Print Report
G296 Yucca brevifolia - Eriogonum fasciculatum - Ephedra aspera Mixed Desert Scrub Group
Type Concept Sentence: This group represents the extensive desert scrub in the transition zone above Larrea tridentata - Ambrosia dumosa desert scrub and below the lower montane woodlands (at mid-elevations of 700-1800 m) that occurs in the eastern and central Mojave Desert and transition zone into the southern Great Basin. Stands are dominated by a variety characteristic species such as Coleogyne ramosissima, Ericameria cooperi, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Ephedra spp., Eriogonum corymbosum, Grayia spinosa, Lycium andersonii, Menodora spinescens, Nolina spp., Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, Purshia glandulosa, Purshia stansburiana, Salazaria mexicana, Thamnosma montana, Yucca brevifolia, or Yucca schidigera.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Joshua Tree - Eastern Mojave Buckwheat - Rough Joint-fir Mixed Desert Scrub Group
Colloquial Name: Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group represents the extensive desert scrub in the transition zone above Larrea tridentata - Ambrosia dumosa desert scrub and below the lower montane woodlands at mid-elevations in the eastern and central Mojave Desert. It is also common on lower piedmont slopes in the transition zone into the southern Great Basin. The vegetation in this group is quite variable. Larrea tridentata may be absent or present to codominant in some examples, but typically does not dominate. Characteristic and dominant species include Ambrosia eriocentra, Arctostaphylos patula, Coleogyne ramosissima, Ericameria cooperi, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Ephedra californica, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Eriogonum corymbosum, Grayia spinosa, Lycium andersonii, Menodora spinescens, Nolina bigelovii, Nolina microcarpa, Nolina parryi, Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, Purshia glandulosa, Purshia stansburiana, Salazaria mexicana, Thamnosma montana, Viguiera parishii, Yucca brevifolia, or Yucca schidigera. Less common are stands with scattered Yucca brevifolia and a saltbush short-shrub layer dominated by Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, or Artemisia tridentata. In some areas in the western Mojave, shrubby Juniperus californica is common with the yuccas. Grayia spinosa is a common codominant shrub in disturbed stands. Desert grasses, including Achnatherum hymenoides, Achnatherum speciosum, Muhlenbergia porteri, Pleuraphis jamesii, Pleuraphis rigida, Poa secunda, or Pseudoroegneria spicata, may form an herbaceous layer. Scattered Juniperus osteosperma or warm desert scrub species may also be present. This shrubland group is found in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California and southern Nevada and forms a cool-temperate elevational belt on desert ranges (700-1800 m) elevation. It also occurs at the longitudinal transition zone between the Mojave and southern Great Basin, generally at mid-elevations. Landforms include valleys, bajadas, mountain slopes, ridges, mesas or alluvial fans bordering intermountain basins. The climate is semi-arid and characterized by hot, dry summers and cold winters with precipitation ranging from 5-30 cm annually. Temperatures are continental, with large annual and diurnal ranges. Soils are highly variable across the large range of this vegetation type and are generally shallow, well-drained, coarse-textured loams or sand with rock fragments, but include finer-textured substrates such as silt.
Diagnostic Characteristics: The presence of Eriogonum fasciculatum, Ephedra aspera, Yucca brevifolia, or Yucca schidigera is diagnostic of this type, as is Coleogyne ramosissima, which is often a dominant species. The widespread desert shrub Larrea tridentata may be absent or present to codominant in some stands, but typically does not dominate here as it does at lower elevations. This is a diverse group, and stands may also be dominated or codominated by Ambrosia eriocentra, Ericameria cooperi, Ephedra californica, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Grayia spinosa, Lycium andersonii, Juniperus californica, Menodora spinescens, Nolina bigelovii, Nolina microcarpa, Nolina parryi, Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, Purshia glandulosa, Purshia stansburiana, and Salazaria mexicana.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Diagnostics needs to be rewritten to solidify how this group differs from ~Colorado Plateau Blackbrush - Mormon-tea Shrubland Group (G312)$$ (T. Keeler-Wolf pers. comm. 2013). TKW recommends the following species be removed from diagnostics: Coleogyne ramosissima, Peucephyllum schottii. Former Sonoran Mid-elevation Desert Scrub Group (G291) was merged into this group. TKW recommends moving ~Chrysothamnus albidus / Puccinellia nuttalliana Shrubland (CEGL001328)$$ to an "alkali" group, perhaps G537 or G672. Colloquial name of the group changed per TKW recommendation, from Mojave Mid-Elevation Mixed Desert Scrub Group to Mojavean-Sonoran Rocky Upland Desert Scrub Group. Also, need to revisit placement of the Grayia spinosa associations; Grayia alliance is generally considered in this group in California, but may belong in a Great Basin group (cold desert) in Nevada Idaho, Utah, and elsewhere in Great Basin (T. Keeler-Wolf pers. comm. 2013).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This group is an extremely xeromorphic evergreen shrubland sometimes with a sparse tree layer of evergreen sclerophyllous trees. The herbaceous layer is generally sparse, but may have significant perennial grass cover.
