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G282 Arctostaphylos patula - Arctostaphylos nevadensis - Ceanothus velutinus Montane Sclerophyll Scrub Group
Type Concept Sentence: This western North American group consists of montane chaparral scrublands dominated by a variety of species, including Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos mewukka, Arctostaphylos nevadensis, Arctostaphylos viscida, Ceanothus cordulatus, Ceanothus velutinus, Ceanothus integerrimus, Ceanothus martinii, Chrysolepis sempervirens, Holodiscus discolor, Prunus emarginata, Quercus garryana var. fruticosa, Quercus sadleriana, and/or Quercus vacciniifolia, generally occurring on ridges and rocky slopes often with southerly aspects throughout the West.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Greenleaf Manzanita - Pinemat Manzanita - Snowbrush Ceanothus Montane Sclerophyll Scrub Group
Colloquial Name: Western North American Montane Sclerophyll Scrub
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group consists of cool, mostly montane chaparral and sclerophyllous scrublands that occur in the western United States from the Sierra Nevada, Klamath-Siskiyou mountains and southern Cascade Range of California, Oregon and Washington east on the ranges of the Great Basin and plateaus of the Colorado Plateau into the Rocky Mountains extending out to the Black Hills. There are also occurrences extending as far west as the inner Coast Ranges in central California and the Peninsular and Transverse ranges. Stands are typically fairly open-canopied shrublands with open interspaces either bare or supporting patchy grasses and forbs. Arctostaphylos patula and Ceanothus velutinus are the most widespread dominant/diagnostic species. Other dominant/diagnostic species include Arctostaphylos mewukka, Arctostaphylos nevadensis, Arctostaphylos viscida, Ceanothus cordulatus, Ceanothus integerrimus, Ceanothus martinii, Chrysolepis sempervirens, Holodiscus discolor, Prunus emarginata, Quercus garryana var. fruticosa (shrub form), Quercus sadleriana, and Quercus vacciniifolia. Cercocarpus ledifolius is generally absent. Most of the oaks and other chaparral species occur in the western extent. Understory varies with shrub density but is generally sparse. Occasional emergent conifers may be present. Higher elevation stands typically have higher species diversity. Stands in this group are typically montane shrublands found on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades and into the western Great Basin, Colorado Plateau and the Black Hills of South Dakota in summer-dry habitats from 800 to 3000 m elevation. Stands in California are found at higher elevations than most other chaparral ranging from 300 to 3300 m elevation. They occur in the northern Coast Ranges, Klamath Mountains, Modoc Plateau, Sierra Nevada and foothills, and southern Cascades of California, Oregon and Washington. Climate is semi-arid to cool temperate. Yearly precipitation and temperature ranges are quite large. Much of the precipitation comes as winter snow at higher elevations, and summer drought-stress is characteristic. These shrublands occur on ridges and rocky slopes often with southerly aspects. Substrates are thin, well-drained skeletal soils with coarser texture loamy or sandy soils. Parent materials are varied and range from limestone and sandstone to granitics, mafic, and ultramafic substrates. These shrub communities established after stand-replacing fires or clearcut logging in Pinus ponderosa or Pseudotsuga menziesii forests or pinyon-juniper woodlands, and are seral to forest after several decades. Excessively rocky or droughty, fire-prone sites in the forest may support relatively persistent stands of this group. In the Rocky Mountains, stands are found within a matrix of montane conifer forest and woodland in limited, small-patch occurrences forming post-fire shrublands in areas previously dominated by woodlands. Typical fire regime in this group varies with the amount of organic accumulation. All characteristic species are fire-adapted.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Open-canopied broad-leaved evergreen shrublands dominated by diagnostic species Arctostaphylos mewukka, Arctostaphylos nevadensis, Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos viscida, Ceanothus cordulatus, Ceanothus integerrimus, Ceanothus martinii, Ceanothus velutinus, Chrysolepis sempervirens, Holodiscus discolor, Prunus emarginata, Quercus garryana var. fruticosa (shrub form), Quercus sadleriana, and Quercus vacciniifolia. Cercocarpus ledifolius is generally absent and herbaceous layer is typically sparse.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This cool, mostly montane chaparral and sclerophyllous scrublands group occurs in the western United States and is frequently characterized by dominance of Arctostaphylos patula and Ceanothus velutinus. Other dominant/diagnostic species include Arctostaphylos mewukka, Arctostaphylos nevadensis, Arctostaphylos viscida, Ceanothus cordulatus, Ceanothus integerrimus, Ceanothus martinii, Chrysolepis sempervirens, Holodiscus discolor, Prunus emarginata, Quercus garryana var. fruticosa (shrub form), Quercus sadleriana, and Quercus vacciniifolia. Cercocarpus ledifolius is generally absent.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Broad-leaved evergreen shrubland with open canopy and little to no undergrowth. Shrubs are typically 1-3 m tall.
