Print Report
A3863 Prunus ilicifolia - Heteromeles arbutifolia - Ceanothus spinosus Mesic Chaparral Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This alliance consists of chaparral dominated by Prunus ilicifolia, Heteromeles arbutifolia, and/or Ceanothus spinosus. It is one of the more mesic of California chaparral types, and occurs mostly on north-facing slopes and in canyons, and concavities on south-facing slopes that are steep.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Hollyleaf Cherry - Toyon - Redheart Mesic Chaparral Alliance
Colloquial Name: Hollyleaf Cherry - Toyon - Redheart Mesic Chaparral
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This alliance consists of chaparral dominated by Prunus ilicifolia, Heteromeles arbutifolia, and/or Ceanothus spinosus. Several other chaparral shrub species usually are codominant in the upper canopy, such as Adenostoma fasciculatum, Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Artemisia californica, Ceanothus crassifolius, Ceanothus cuneatus, Ceanothus megacarpus, Cercocarpus montanus, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Fraxinus dipetala, Garrya veatchii, Keckiella antirrhinoides, Keckiella cordifolia, Malosma laurina, Quercus berberidifolia, Rhamnus ilicifolia, Rhus ovata, Ribes quercetorum, Salvia apiana, and/or Salvia mellifera. This alliance is found in the Coast Ranges of California, and into the southern Sierra Nevada foothills at elevations of 50-1300 m. It occurs mostly on north-facing slopes and in canyons, and concavities on south-facing slopes that are steep, but also occurs on more xeric locations at higher elevations, as well as on ocean-facing slopes (drier exposures) where summer fog may decrease evapotranspiration.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Todd Keeler-Wolf (pers. comm. 2014) would prefer this be spilt into three alliances, as Prunus ilicifolia is more restricted in its distribution, than Heteromeles arbutifolia and Ceanothus spinosus. In addition Ceanothus spinosus is found only in southern coastal California below 700 m. Heteromeles arbutifolia is a basal expression of mesic north-facing slopes of pre-montane chaparral; it is an indicator species of the group and occasionally forms stands on its own due to fire history or substrate. He suggests these be kept in three separate alliances. However, these often due occur together, and each are indicators of the higher elevation, more mesic chaparral types, so it appears to be a firm alliance with very similar co-occurring shrub floristics.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Shrubs are <4 m tall, and the canopy is intermittent to continuous. The herbaceous undergrowth is variable.
Floristics: This alliance consists of chaparral dominated by Prunus ilicifolia, Heteromeles arbutifolia, and/or Ceanothus spinosus. Several other chaparral shrub species usually are codominant in the upper canopy, such as Adenostoma fasciculatum, Arctostaphylos glandulosa, Artemisia californica, Ceanothus crassifolius, Ceanothus cuneatus, Ceanothus megacarpus, Cercocarpus montanus, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Fraxinus dipetala, Garrya veatchii, Keckiella antirrhinoides, Keckiella cordifolia, Malosma laurina, Quercus berberidifolia, Rhamnus ilicifolia, Rhus ovata, Ribes quercetorum, Salvia apiana, and/or Salvia mellifera. Emergent trees may occur with Hesperocyparis forbesii (= Cupressus forbesii), Juglans californica, Pinus sabiniana, Pseudotsuga macrocarpa, Quercus agrifolia, or Quercus douglasii present.
Species of Interest: Salvia brandegeei (CRPR 1B.2) is endemic to Santa Rosa Island and is characteristic of one of the associations. Diplacus parviflorus (= Mimulus aurantiacus var. parviflorus) (CRPR 4.3), Quercus pacifica (CRPR 4.2), and Achnatherum diegoense (= Stipa diegoensis) (CRPR 4.2) are sometimes associated with this alliance. All of the following species tracked by the CNPS Rare Plant Inventory (2015) occur at less than 20% constancy in the samples of this alliance: Lotus dendroideus var. dendroideus (= Acmispon dendroideus var. dendroideus) (CRPR 4.2), Arctostaphylos confertiflora (FE, CRPR 1B.2), Calochortus catalinae (CRPR 4.2), Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis (CRPR 4.3), Cercocarpus montanus var. blancheae (= Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae) (CRPR 4.3), Dudleya candelabrum (CRPR 1B.2), Dudleya greenei (CRPR 4.2), Eriogonum grande var. grande (CRPR 4.2), Eriogonum grande var. rubescens (CRPR 1B.2), Galium nuttallii ssp. insulare (CRPR 4.3), Hazardia detonsa (CRPR 4.3), Heuchera maxima (CRPR 1B.2), Jepsonia malvifolia (CRPR 4.2), Pinus torreyana ssp. insularis (CRPR 1B.2), Rhamnus pirifolia (CRPR 4.2), and Solanum clokeyi (CRPR 4.2).
