Print Report
CEGL005737 Acacia greggii - (Ambrosia eriocentra, Salvia dorrii) Desert Wash Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Catclaw Acacia - (Woolly-fruit Bur-ragweed, Purple Sage) Desert Wash Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This desert scrub association is found at mid elevations in the Mojave Desert in California, Arizona and southern Nevada. It is characterized by an open to moderately dense shrub canopy (10-30% cover) dominated or codominated by Acacia greggii with Ambrosia eriocentra, Hymenoclea salsola, and Salvia dorrii being characteristically present to codominant. Additional shrubs are often present. Occasional emergent Yucca brevifolia or Chilopsis linearis trees are sometimes present. If present, the herbaceous layer is typically open ranging up to 10% cover with native grasses and forbs such as Achnatherum speciosum, Adenophyllum cooperi, Dasyochloa pulchella, Muhlenbergia porteri, Penstemon palmeri, Sphaeralcea ambigua, Stephanomeria pauciflora, and exotic annuals Bromus rubens and Erodium cicutarium. Stands are found primarily in washes, arroyos, and drainage channels at 750-1500 m elevation. Sites are on gentle slopes (1 to 6°) on typically northwesterly and southwesterly aspects. Substrates are typically coarse-textured soils, usually coarse to fine sand, and often with cobbles and gravel on the surface. Soils are derived from a variety of substrates but primarily alluvium and sandstone.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense shrub canopy (10-30% cover) dominated or codominated by Acacia greggii with Ambrosia eriocentra, Hymenoclea salsola, and Salvia dorrii being characteristically present to codominant (Evens 2000, Evens et al. 2014). Other shrubs often present include Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa, Echinocereus engelmannii, Encelia virginensis, Ephedra nevadensis, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Gutierrezia microcephala, Krameria erecta, Phoradendron californicum, Prunus fasciculata, Salazaria mexicana, and Thamnosma montana (Evens 2000, Evens et al. 2014). Occasional emergent Yucca brevifolia or Chilopsis linearis trees are sometimes present. If present, the herbaceous layer is typically open, ranging up to 10% cover. Commonly associated native grasses and forbs include Achnatherum speciosum, Adenophyllum cooperi, Dasyochloa pulchella, Eriogonum inflatum, Muhlenbergia porteri, Penstemon palmeri, Sphaeralcea ambigua, Stephanomeria pauciflora, and Tridens muticus, and exotic annuals include Bromus rubens and Erodium cicutarium (Evens 2000, Evens et al. 2014).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This desert scrub association is found at mid elevations in the Mojave Desert in California, Arizona and southern Nevada. It is found primarily in washes, arroyos, and drainage channels at 750-1500 m elevation (Evens 2000, Evens et al. 2014). Arroyo width ranges from 10-50 m. Sites are on gentle slopes (1 to 6°) on typically northwesterly and southwesterly aspects. Substrates are typically coarse-textured soils, usually coarse to fine sand (rarely with fine-textured soils), and often with cobbles and gravel on the surface. Soils are derived from a variety of substrates, but primarily alluvium and sandstone, and less often limestone (Evens 2000, Evens et al. 2014). Petrocalcic soil horizons are sometimes exposed in the channels (Evens 2000, Evens et al. 2014).
Geographic Range: The association is found at mid elevations in the Mojave Desert and was sampled in Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Mojave National Preserve in California, Arizona, and southern Nevada.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ, CA, NV
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.971554
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 | A4187 Catclaw Acacia - Desert-lavender - Beloperone Desert Wash Scrub Alliance | A4187 | 3.A.2.Na.7.a |
| Association | CEGL005737 Catclaw Acacia - (Woolly-fruit Bur-ragweed, Purple Sage) Desert Wash Shrubland | CEGL005737 | 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: > Acacia greggii - Ambrosia eriocentra (Sawyer et al. 2009) [33.040.08]
> Acacia greggii - Salvia dorrii (Sawyer et al. 2009) [33.040.09]
= Acacia greggii-(Ambrosia eriocentra-Salvia dorrii) Association (Evens et al. 2014)
= Acacia greggii-Prunus fasciculatum/Hymenoclea-Ambrosia eriocentra-Salvia dorrii (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000)
> Acacia greggii/Ambrosia eriocentra association (Arroyo wash association) (Evens 2000)
> Acacia greggii/Salvia dorrii association (Arroyo/wash association) (Evens 2000)
< Acacia greggii Shrubland Alliance (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000)
> Acacia greggii - Salvia dorrii (Sawyer et al. 2009) [33.040.09]
= Acacia greggii-(Ambrosia eriocentra-Salvia dorrii) Association (Evens et al. 2014)
= Acacia greggii-Prunus fasciculatum/Hymenoclea-Ambrosia eriocentra-Salvia dorrii (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000)
> Acacia greggii/Ambrosia eriocentra association (Arroyo wash association) (Evens 2000)
> Acacia greggii/Salvia dorrii association (Arroyo/wash association) (Evens 2000)
< Acacia greggii Shrubland Alliance (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000)
- Evens, J. M. 2000. Water course vegetation on granite and calcareous substrates in the eastern Mojave Desert, California. Master''s thesis, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA.
- Evens, J. M., K. Sikes, D. Hastings, and J. Ratchford. 2014. Vegetation alliance descriptions for Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Death Valley National Park and Mojave National Preserve. Unpublished report submitted to USDI National Park Service, Mojave Desert Network Inventory and Monitoring Program. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, CA.
- Keeler-Wolf, T., and K. Thomas. 2000. Draft descriptions of vegetation alliances for the Mojave Ecosystem Mapping project. California Natural Diversity Database, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento.
- Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.