Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Gambel Oak - New Mexico Locust / Mountain Muhly Shrubland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association is only known to occur at Bandelier National Monument in north-central New Mexico. The current description is based on data received from there and will be updated when additional inventory data are available. This mid-elevation association occurs on sites with low to high solar exposure that increases with elevation. Stands occur on gentle to moderate slopes (5-20%) including rolling mesatops and mountain shoulder slopes, and occasionally on steep canyon slopes (>40%). Soils are primarily well-developed Mollisols derived from pumice, or occasionally fine-textured Alfisols derived from eolian deposits over rhyolitic tuff residuum. The ground surface is typically characterized by scattered bunchgrasses amid litter, pumice gravel, or exposed soil. Elevation ranges between 2050 and 2585 m (6720-8480 feet). This montane shrubland typically occurs in burned areas that once supported pine and mixed conifer forests. Shrub cover can exceed 80% and is dominated by deciduous broadleaf Quercus gambelii and Robinia neomexicana (occasionally Quercus gambelii can be present as mature trees). Common to abundant shrub associates may include Ceanothus fendleri, Cercocarpus montanus, Quercus x pauciloba, Rosa woodsii, and Symphoricarpos oreophilus. Tree seedlings and saplings (Abies concolor, Pinus ponderosa, and Pseudotsuga menziesii) may be present. The herbaceous layer is moderately rich in species but variable in cover (5-50%). A grassy understory is diagnostic and is characterized by well-represented to abundant Muhlenbergia montana with Blepharoneuron tricholepis and Schizachyrium scoparium as occasional codominants. Andropogon gerardii, Bouteloua gracilis, Elymus elymoides, or Poa fendleriana are also common associates. On sites that have been seeded following fire, Bromus inermis, Festuca idahoensis, and Pascopyrum smithii, among others, can be common to abundant. While forbs are diverse, composition is variable from stand to stand, and cover is usually less than 5%.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This association may represent a splitting of more broadly defined ~Quercus gambelii / Robinia neomexicana Shrubland (CEGL001115)$$. However, initial review indicates that it has a sparse herbaceous understory. ~Quercus gambelii - Robinia neomexicana / Carex inops ssp. heliophila Shrubland (CEGL005379)$$ is similar, but typically occurs on drier sites, and the herbaceous layer is dominated by dry sedges rather than mountain muhly. This association is also similar to ~Quercus gambelii / Robinia neomexicana / Symphoricarpos rotundifolius Shrubland (CEGL001116)$$, but lacks a short-shrub layer dominated by Symphoricarpos spp.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available