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CEGL005766 Larrea tridentata - Encelia farinosa - Ambrosia dumosa Desert Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Creosotebush - Brittlebush - Burrobush Desert Shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is found at low to mid elevations in the northern Colorado Desert, Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin in Arizona, California and southern Nevada. Vegetation is characterized by a sparse to open shrub canopy (5-23% cover) codominated by Encelia farinosa and Larrea tridentata with Ambrosia dumosa characteristically present. Other shrubs frequently present include Acacia greggii, Bebbia juncea, Cylindropuntia spp., Ferocactus cylindraceus, Krameria spp., Nolina bigelovii, Opuntia spp., Peucephyllum schottii, and Viguiera parishii. If present, the herbaceous layer is sparse to moderate and composed of grasses and forbs such as Eriogonum inflatum, Cryptantha spp., and Pleuraphis rigida. Stands occur primarily in uplands, including rocky and erosional highlands, alluvial fans, plains as well as bottomlands with high cover of bedrock outcrop, boulders, cobbles, and/or gravel. Sites occur on gentle to steep slopes (to 40°) often on hot southerly aspects ranging from 182-1100 m elevation. Soils are variable in texture, ranging from sand to clays with high rock content. The rock component is a variable mixture of bedrock, boulders, cobbles and gravel with low to moderate or high cover of each depending on site and derived from a variety of typically noncalcareous parent materials. Disturbance levels in stands are generally low with rarely high levels of disturbance from exotic species competition and moderate levels of disturbance from vandalism/dumping/litter.
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 a sparse to open shrub canopy (4-23% cover) codominated by Encelia farinosa and Larrea tridentata with Ambrosia dumosa characteristically present (Evens and Hartman 2007, Evens et al. 2012, 2014). Other shrubs frequently present include Acacia greggii, Bebbia juncea, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa, Ferocactus cylindraceus, Krameria erecta, Krameria grayi, Nolina bigelovii, Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa (= Opuntia acanthocarpa), Opuntia basilaris, Peucephyllum schottii, Salvia greatae, Senna armata, and Viguiera parishii (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005, Evens and Hartman 2007, Evens et al. 2012, 2014). If present, the herbaceous layer is sparse to moderate (to 32% cover) and composed of grasses and forbs such as Eriogonum inflatum, Cryptantha spp., and Pleuraphis rigida (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005, Evens and Hartman 2007, Evens et al. 2012, 2014).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This association is found at low to mid elevations in the northern Colorado Desert, Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin in Arizona, California and southern Nevada. It occurs primarily in uplands, including rocky and erosional highlands, alluvial fans, plains as well as bottomlands with high cover of bedrock outcrop, boulders, cobbles, and/or gravel (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005, Evens and Hartman 2007, Evens et al. 2012, 2014). Sites occur on gentle to steep slopes (to 40°) often on hot southerly aspects ranging from 182-1100 m elevation (Evens et al. 2012, 2014). Soils are variable in texture, ranging from sand to clays with high rock content. The rock component is a variable mixture of bedrock, boulders, cobbles and gravel with low to moderate or high cover of each depending on site (Evens et al. 2012). Soils are derived from a variety of typically noncalcareous substrates and include alkali-granite (alaskite), alluvium, basalt, dacite, gneiss, granodiorite, orthoquartzite, and rhyolite (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005, Evens and Hartman 2007, Evens et al. 2014). Disturbance levels in stands are generally low with rarely high levels of disturbance from exotic species competition and moderate levels of disturbance from vandalism/dumping/litter (Evens et al. 2012).
Geographic Range: This association is found in the northern Colorado Desert, Mojave Desert and southern Great Basin and was sampled in Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Arizona and Nevada, and Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Mojave National Preserve in California.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ, CA, NV
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.971736
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.4 Saguaro - Organ Pipe Cactus - Burrobush Mojave-Sonoran Semi-Desert Scrub Macrogroup | M088 | 3.A.2.Na.4 |
| Group | 3.A.2.Na.4.b Creosotebush - Burrobush - Brittlebush Desert Scrub Group | G295 | 3.A.2.Na.4.b |
| Alliance | A3278 Creosotebush - Ocotillo Upper Bajada & Rock Outcrop Desert Scrub Alliance | A3278 | 3.A.2.Na.4.b |
| Association | CEGL005766 Creosotebush - Brittlebush - Burrobush Desert Shrubland | CEGL005766 | 3.A.2.Na.4.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Larrea tridentata - Encelia farinosa - Ambrosia dumosa (Sawyer et al. 2009) [33.027.03]
= Larrea tridentata - Encelia farinosa - Ambrosia dumosa Shrubland Association (Evens et al. 2012)
= Larrea tridentata - Encelia farinosa - Ambrosia dumosa Shrubland Association (Evens and Hartman 2007)
= Larrea tridentata - Encelia farinosa - Ambrosia dumosa Shrubland Association (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005)
= Larrea tridentata-Encelia farinosa-Ambrosia dumosa Association (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000)
= Larrea tridentata-Encelia farinosa-Ambrosia dumosa Association (Evens et al. 2014)
< Larrea tridentata-Encelia farinosa Shrubland Alliance (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000)
= Larrea tridentata - Encelia farinosa - Ambrosia dumosa Shrubland Association (Evens et al. 2012)
= Larrea tridentata - Encelia farinosa - Ambrosia dumosa Shrubland Association (Evens and Hartman 2007)
= Larrea tridentata - Encelia farinosa - Ambrosia dumosa Shrubland Association (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2005)
= Larrea tridentata-Encelia farinosa-Ambrosia dumosa Association (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000)
= Larrea tridentata-Encelia farinosa-Ambrosia dumosa Association (Evens et al. 2014)
< Larrea tridentata-Encelia farinosa Shrubland Alliance (Keeler-Wolf and Thomas 2000)
- Evens, J. M., D. Roach-McIntosh, and D. Stout. 2012. Vegetation descriptions for Joshua Tree National Park. Unpublished report submitted to USDI, National Park Service, Mojave Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento, 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.
- Evens, J. M., and S. Hartman. 2007. Vegetation survey and classification for the Northern and Eastern Colorado Desert Coordinated Management Plan (NECO). CNPS Vegetation Program, Sacramento, CA.
- Keeler-Wolf, T., S. San, and D. Hickson. 2005. Vegetation classification of Joshua Tree National Park, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, California. Unpublished report to the National Park Service. California Fish and Game and 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.