Species of Interest: Salvia brandegeei (CRPR 1B.2) is endemic to Santa Rosa Island and is characteristic of one of the associations. Diplacus parviflorus (= Mimulus aurantiacus var. parviflorus) (CRPR 4.3), Quercus pacifica (CRPR 4.2), and Achnatherum diegoense (= Stipa diegoensis) (CRPR 4.2) are sometimes associated with this alliance. All of the following species tracked by the CNPS Rare Plant Inventory (2015) occur at less than 20% constancy in the samples of this alliance: Lotus dendroideus var. dendroideus (= Acmispon dendroideus var. dendroideus) (CRPR 4.2), Arctostaphylos confertiflora (FE, CRPR 1B.2), Calochortus catalinae (CRPR 4.2), Ceanothus megacarpus var. insularis (CRPR 4.3), Cercocarpus montanus var. blancheae (= Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae) (CRPR 4.3), Dudleya candelabrum (CRPR 1B.2), Dudleya greenei (CRPR 4.2), Eriogonum grande var. grande (CRPR 4.2), Eriogonum grande var. rubescens (CRPR 1B.2), Galium nuttallii ssp. insulare (CRPR 4.3), Hazardia detonsa (CRPR 4.3), Heuchera maxima (CRPR 1B.2), Jepsonia malvifolia (CRPR 4.2), Pinus torreyana ssp. insularis (CRPR 1B.2), Rhamnus pirifolia (CRPR 4.2), and Solanum clokeyi (CRPR 4.2).
Dynamics: These are not frost-tolerant shrublands. Long intervals between fire and mesic conditions promote the development of this alliance. Short fire-return intervals are detrimental to the long-term persistence of Prunus ilicifolia stands. Stands survive episodic fires, and typically have multi-aged stems with seedling establishment over 40 years after fire.
Environmental Description: This alliance is found in the Coast Ranges of California, and into the southern Sierra Nevada foothills at elevations of 50-1300 m. It occurs mostly on north-facing slopes and in canyons, and concavities on south-facing slopes that are steep, but also occurs on more xeric locations at higher elevations, as well as on ocean-facing slopes (drier exposures) where summer fog may decrease evapotranspiration.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Coast Ranges of California, and into the southern Sierra Nevada foothills.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899914
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: A.2678, A.2670, A.2667
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Ceanothus spinosus (Greenbark ceanothus chaparral) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [37.214.00]
> Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon chaparral) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [37.911.00]
> Heteromeles arbutifolia Alliance (Toyon chaparral) (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
= Prunus ilicifolia - Heteromeles arbutifolia - Ceanothus spinosus Mesic Chaparral Alliance (Rodriguez et al. 2017)
> Prunus ilicifolia (Holly leaf cherry chaparral) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [37.910.00]
> Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon chaparral) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [37.911.00]
> Heteromeles arbutifolia Alliance (Toyon chaparral) (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
= Prunus ilicifolia - Heteromeles arbutifolia - Ceanothus spinosus Mesic Chaparral Alliance (Rodriguez et al. 2017)
> Prunus ilicifolia (Holly leaf cherry chaparral) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [37.910.00]
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- Buck-Diaz, J., S. Batiuk, and J. M. Evens. 2012. Vegetation alliances and associations of the Great Valley ecoregion, California. California Native Society, Sacramento, CA. [http://cnps.org/cnps/vegetation/pdf/great_valley_eco-vegclass2012.pdf]
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