Print Report
G303 Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis - Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata Steppe & Shrubland Group
Type Concept Sentence: This widely distributed, matrix-forming shrubland group is concentrated in the drier, more southerly portions of the interior western U.S., but extends into more xeric portions of the Columbia Plateau, Rocky Mountains, across Wyoming, then northeast into the northwestern Great Plains. Vegetation is typically dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis and Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, sometimes codominated by xeric shrubs such as Atriplex spp., with a typically sparse to open herbaceous layer dominated by dry-site graminoids.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Wyoming Big Sagebrush - Basin Big Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Group
Colloquial Name: Intermountain Dry Tall Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This widely distributed, matrix-forming shrubland group is concentrated in the drier, more southerly portions of the interior western U.S., especially in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, but extends into more xeric portions of the Columbia Plateau, Wyoming steppe, Rocky Mountains, and northeast into the northwestern Great Plains. Stands are dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis and Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata and, in some cases, codominated by xeric shrubs such as Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria nauseosa, Grayia spinosa, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Other common shrubs include Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia frigida, Atriplex gardneri, Chrysothamnus spp., Ericameria spp., Peraphyllum ramosissimum, Purshia tridentata, and Tetradymia spp. If present, the herbaceous layer ranges from sparse and patchy to moderately dense and is typically dominated by dry-site graminoids with low cover of forbs. Characteristic graminoids include Achnatherum hymenoides, Achnatherum lettermanii, Achnatherum pinetorum, Achnatherum thurberianum, Bouteloua gracilis, Bromus tectorum, Carex filifolia, Distichlis spicata, Elymus albicans, Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, Leymus ambiguus, Leymus salinus, Pleuraphis jamesii, Poa fendleriana, Poa secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Sporobolus airoides, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. A sparse layer of cold-deciduous needle-leaved or scale-leaved evergreen trees may occasionally be emergent over the shrubs. This group occurs on flat to steeply sloping upland slopes on alluvial fans and terraces, toeslopes, lower and middle slopes, draws, badlands, and foothills. Stands are found at elevations as low as 500 m in the northwestern Great Plains to 2500 m in the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau. Sites with little slope tend to have deep soils, while those with steeper slopes have shallow to moderately deep soils. Climate is mostly semi-arid but ranges from semi-arid in the western Great Basin to subhumid in the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains with much of the precipitation falling primarily as snow. The amount and reliability of growing-season moisture increase eastward and with increasing elevation.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Stands are dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis or Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata and, in some cases, codominated by dry-site shrubs such as Atriplex canescens, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria nauseosa, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus. If present, the herbaceous component layer ranges from sparse and patchy to moderately dense and is typically dominated by dry-site graminoids with low cover of forbs. Characteristic graminoids include Achnatherum hymenoides, Achnatherum lettermanii, Achnatherum pinetorum, Achnatherum thurberianum, Bouteloua gracilis, Bromus tectorum, Carex filifolia, Distichlis spicata, Elymus albicans, Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, Leymus ambiguus, Leymus salinus, Pleuraphis jamesii, Poa fendleriana, Poa secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Sporobolus airoides, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Associated species tend to include more semi-desert taxa with core distribution in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau regions. Warm-season grasses are common in the southern and eastern portions of its range.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This group tends to occur in drier biophysical settings than the two similar tall sagebrush groups (G302, G304). Hence, it tends to have a less abundant herbaceous component, with the predominant grasses being more adapted to drier conditions. In addition, the co-occurring shrub taxa will include more desert species as well as cacti. This is a slid group in concept, but the specific associations included in it need to be reviewed and will require some adjustment.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This deciduous scrub and grassland group is structurally characterized by open to dense sagebrush with associated shrubs interspersed and/or a moderately dense understory of perennial grasses.
Floristics: Stands are dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis and Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata and, in some cases, codominated by Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria nauseosa, Grayia spinosa, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Other common shrubs include Artemisia frigida, Atriplex gardneri, Chrysothamnus spp., Ericameria spp., Krascheninnikovia lanata, Peraphyllum ramosissimum, Prunus virginiana, Purshia tridentata, Symphoricarpos longiflorus, and Tetradymia spp. A sparse layer of cold-deciduous needle-leaved or scale-leaved evergreen trees may occasionally be emergent over the shrubs. The herbaceous layer may be sparse to strongly dominated by graminoids, including Achnatherum hymenoides, Achnatherum lettermanii (= Stipa lettermanii), Achnatherum pinetorum, Achnatherum thurberianum, Bouteloua gracilis, Bromus tectorum, Carex filifolia, Elymus albicans, Elymus elymoides, Elymus lanceolatus, Festuca idahoensis, Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), Leymus ambiguus, Pleuraphis jamesii, Poa fendleriana, Poa secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Sporobolus airoides, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Trees found across the range include Cercocarpus ledifolius, Juniperus monosperma, Juniperus occidentalis, Juniperus osteosperma, Juniperus scopulorum, Pinus edulis, Pinus flexilis, Pinus jeffreyi, Pinus monophylla, Pinus ponderosa, Populus tremuloides, Quercus gambelii, Quercus garryana, and Yucca brevifolia.
Dynamics: The natural fire regime of this group likely maintains patchy distribution of shrubs, so the general aspect of the vegetation is that of a grassland. Shrubs may increase following heavy grazing and/or with fire suppression, particularly in moist portions of the northern Columbia Plateau where it forms a landscape mosaic pattern with shallow-soil scabland shrublands. Response to grazing can be variable depending on the type of grazer and the season in which grazing occurs. Hesperostipa comata can increase in abundance in response to either grazing or fire. Microphytic crust is very important in this group.
