Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS

Vegetation Classification and Distribution Mapping Report: Petrified Forest National Park
Vegetation hierarchy:
Physiognomic class III Shrubland
Physiognomic subclass III.A. Evergreen.shrubland
Physiognomic group III.A.4. Microphyllous.evergreen.shrubland
Physiognomic subgroup III.A.4.N. Natural/Semi-natural.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubland
Formation name III.A.4.N.a. Lowland.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubland
Alliance name
Artemisia filifolia.Shrubland.Alliance.(A.816),.
Sandsagebrush.Shrubland.Alliance
Ecological systems placement:
Ecological system unique ID
CES304.793
CES304.775
Ecological system name
Southern.Colorado.Plateau.Sand.Shrubland
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.and.Stabilized.Dune
NatureServe conservation status:
Global rank. G4 (17-Jul-2000).
Distribution:
Globally. This association is described from the south-central New Mexico and northeastern
Arizona.
Petrified Forest National Park. Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda Shrubland was
sampled from four relevés located mostly on low slopes and sideslopes and on sand dunes and
sandsheets within Petrified Forest National Park. These relevés were all located in the central
neck area of Petrified Forest National Park—specifically, west of the park road, south of Interstate
40 and south of the northern headquarters, and southeast of the northern headquarters
and west of the NPS boundary.
Environmental summary:
Globally. This sand sagebrush shrubland association occurs in the northern Jornada and Tulerosa
basins in south-central New Mexico and at Petrified Forest National Park in the southern
Colorado Plateau at 1416-1748 m (4646-5735 ft) elevation. Stands frequently occur on flat
to rolling sandsheets or sandy plains, mesatops, lower hillslopes, and dunes. Northern Chihuahuan
Desert stands are often found near the periphery of sandsheets or on deflated plains
where sand deposits are thinner and soils more developed (Muldavin et al. 2000b). Slopes
range from 2-11% in New Mexico and 0-27% in Arizona. Soils are often sandy, but range from
fine sandy loams to silty-clay loams with an abrupt clay or caliche layer within 100 cm of the
surface (Muldavin et al. 2000b).
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between the elevations of 1709
and 1743 m (5615-5720 ft). Slopes ranged from none to moderate (0-27%, average 11%).
USFWS wetland system: Not applicable.
Vegetation description:
Globally. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense short-shrub layer
(