G797 | 1.B.3.Nd.2.b |
| Alliance | A0644 Fremont Cottonwood Great Basin Riparian Forest Alliance | A0644 | 1.B.3.Nd.2.b |
| Association | CEGL005365 Fremont Cottonwood / Big Sagebrush Riparian Woodland | CEGL005365 | 1.B.3.Nd.2.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Populus fremontii / Artemisia tridentata Woodland (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.