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A0588 Parkinsonia florida - Olneya tesota Desert Wash Scrub Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: Olneya tesota and/or Parkinsonia florida are codominant, or either species is dominant, in the tree or tall-shrub canopy with Chilopsis linearis, Fouquieria splendens, Prosopis glandulosa, Prosopis pubescens, and Psorothamnus spinosus. This alliance is found in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of California, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico, where it occurs along desert arroyo margins, seasonal watercourses and washes, bottomlands, middle and upper bajadas and alluvial fans, and lower slopes
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Blue Paloverde - Desert-ironwood Desert Wash Scrub Alliance
Colloquial Name: Blue Paloverde - Desert-ironwood Desert Wash Scrub
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: Olneya tesota and/or Parkinsonia florida are codominant, or either species is dominant, in the tree or tall-shrub canopy with Chilopsis linearis, Fouquieria splendens, Prosopis glandulosa, Prosopis pubescens, and Psorothamnus spinosus. Shrubs may include Acacia greggii, Ambrosia dumosa, Bebbia juncea, Calliandra eriophylla, Colubrina californica, Encelia farinosa, Ferocactus cylindraceus, Hymenoclea salsola, Hyptis emoryi, Justicia californica, Larrea tridentata, Lycium andersonii, Lycium brevipes, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa, and/or Simmondsia chinensis. This alliance is found in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of California, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico. It occurs along desert arroyo margins, seasonal watercourses and washes, bottomlands, middle and upper bajadas and alluvial fans, and lower slopes. Soils are sandy, well-drained, and derived from alluvium or colluvium.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Olneya tesota >3% absolute cover in the tall-shrub or tree canopy, and not exceeded by other tall-shrub or tree species (Keeler-Wolf et al. 1998a); Olneya tesota and/or Parkinsonia florida >2% absolute cover in the canopy together or on their own; associated species may be similar in cover (Evens and Hartman 2007); or Parkinsonia florida >3% absolute cover in the tree canopy, exceeding other tall shrubs or trees (Keeler-Wolf et al. 1998a).
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Parkinsonia florida - Olneya tesota alliance is probably the most extensive of the common wash-woodland alliances, covering thousands of hectares in California''s hottest deserts. Compared to Parkinsonia florida associations, associations with Olneya tesota dominant are less related to wash habitats with uniform disturbance patterns and regularly available moisture. In drier parts of the Colorado and Sonoran deserts, the alliance is restricted to washes.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Trees <14 m tall; canopy is open to continuous. Shrub layer is intermittent or open. Herbaceous layer is sparse with seasonal annuals.
Floristics: Olneya tesota and/or Parkinsonia florida are codominant, or either species is dominant, in the tree or tall-shrub canopy with Chilopsis linearis, Fouquieria splendens, Prosopis glandulosa, Prosopis pubescens, and Psorothamnus spinosus. Shrubs may include Acacia greggii, Ambrosia dumosa, Bebbia juncea, Calliandra eriophylla, Colubrina californica, Encelia farinosa, Ferocactus cylindraceus, Hymenoclea salsola (= Ambrosia salsola), Hyptis emoryi, Justicia californica, Larrea tridentata, Lycium andersonii, Lycium brevipes, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa, and/or Simmondsia chinensis.
Dynamics: Fluvial processes rather than fire primarily disturb stands of this alliance. Stands in California occupy wetlands with relatively high flood intensity, and Arizona stands exist on upland settings. Optimal conditions for seed establishment occur infrequently, and stand recovery following disturbance is slow. It may take up to 60 years for these woodlands to reach predisturbance levels of biomass, and 180 years to reach predisturbance levels of species diversity (Pavek 1994). Plants may sprout from the root crown if its post-fire response is similar to clipping. However, fire easily kills the photosynthetic stems of older trees (Pavek 1994).
Environmental Description: This alliance is indicative of wash environments with a relatively high flood intensity and relatively high water availability. These woodlands usually occur as two strips of vegetation along the banks of a broad, sandy wash bed, including along desert arroyo margins, seasonal watercourses and washes, bottomlands, middle and upper bajadas and alluvial fans, and lower slopes. Soils are sandy, well-drained, and derived from alluvium or colluvium.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of California, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico.
Nations: MX?,US
States/Provinces: AZ, CA, MXBCN?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.943948
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4
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 | A0588 Blue Paloverde - Desert-ironwood Desert Wash Scrub Alliance | A0588 | 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: = Parkinsonia florida - Olneya tesota (Blue palo verde - Ironwood woodland) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [61.545.00]
= Parkinsonia florida - Olneya tesota Woodland Alliance (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005)
= Parkinsonia florida-Olneya tesota Woodland Alliance (CNPS 2017) [61.545.00]
= Blue palo verde-ironwood-smoke tree series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
? Desert Dry Wash Woodland (#62200) (Holland 1986b)
= Parkinsonia florida - Olneya tesota Woodland Alliance (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005)
= Parkinsonia florida-Olneya tesota Woodland Alliance (CNPS 2017) [61.545.00]
= Blue palo verde-ironwood-smoke tree series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
? Desert Dry Wash Woodland (#62200) (Holland 1986b)
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