Floristics: The vegetation in this group is quite variable. Larrea tridentata may be absent or present to codominant in some stands, but typically does not dominate. Characteristic and dominant species include Ambrosia eriocentra, Arctostaphylos patula, Coleogyne ramosissima, Ericameria cooperi, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Ephedra californica, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Eriogonum corymbosum, Grayia spinosa, Lycium andersonii, Menodora spinescens, Nolina bigelovii, Nolina microcarpa, Nolina parryi, Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (= Opuntia acanthocarpa), Purshia glandulosa, Purshia stansburiana, Salazaria mexicana, Thamnosma montana, Viguiera parishii, Yucca brevifolia, or Yucca schidigera. Less common are stands with scattered Yucca brevifolia and a saltbush short-shrub layer dominated by Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, or Artemisia tridentata. In some areas in the western Mojave, shrubby Juniperus californica is common with the yuccas. Grayia spinosa is a common codominant shrub in disturbed stands. Desert grasses, including Achnatherum hymenoides, Achnatherum speciosum, Muhlenbergia porteri, Pleuraphis jamesii, Pleuraphis rigida, Poa secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata, or Sporobolus cryptandrus, may form an herbaceous layer. Scattered Juniperus osteosperma or warm desert scrub species may also be present.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This shrubland group is found in the Mojave Desert of southeastern California and southern Nevada and forms a cool-temperate elevational belt on desert ranges. It also occurs at the longitudinal transition zone between the Mojave and southern Great Basin at mid-elevation (800-1800 m) (Sawyer et al. 2009). Landforms include valleys, bajadas, mountain slopes, ridges, mesas or alluvial fans bordering intermountain basins. Some authors regard this group as delimiting the upper elevational boundary of the Mojave Desert in the transition between the Mojave and Great Basin deserts (Mozingo 1987). Full elevation ranges from 50-2500 m, with stands regularly occurring above 900 m. The climate is semi-arid and characterized by hot, dry summers and cold winters with precipitation ranging from 5-30 cm annually. Winter precipitation dominates in the western portions, with summer rain becoming more important eastward. Year-to-year precipitation variability can be quite large. Temperatures are continental, with large annual and diurnal ranges. Soils are highly variable across the large range of this vegetation type and are generally shallow, well-drained, coarse-textured loams or sand with rock fragments, but include finer-textured substrates such as silt. Soils are derived from bedrock or alluvial deposits from granitic and sedimentary rocks (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000, Thomas et al. 2004, Sawyer et al. 2009). These communities are more drought-tolerant than Artemisia tridentata-dominated communities of the Great Basin but less tolerant of drought than either Larrea tridentata or Atriplex spp. shrublands. Adjacent vegetation is typically Artemisia shrublands at the upper elevational margin and Larrea tridentata or Atriplex - Sarcobatus shrublands where these communities grade into lower-elevation deserts or heavy alkaline soils.
Geographic Range: This desert scrub group is found in the eastern and central Mojave Desert and on lower piedmont slopes in the transition zone into the southern Great Basin.
Nations: MX,US
States/Provinces: AZ, CA, CO?, MXBCN, NM, NV, UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.837244
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: G291 merged into G296 (DFL 7-12)
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Mohave Desertscrub, Blackbrush Series - 153.12 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Blackbrush Series, Blackbrush Series, Coleogyne ramosissima-Yucca spp. Association - 153.122 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Blackbrush Series, Blackbrush Series, Coleogyne ramosissima Association - 153.121 (Brown, et al. 1979) (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Bladdersage Series - 153.14 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Bladdersage Series, Salazaria mexicana Association - 153.141 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Joshuatree Series - 153.15 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Joshuatree Series, Yucca brevifolia-Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus-Larrea divaricata-Mixed Scrub Association - 153.151 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Joshuatree Series, Yucca brevifolia-Coleogyne ramosissima Association - 153.152 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Joshuatree Series, Yucca brevifolia-Larrea divaricata Association - 153.153 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Blackbrush Series, Blackbrush Series, Coleogyne ramosissima-Yucca spp. Association - 153.122 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Blackbrush Series, Blackbrush Series, Coleogyne ramosissima Association - 153.121 (Brown, et al. 1979) (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Bladdersage Series - 153.14 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Bladdersage Series, Salazaria mexicana Association - 153.141 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Joshuatree Series - 153.15 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Joshuatree Series, Yucca brevifolia-Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus-Larrea divaricata-Mixed Scrub Association - 153.151 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Joshuatree Series, Yucca brevifolia-Coleogyne ramosissima Association - 153.152 (Brown et al. 1979)
> Mohave Desertscrub, Joshuatree Series, Yucca brevifolia-Larrea divaricata Association - 153.153 (Brown et al. 1979)
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