Print Report

A4185 Prunus fasciculata - Salazaria mexicana Northern Mojave Desert Wash Scrub Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: Desert washes dominated by short, microphyllous shrubs in northern portions of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. Prunus fasciculata, Prunus eremophila, or Salazaria mexicana is dominant or codominant in the shrub canopy, and Eriogonum fasciculatum is often present.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Desert Almond - Mexican Bladdersage Northern Mojave Desert Wash Scrub Alliance

Colloquial Name: Northern Mojave Desert Almond - Mexican Bladdersage Desert Wash Scrub

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance includes washes dominated by short, microphyllous shrubs. It forms an open to intermittent shrub layer. The emergent tree layer, when present, is typically sparse to open, and the herbaceous layer is sparse to open. Prunus fasciculata, Prunus eremophila, or Salazaria mexicana is dominant or codominant in the shrub canopy, and Eriogonum fasciculatum is often present. Sometimes, Salvia dorrii may be dominant or codominant with Prunus fasciculata and other shrubs. Characteristic herbs include Bromus rubens; others include Achnatherum speciosum, Erodium cicutarium and Sphaeralcea ambigua. The alliance is found primarily in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of California and Arizona in washes and in canyon channel bottoms along hillsides at elevations ranging from approximately 750 to 1900 m on a variety of aspects. Soils are derived from a variety of substrates, including alluvium, granodiorite, limestone and sandstone, and soil textures are often sand or sandy loam.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance is characterized by an open to intermittent shrub layer with Prunus fasciculata, Prunus eremophila, and/or Salazaria mexicana dominant or codominant. Sometimes, Salvia dorrii may be dominant or codominant with Prunus fasciculata and other shrubs. Rarely, Keckiella antirrhinoides is the dominant shrub, and Prunus fasciculata characteristically present. The overall shrub cover ranges from 5 to 48% (Evens et al. 2014).

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: The Prunus fasciculata, Salazaria mexicana, and Salvia dorrii alliances previously defined by Sawyer et al. (2009) and Thomas et al. (2004) have been merged into this broader alliance, which is based on similarity in their floristics and ecology (Evens et al. 2014). Prunus fasciculata is a common shrub of wash margins in the upper Mojave Desert. This alliance receives higher precipitation and experiences cooler temperatures than other wash vegetation types, occurring in gravelly canyons and upper washes. It forms linear stands associated with those of Acacia greggii or Baccharis sergiloides alliances in mountain canyons and in arroyos at the base of mountains. It also forms patches associated with stands of Chilopsis linearis and Salvia dorrii alliances along washes on calcareous substrates (Evens 2000).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: The alliance forms an open to intermittent shrub layer and the overall shrub cover ranges from 5 to 48%. The tree layer is typically sparse to open, and the herb layer is sparse to open. Nonvascular plants are typically sparse to open.

Floristics: Prunus fasciculata, Prunus eremophila, or Salazaria mexicana is dominant or codominant in the shrub layer. Sometimes, Salvia dorrii may be dominant or codominant with Prunus fasciculata and other shrubs. Rarely, Keckiella antirrhinoides is dominant instead, and Prunus fasciculata is characteristically present. Those shrubs that are often present include Eriogonum fasciculatum. Characteristic herbs include Bromus rubens; others include Achnatherum speciosum, Erodium cicutarium and Sphaeralcea ambigua.

Dynamics:  Prunus fasciculata, Salazaria mexicana, and Salvia dorrii commonly occur in gravelly and rocky washes on upper bajadas into the mountains, occurring with related alliances of Acacia greggii and Baccharis sergiloides. Both Prunus fasciculata and Salazaria mexicana vigorously resprout after fire, and these shrubs can expand in extent within a few years after a fire at the expense of other fire-sensitive plants, including Juniperus osteosperma, Coleogyne ramosissima, and other related mid-elevation desert scrub species. Post-burn stands that occur along rocky montane slopes in the Mojave Desert ecoregion include those at the Mid Hills after the Hackberry Complex Fire.
Environmental Description:  The alliance is found at mid to high elevations at various aspects. It primarily occurs on the sandy soils of washes and mountain canyons, which are derived from various materials, including calcareous substrates.
Geographic Range: This alliance occurs in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts and adjacent areas of California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AZ, CA, NV, UT


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.A Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Woodland, Scrub & Grassland Subclass S06 3.A
Formation 3.A.2 Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland Formation F015 3.A.2
Division 3.A.2.Na North American Warm Desert Scrub & Grassland Division D039 3.A.2.Na
Macrogroup 3.A.2.Na.7 North American Warm-Desert Xeric-Riparian Scrub Macrogroup M092 3.A.2.Na.7
Group 3.A.2.Na.7.a Desert-willow - Apache Plume - Desert Almond Desert Wash & Colluvial Slope Group G541 3.A.2.Na.7.a
Alliance A4185 Desert Almond - Mexican Bladdersage Northern Mojave Desert Wash Scrub Alliance A4185 3.A.2.Na.7.a
Association CEGL002703 Burrobrush - Mexican Bladdersage Shrubland CEGL002703 3.A.2.Na.7.a
Association CEGL002704 Desert Almond Shrubland CEGL002704 3.A.2.Na.7.a
Association CEGL005293 Mexican Bladdersage Shrubland CEGL005293 3.A.2.Na.7.a
Association CEGL005773 Desert Almond - Woolly-fruit Bur-ragweed Desert Wash Shrubland CEGL005773 3.A.2.Na.7.a
Association CEGL005774 Purple Sage Desert Wash Shrubland CEGL005774 3.A.2.Na.7.a
Association CEGL006863 Desert Almond - (Stansbury''s Cliffrose, Netvein Goldeneye) Desert Wash Shrubland CEGL006863 3.A.2.Na.7.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Prunus fasciculata (Desert almond scrub) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [33.300.00]
= Prunus fasciculata-Salazaria mexicana Shrubland Alliance (Evens et al. 2014)
> Prunus fasciculata Shrubland Alliance (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005)
> Prunus fasciculata Shrubland Alliance (Evens et al. 2012)
> Salazaria mexicana (Bladder sage scrub) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [33.310.00]
> Salazaria mexicana Shrubland Alliance (Evens et al. 2012)
> Salazaria mexicana Shrubland Alliance (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005)
> Salvia dorrii (Desert purple sage scrub) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [33.320.00]
>< Mojave Desert Wash Scrub (#63700) (Holland 1986b)
>< Mojave Mixed Woody Scrub (#34210) (Holland 1986b)
Concept Author(s): G. Kittel, after Evens et al. (2014)

Author of Description: M.J. Russo after Evens et al. (2014)

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 03-18-15
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