Environmental Description: This shrubland group is widely distributed in the western U.S., at elevations as low as 500 m in the northwestern Great Plains to 2500 m in the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau. This group occurs on flat to steeply sloping upland slopes on alluvial fans and terraces, toeslopes, lower and middle slopes, draws, badlands, and foothills. Climate: Climate ranges from arid in the western Great Basin to subhumid in the northern plains and Rocky Mountains with much of the precipitation falling primarily as snow. The amount and reliability of growing-season moisture increase eastward and with increasing elevation. Soil/substrate/hydrology: Sites with little slope tend to have deep soils while those with steeper slopes have shallow to moderately deep soils. Soil texture is loamy sand, loam, sandy loam, or clay loam (Hansen and Hoffman 1988), and there is often a significant amount of coarse fragments in the soil profile.
Geographic Range: This widely distributed, matrix-forming shrubland group is concentrated in the drier, more southerly portions of the interior western U.S., especially in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, but extends into more xeric portions of the Columbia Plateau, Wyoming steppe, Rocky Mountains, and northeast into the northwestern Great Plains.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: AZ, BC, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, SD?, UT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.837809
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.3 Big Sagebrush - Threetip Sagebrush - Antelope Bitterbrush Steppe & Shrubland Macrogroup | M169 | 3.B.1.Ne.3 |
| Group | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a Wyoming Big Sagebrush - Basin Big Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Group | G303 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
| Alliance | A3184 Wyoming Big Sagebrush Dry Steppe & Shrubland Alliance | A3184 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
| Alliance | A3194 Basin Big Sagebrush - Foothill Big Sagebrush Dry Steppe & Shrubland Alliance | A3194 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
| Alliance | A3198 Big Sagebrush - Mixed Shrub Dry Steppe & Shrubland Alliance | A3198 | 3.B.1.Ne.3.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< Basin Big Sagebrush (401) (Shiflet 1994)
= Great Basin-Colorado Plateau sagebrush semi-desert (West 1983a)
>< Wyoming Big Sagebrush (403) (Shiflet 1994)
= Great Basin-Colorado Plateau sagebrush semi-desert (West 1983a)
>< Wyoming Big Sagebrush (403) (Shiflet 1994)
- Baker, W. L., and S. C. Kennedy. 1985. Presettlement vegetation of part of northwestern Moffat County, Colorado, described from remnants. Great Basin Naturalist 45(4):747-777.
- Barbour, M. G., and J. Major, editors. 1988. Terrestrial vegetation of California: New expanded edition. California Native Plant Society, Special Publication 9, Sacramento. 1030 pp.
- Barbour, M. G., and W. D. Billings, editors. 1988. North American terrestrial vegetation. Cambridge University Press, New York. 434 pp.
- Blackburn, W. H., and P. T. Tueller. 1970. Pinyon and juniper invasion in black sagebrush communities in east-central Nevada. Ecology 51:841-848.
- Brown, D. E., C. H. Lowe, and C. P. Pase. 1979. A digitized classification system for the biotic communities of North America with community (series) and association examples for the Southwest. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 14:1-16.
- Brown, D. E., editor. 1982a. Biotic communities of the American Southwest-United States and Mexico. Desert Plants Special Issue 4(1-4):1-342.
- Chappell, C., R. Crawford, J. Kagan, and P. J. Doran. 1997. A vegetation, land use, and habitat classification system for the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of Oregon and Washington. Unpublished report prepared for Wildlife habitat and species associations within Oregon and Washington landscapes: Building a common understanding for management. Prepared by Washington and Oregon Natural Heritage Programs, Olympia, WA, and Portland, OR. 177 pp.
- Daubenmire, R. F. 1970. Steppe vegetation of Washington. Washington State University Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 62. 131 pp.
- Ecosystems Working Group. 1998. Standards for broad terrestrial ecosystem classification and mapping for British Columbia. Prepared by the Ecosystems Working Group, Terrestrial Ecosystem Task Force, Resources Inventory Committee, for the Province of British Columbia. 174 pp. plus appendices. [http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/risc/pubs/teecolo/tem/indextem.htm]
- 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]
- Hansen, P. L., and G. R. Hoffman. 1988. The vegetation of the Grand River/Cedar River, Sioux, and Ashland districts of the Custer National Forest: A habitat type classification. General Technical Report RM-157. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 68 pp.
- Hironaka, M., M. A. Fosberg, and A. H. Winward. 1983. Sagebrush-grass habitat types of southern Idaho. Forestry, Wildlife, and Range Experiment Station Bulletin No. 15, University of Idaho, Moscow. 44 pp.
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- Mueggler, W. F., and W. L. Stewart. 1980. Grassland and shrubland habitat types of western Montana. General Technical Report INT-66. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT. 154 pp.
- Shiflet, T. N., editor. 1994. Rangeland cover types of the United States. Society for Range Management. Denver, CO. 152 pp.
- West, N. E. 1983a. Great Basin-Colorado Plateau sagebrush semi-desert. Pages 331-349 in: N. E. West, editor. Temperate deserts and semi-deserts. Ecosystems of the world, Volume 5. Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam.
- West, N. E. 1983c. Western Intermountain sagebrush steppe. Pages 351-374 in: N. E. West, editor. Temperate deserts and semi-deserts. Ecosystems of the world, Volume 5. Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam.