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A1528 Artemisia tripartita ssp. tripartita - Artemisia tridentata Mesic Steppe & Shrubland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This mesic alliance is distributed from the Columbia Basin east to the northern Rocky Mountains and is characterized by an open to moderately dense shrub layer dominated or codominated by Artemisia tripartita with10-25% cover and with herbaceous species having equal or greater coverage than shrubs.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Threetip Sagebrush - Big Sagebrush Mesic Steppe & Shrubland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Threetip Sagebrush - Big Sagebrush Mesic Steppe & Shrubland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This mesic shrubland and steppe alliance is distributed from the Columbia Basin east to the northern Rocky Mountains and is characterized by an open to moderately dense shrub layer dominated or codominated by Artemisia tripartita with10-25% cover and with herbaceous species having equal or greater coverage than shrubs. Common shrub associates include Artemisia frigida, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Purshia tridentata, or Tetradymia canescens. The herbaceous stratum is typically dominated by graminoids and of moderate to moderately high cover (20-70%). Pseudoroegneria spicata and Festuca idahoensis are the most common associates. Other locally abundant graminoid species include Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua gracilis, Carex filifolia, Festuca campestris, Hesperostipa comata, and Koeleria macrantha. Forbs form a minor and highly variable portion of this vegetation. Recurrent species include Achillea millefolium, Balsamorhiza sagittata, Camelina microcarpa, Erigeron spp., Opuntia spp., Phlox spp., and Sphaeralcea coccinea. Climate ranges from semi-arid in intermountain basins to subhumid in higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains. Stands occur on flat to steeply sloping upland sites. Soil texture is loam, sandy loam, or clay loam, but is highly variable.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Vegetation in this mesic shrubland and steppe is characterized by an open, conspicuous shrub layer with herbaceous species having equal or greater coverage with diagnostic species Artemisia tripartita dominant to codominant with 10-25% cover. Other characteristics shrubs include Artemisia frigida, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Purshia tridentata, or Tetradymia canescens. The herbaceous layer is dominated by graminoids with moderate to moderately high cover (25-70%). Characteristic and often dominant grasses are Festuca campestris, Festuca idahoensis, Hesperostipa comata, Leymus cinereus, and Pseudoroegneria spicata.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This mesic shrubland and steppe alliance occurs as large patch/matrix stands in relatively mesic northern latitudes. However, in semi-arid landscapes in more southern latitudes, it frequently occurs in smaller patch stands restricted to relatively mesic sites, such as swales and basins, that receive additional moisture from surrounding slopes and at higher elevations.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This alliance is characterized by an open to moderately dense (10-25%) cover of microphyllous evergreen shrubs, usually 0.3-1 m in height. Cespitose graminoids are usually prominent, and exceed the shrubs in height and/or cover. Forb species may be frequent or not, but are usually of low canopy cover.
Floristics: This mesic shrubland and steppe alliance is characterized by an open to moderately dense shrub layer dominated or codominated by Artemisia tripartita with10-25% cover and with herbaceous species having equal or greater coverage than shrubs. Common shrub associates include Artemisia frigida, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Purshia tridentata, or Tetradymia canescens. The herbaceous stratum is typically dominated by graminoids of moderate to moderately high cover (20-70%). Pseudoroegneria spicata and Festuca idahoensis are the most common associates. Other locally abundant graminoid species include Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua gracilis, Carex filifolia, Festuca campestris, Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), and Koeleria macrantha. Forbs form a minor and highly variable portion of this vegetation. Recurrent species include Achillea millefolium, Balsamorhiza sagittata, Camelina microcarpa, Erigeron spp., Opuntia spp., Phlox spp., and Sphaeralcea coccinea.
Dynamics: Artemisia tripartita is able to resprout following fire, and dominance by the shrub is favored in overgrazed ranges (Hironaka et al. 1983). Populations may have variation in this ability (Hironaka et al. 1983). Artemisia tripartita ssp. tripartita occurs from the Continental Divide of Wyoming to the Columbia Basin of Washington. This subspecies has an erect growth form and may reach 2 m in height. Artemisia tripartita ssp. rupicola occurs east of the Continental Divide in Wyoming and forms low, layered shrubs less than 0.3 m in height (Fisser 1962). Growth trials of the two subspecies under similar conditions have shown that these morphological characteristics are genetic rather than environmentally controlled (Fisser 1962).
Environmental Description: This mesic shrubland and steppe alliance is distributed from the Columbia Basin east to the northern Rocky Mountains. Climate ranges from semi-arid in intermountain basins to subhumid in higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains. The amount and reliability of growing-season moisture increase eastward and with increasing altitude, generally averaging 25-35 cm annually. These communities occur from elevations of less than 1000 m in the Columbia Basin to over 2500 m in the Rocky Mountains. The alliance occurs on flat to steeply sloping upland sites. Sites with little slope tend to have deeper soils, while those with steeper slopes have shallow to moderately deep soils. Soil texture is loam, sandy loam, or clay loam, but is highly variable (Hironaka et al. 1983). Artemisia cana- or Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis-dominated communities often occupy lower elevations, and Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana-dominated communities occupy cooler, moister upland sites at higher elevation. Other adjacent vegetation types across the range of this alliance include Atriplex confertifolia, Chrysothamnus spp., or Artemisia nova shrublands, Populus tremuloides, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus contorta, Abies grandis, or Pseudotsuga menziesii forests, Pinus - Juniperus woodlands, shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie, or mesic montane meadow communities.
Geographic Range: This alliance occurs from eastern Washington and British Columbia, across the upper Columbia Basin to various habitats in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: BC, CO, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899149
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: This alliance equals old alliance V.A.7.N.e. Artemisia tripartita ssp. tripartita Shrub Herbaceous Alliance (A.1528).
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = SRM Cover Type #404 - Threetip Sagebrush (Shiflet 1994)
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