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A1129 Salvia dorrii Dwarf-shrubland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This alliance occurs in Oregon in the High Lava Plains, and the southern canyonlands of the Columbia Basin and at isolated spots throughout the Blue Mountains where Salvia dorrii is the dominant shrub.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Purple Sage Dwarf-shrubland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Purple Sage Dwarf-shrubland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: In Oregon, this is a somewhat common scabland alliance found from roughly 300-1670 m in elevation. The alliance is often in a mosaic with Pseudoroegneria spicata canyon grassland or shrub-steppe communities, but occasionally is found in Juniperus woodlands or Pinus ponderosa forests. Salvia dorrii is the dominant shrub, but cover or abundance information is not available. Poa secunda and Pseudoroegneria spicata are the dominant grasses, making up most of the herbaceous cover. Achnatherum hendersonii and Danthonia unispicata are occasionally important. Forb species can include Lewisia rediviva, Physaria oregona, Trifolium macrocephalum, Viola trinervata, and species of Arenaria, Collomia, Erigeron, and Lomatium, all early-blooming species. Many forb species are largely restricted to these environments. It occurs on barren, fairly young basalts or shallow loams over basalt. Sites include ridgetops and steeper sites with rock outcrops. Extreme topo-edaphic drought is the major process influencing these communities.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Small-patch inclusions within matrix forests and woodlands characterized by dwarf-shrublands of Salvia dorrii typically with grassy understories occurring on barren, usually fairly young basalts or shallow loams over basalt.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This is a poorly documented alliance. The Oregon Natural Heritage Program reports they have plot data collected from a few stands (J. Kagan pers. comm.), and that the alliance occurs on the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Further inventory and documentation are needed. Information from California must be reviewed for inclusion in this description to determine if occurrences there represent the same alliance.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This alliance is composed of low-shrub communities (<0.5 m) or shrub-bunchgrass mosaics, in which the shrubs are dominant or codominant with an understory of very short grasses and forbs. Soil cryptogams can be abundant in some stands, especially where undisturbed.
Floristics: This alliance is poorly documented, and the following information is from Chappell et al. (1997). Salvia dorrii is the dominant shrub, but cover or abundance information is not available. Poa secunda and Pseudoroegneria spicata are the dominant grasses, making up most of the herbaceous cover. Achnatherum hendersonii (= Stipa hendersonii) and Danthonia unispicata are occasionally important. Forb species can include Lewisia rediviva, Physaria oregona, Trifolium macrocephalum, Viola trinervata, and species of Arenaria, Collomia, Erigeron, Lomatium, and Arenaria, all early-blooming species. Many forb species are largely restricted to these environments.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This is a somewhat common scabland shrubland alliance found from roughly 300-1670 m in elevation. It occurs on barren, usually fairly young basalts or shallow loams over basalt. Sites include ridgetops and steeper sites with rock outcrops. Extreme topo-edaphic drought is the major process influencing these communities.
Geographic Range: This alliance occurs in Oregon in the High Lava Plains, and the southern canyonlands of the Columbia Basin and at isolated spots throughout the Blue Mountains. The alliance has also been reported from the northeastern Mojave Desert in southern California. It may also be found in northern California and adjacent areas of Washington, but has not been documented from either area.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CA, OR, WA?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899081
Confidence Level: Low
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.2 Little Sagebrush - Black Sagebrush - Scabland Sagebrush Steppe & Shrubland Macrogroup | M170 | 3.B.1.Ne.2 |
| Group | 3.B.1.Ne.2.a Scabland Sagebrush - Buckwheat species Dwarf-shrubland & Steppe Group | G307 | 3.B.1.Ne.2.a |
| Alliance | A1129 Purple Sage Dwarf-shrubland Alliance | A1129 | 3.B.1.Ne.2.a |
| Association | CEGL001453 Purple Sage / Bluebunch Wheatgrass Dwarf-shrubland | CEGL001453 | 3.B.1.Ne.2.a |
| Association | CEGL002965 Purple Sage Dwarf-shrubland | CEGL002965 | 3.B.1.Ne.2.a |
Concept Lineage: equivalent to A.1129
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Salvia dorrii (Desert purple sage scrub) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [33.320.00]
- 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.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, M. Hall, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, L. Sneddon, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2013-2019b. Screening alliances for induction into the U.S. National Vegetation Classification: Part 1 - Alliance concept review. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
- Kagan, Jimmy. Personal communication. Coordinator, Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland.
- 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.