Floristics: Stands is this wide-ranging group are typically fairly open-canopied shrublands with open interspaces either bare or supporting patchy grasses and forbs. Arctostaphylos patula and Ceanothus velutinus are the most widespread dominant/diagnostic species. Other dominant/diagnostic species include Arctostaphylos mewukka, Arctostaphylos nevadensis, Arctostaphylos viscida, Ceanothus cordulatus, Ceanothus integerrimus, Ceanothus martinii, Chrysolepis sempervirens, Holodiscus discolor, Prunus emarginata, Quercus garryana var. fruticosa (= var. breweri) (shrub form), Quercus sadleriana, and Quercus vacciniifolia. Cercocarpus ledifolius is generally absent. Most of the oaks and other chaparral species occur in the western extent. Other shrubs may include Amelanchier alnifolia, Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia tridentata, Cercis canadensis var. texensis, Cercocarpus montanus, Garrya fremontii, Quercus berberidifolia, Prunus subcordata, Purshia stansburiana, Symphoricarpos spp., and Toxicodendron diversilobum. Emergent conifers may be present, such as Abies concolor, Pinus lambertiana, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus sabiniana, Pseudotsuga menziesii, and tree oaks such as Quercus chrysolepis, Quercus kelloggii, or Quercus wislizeni may be present at sparse cover. Understory varies with shrub density but is generally sparse with Elymus glaucus, Elymus elymoides, Eriogonum nudum, Festuca californica, Pyrola picta, and Stephanomeria lactucina sometimes present in the herbaceous layer. Higher elevation stands typically have higher species diversity.
Dynamics: Stands commonly occur post disturbance after fire or logging along ridges and upper slopes.
Environmental Description: Stands in this group are typically montane shrublands found on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Cascades and into the western Great Basin, Colorado Plateau and Black Hills of South Dakota in summer-dry habitats from 800 to 3000 m elevation. Stands in California are found at higher elevations than most other chaparral ranging from 300 to 3300 m elevation. They occur in the northern Coast Ranges, Klamath Mountains, Modoc Plateau, Sierra Nevada and foothills, and southern Cascades of California and southern Oregon. Climate is semi-arid to cool temperate. Yearly precipitation and temperature ranges are quite large. The northern portion of the Sierra Nevada and Klamath-Siskiyou mountains can receive 200 cm of rain per year, while southern stands may receive only 40 cm per year. These sclerophyllous shrubs are adapted to freezing temperatures and cold winters. However, lower elevation stands may never see freezing temperatures, while northern, high-elevation and northern stands may only have a 4-month growing season. Much of the precipitation comes as winter snow, and summer drought-stress is characteristic.
These shrublands occur on ridges and rocky slopes often with southerly aspects. Substrates are thin, well-drained skeletal soils with coarser texture loamy or sandy soils. Parent materials are varied and range from limestone and sandstone to granitics, mafic, and ultramafic substrates. These shrub communities are typically zonal disclimax or, occasionally, edaphic climax brushfields which occur in association with dry needle-leaved evergreen forests or woodlands. They typically established after stand-replacing fires or clear-cut logging in Pinus ponderosa or Pseudotsuga menziesii forests or pinyon-juniper woodlands, and are seral to forest after several decades. Excessively rocky or droughty, fire-prone sites in the forest may support relatively persistent stands of this group. In the Rocky Mountains, stands are found within a matrix of montane conifer forest and woodland in limited, small-patch occurrences forming post-fire shrublands in areas previously dominated by woodlands. Typical fire regime in this group varies with the amount of organic accumulation. All characteristic species are fire-adapted.
These shrublands occur on ridges and rocky slopes often with southerly aspects. Substrates are thin, well-drained skeletal soils with coarser texture loamy or sandy soils. Parent materials are varied and range from limestone and sandstone to granitics, mafic, and ultramafic substrates. These shrub communities are typically zonal disclimax or, occasionally, edaphic climax brushfields which occur in association with dry needle-leaved evergreen forests or woodlands. They typically established after stand-replacing fires or clear-cut logging in Pinus ponderosa or Pseudotsuga menziesii forests or pinyon-juniper woodlands, and are seral to forest after several decades. Excessively rocky or droughty, fire-prone sites in the forest may support relatively persistent stands of this group. In the Rocky Mountains, stands are found within a matrix of montane conifer forest and woodland in limited, small-patch occurrences forming post-fire shrublands in areas previously dominated by woodlands. Typical fire regime in this group varies with the amount of organic accumulation. All characteristic species are fire-adapted.
Geographic Range: This chaparral group occurs across much of the western United States from the Sierra Nevada, Klamath-Siskiyou mountains and southern Cascade Range of California, Oregon and Washington east across the ranges of the Great Basin and plateaus of the Colorado Plateau into the Rocky Mountains extending out to the Black Hills. There are occurrences extending as far west as the inner Coast Ranges in central California, the northern Coast Ranges in southeastern Oregon and the Peninsular and Transverse ranges in southern California.
Nations: CA?,US
States/Provinces: AB?, AZ, BC?, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA?, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.837334
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< Littleleaf Mountain-Mahogany (417) (Shiflet 1994)
>< Snowbush (420) (Shiflet 1994)
>< Snowbush (420) (Shiflet 1994)
- Barbour, M. G., and J. Major, editors. 1977. Terrestrial vegetation of California. John Wiley and Sons, New York. 1002 pp.
- Brown, D. E., editor. 1982a. Biotic communities of the American Southwest-United States and Mexico. Desert Plants Special Issue 4(1-4):1-342.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]
- 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.
- Shiflet, T. N., editor. 1994. Rangeland cover types of the United States. Society for Range Management. Denver, CO. 152 pp.