Print Report

A3971 Quercus pungens - Quercus intricata - Quercus vaseyana Chaparral Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: Vegetation is characterized by an open to dense evergreen shrub canopy dominated by Quercus intricata, Quercus invaginata, Quercus laceyi, Quercus mohriana, Quercus pringlei, Quercus pungens, and Quercus vaseyana. This alliance is found in the Sierra Madre Oriental in northern Mexico, in mountains across Trans-Pecos Texas and extends into southeastern New Mexico in the Guadalupe Mountains.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Pungent Oak - Dwarf Oak - Sandpaper Oak Chaparral Alliance

Colloquial Name: Pungent Oak - Dwarf Oak - Sandpaper Oak Chaparral

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: Vegetation is characterized by an open to dense shrub canopy dominated by evergreen diagnostic shrub oak species, such as Quercus intricata, Quercus invaginata, Quercus laceyi, Quercus mohriana, Quercus pringlei, Quercus pungens, and Quercus vaseyana. Several widespread chaparral species, such as Arctostaphylos pungens, Ceanothus greggii, Cercocarpus montanus, Fallugia paradoxa, and Garrya wrightii, may also be present. Other Madrean species characteristic of this alliance include Arbutus xalapensis, Dasylirion leiophyllum, Fraxinus greggii, Fendlera rigida, Garrya ovata, Gymnosperma glutinosum, Juniperus pinchotii, Mortonia sempervirens, Purshia mexicana, Rhus virens var. choriophylla, Salvia lycioides, Salvia roemeriana, and Salvia regla. Perennial grass cover may be significant. Stands occurring within montane woodlands are seral and a result of recent fires. This alliance is found in the Sierra Madre Oriental in northern Mexico, in mountains across Trans-Pecos Texas and extends into southeastern New Mexico into the Guadalupe Mountains. Stands often dominate along the mid-elevation transition from the Chihuahuan Desert into mountains (1760-2650 m), but may extend down to 1060 m in sheltered slopes in canyons. Stand are often found on steep, rocky slopes. Sites include foothills, mountain slopes and canyons in drier habitats below the encinal and pine woodlands. Most chaparral species are fire-adapted, resprouting vigorously after burning or producing fire-resistant seeds.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance is dominated by diagnostic shrub oak species, such as Quercus intricata, Quercus invaginata, Quercus laceyi, Quercus mohriana, Quercus pringlei, Quercus pungens, and Quercus vaseyana.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This alliance is primarily a canyon scrub rather than an open slope chaparral (E. Muldavin pers. comm. 2014).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This alliance is characterized by evergreen shrubs that form an open to dense shrub canopy less than 3 m tall. A sparse to dense herbaceous layer may be present.

Floristics: Vegetation is characterized by an open to dense shrub canopy dominated by evergreen diagnostic shrub oak species Quercus intricata, Quercus invaginata, Quercus laceyi, Quercus mohriana, Quercus pringlei, Quercus pungens, and Quercus vaseyana. Several widespread chaparral species, such as Arctostaphylos pungens, Ceanothus greggii, Cercocarpus montanus, Fallugia paradoxa, Fendlera rupicola, Garrya wrightii, and Ptelea trifoliata, may also be present. Other Madrean species characteristic of this alliance include Arbutus xalapensis (= Arbutus texana), Dasylirion leiophyllum, Fraxinus greggii, Fendlera rigida (= Fendlera linearis), Garrya ovata, Gymnosperma glutinosum, Juniperus pinchotii, Mortonia sempervirens, Purshia mexicana, Rhus virens var. choriophylla (= Rhus choriophylla), Salvia lycioides (= Salvia ramosissima), Salvia pinguifolia, Salvia roemeriana, and Salvia regla. In the Trans-Pecos of Texas, disjunct Quercus gambelii may occur as a significant component of this shrubland. Grass cover may be significant. Dominant grasses often include Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua hirsuta, Bouteloua gracilis, Muhlenbergia emersleyi, and Muhlenbergia rigida. It is primarily a canyon scrub rather than an open slope chaparral or juniper woodland. It may also occur in a matrix of succulent desert scrub and semi-desert grassland.

Dynamics:  Most chaparral species are fire-adapted, resprouting vigorously after burning or producing fire-resistant seeds. Stands occurring within montane woodlands are seral and a result of recent fires.
Environmental Description:  Stands often dominate along the mid-elevation transition from the Chihuahuan Desert into mountains (1760-2650 m), but may extend down to 1060 m on sheltered slopes in canyons. Stands are often found on steep, rocky slopes. Sites include foothills, mountain slopes and canyons in drier habitats below the encinal and pine woodlands. These shrublands are often, but not always, associated with calcareous substrates such as limestone. They often border or occur as inclusions in pinyon - oak - juniper woodlands.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Sierra Madre Oriental in northern Mexico, in mountains (Chisos and Davis) across Trans-Pecos Texas and extends into southeastern New Mexico into the Guadalupe Mountains.

Nations: MX,US

States/Provinces:  MXCHH?, MXCOA?, NM, TX


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass S18 2.B
Formation 2.B.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation F012 2.B.2
Division 2.B.2.Ng Western North American Interior Chaparral Division D061 2.B.2.Ng
Macrogroup 2.B.2.Ng.2 Sonoran Scrub Oak - Pointleaf Manzanita - Desert Ceanothus Warm Interior Chaparral Macrogroup M091 2.B.2.Ng.2
Group 2.B.2.Ng.2.a Dwarf Oak - Lacey Oak - Pungent Oak Chaparral Group G280 2.B.2.Ng.2.a
Alliance A3971 Pungent Oak - Dwarf Oak - Sandpaper Oak Chaparral Alliance A3971 2.B.2.Ng.2.a
Association CEGL003832 Pungent Oak - Alderleaf Mountain-mahogany Shrubland CEGL003832 2.B.2.Ng.2.a
Association CEGL004530 Dwarf Oak - Green Sotol Shrubland CEGL004530 2.B.2.Ng.2.a
Concept Lineage: This new alliance includes associations from Old Alliance III.A.2.N.c. Quercus intricata Shrubland Alliance (A.781) and Old Alliance III.A.2.N.c. Quercus pungens Shrubland Alliance (A.783).

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Interior Chaparral, "Coahuilan" Chaparral (Brown 1982a)
< Oak Scrub (Plumb 1988)
> Sandpaper Oak (Quercus pungens) Shrubland Alliance (Muldavin et al. 2003a)
Concept Author(s): K.A. Schulz, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: K.A. Schulz

Acknowledgements: We have incorporated significant descriptive information previously compiled by D. Diamo and d, A.S. Weakley.

Version Date: 12-18-14
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