Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS

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Appendix C: Global and local plant community descriptions C.4 Herbaceous C.4.2. Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous Vegetation Base map class NatureServe common name NatureServe code Black.Grama.–.Galleta.Herbaceous.Vegetation Black.Grama.-.James’.Galleta.Herbaceous.Vegetation CEGL001751 Summary: This Colorado Plateau desert grassland has been documented from the upper Rio Puerco watershed in northwestern New Mexico, in north-central Arizona and southeastern Utah, and extends south to central New Mexico at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. Stands occur on flat to gently sloping plains, basin floors, mesatops, and less often on steeply sloping mesa sides. Substrates are variable and include loam to clay-loam soils derived from basalt outcrop, shale, clay and sandstone, and coarser textured soils derived from black cinders and sandstone. Bouteloua eriopoda and Pleuraphis jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii) dominate the low to moderate herbaceous cover. Associates include low cover of Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa neomexicana (= Stipa neomexicana), Muhlenbergia porteri, Sporobolus airoides, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Shrubs are few and scattered and may include Atriplex canescens, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria nauseosa, and Gutierrezia sarothrae. Classification confidence: 2 - Moderate. Classification comments: Globally. Limited quantitative documentation exists for this type, outside of plots taken at Capitol Reef National Park, near the northern end of the association’s range. Petrified Forest National Park. The four relevés grouped into this association were characterized by Bouteloua eriopoda in the herbaceous stratum. In relevés with low total vegetation cover, the cover of Bouteloua eriopoda was also proportionally low. Pleuraphis jamesii was entirely absent in one relevé; therefore the classification of this relevé may need to be reconsidered. Vegetation hierarchy: Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.Vegetation Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation Physiognomic group V.A.5. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassland Physiognomic subgroup V.A.5.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassland Formation name V.A.5.N.e. Short.sod.temperate.or.subpolar.grassland Alliance name Bouteloua eriopoda.Herbaceous.Alliance.(A.1284),.Black. Grama.Herbaceous.Alliance Ecological systems placement: Ecological system unique ID CES304.787 Ecological system name Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassland NatureServe conservation status: Global rank. G3 (14-Nov-2005). This transitional Colorado Plateau-Chihuahuan Desert grassland has had its range significantly reduced by the impacts of livestock grazing over the last 150 years, particularly during years of extreme drought. Few examples remain that have not been significantly impacted by grazing and altered fire regimes. Overall, high-quality occurrences are not likely to exceed 50 in number. Inventory of potential occurrences in both the C67
Vegetation Classification and Distribution Mapping Report: Petrified Forest National Park Chihuahuan Desert and Colorado Plateau ecoregions is needed. The range of this association is not likely to extend much further north than southern Utah, as Bouteloua eriopoda is known only from the Colorado River drainage (including the Virgin River) south of Moab. Distribution: Globally. This Colorado Plateau association is known from the upper Rio Puerco watershed in northwestern New Mexico, Wupatki National Monument and Petrified Forest National Park in north-central Arizona, and scattered small sites at Capitol Reef National Park in southeastern Utah. It extends south to the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico in the transition zone with the northern Chihuahuan Desert. Petrified Forest National Park. Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous Vegetation was identified from four relevés in Petrified Forest National Park. These relevés occurred on the lower and midslopes of hills and on sandsheets and sand dunes. This association was identified in the central neck section of the park, specifically located east of the park road and north of the unpaved maintenance road, and east of the park road north of the Puerco River and south of the Borrow Pit road. Environmental summary: Globally. This Colorado Plateau desert grassland has been documented from the upper Rio Puerco watershed in northwestern New Mexico, in north-central Arizona, and from a single station in southeastern Utah. Elevations range from 1455-1830 m (4770-6000 ft) at the southern end of the range and at 1275 m on a south-facing slope in Utah. Stands occur on flat to gently sloping plains, basin floors, or steeply sloping mesa sides. Substrates are variable and include weakly developed Entisols and Entisol-Mollisol complexes often with loam to clay-loam soils derived from basalt outcrop, shale, clay and sandstone, and coarser textured soils derived from black cinders and sandstone. Petrified Forest National Park. This association’s elevation ranged from 1660 to 1690 m (5540-5550 ft). It occurred on low slopes ranging from 3 to 4% (average 4%). One of the relevés was surrounded by small washes. USFWS wetland system: Not applicable. Vegetation description: Globally. This association is characterized by Bouteloua eriopoda and Pleuraphis jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii) codominating an open to moderately dense perennial graminoid layer. Associates include low cover of Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa neomexicana (= Stipa neomexicana), Muhlenbergia porteri, Sporobolus airoides, Sporobolus cryptandrus, and Sporobolus flexuosus. Forb cover and diversity are low. Scattered shrubs and dwarf-shrub may be present, including Atriplex canescens, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria nauseosa, and Gutierrezia sarothrae (Francis 1986). The presence of Bouteloua eriopoda and Muhlenbergia porteri, and its occurrence at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, suggests that this grassland is transitional to Chihuahuan Desert grasslands that begin over 100 miles to the south. Petrified Forest National Park. The relevés classified as Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous Vegetation had total vegetation covers ranging from 15 to 30%. This vegetation cover consisted of a moderate shrub layer ranging from 5 to 22% cover (average 12%) and a significant herbaceous stratum ranging from 8 to 17% cover (average 13%). The species diversity for this association varied between 32 and 38 species (average 35 species). The vegetation was mainly dominated by herbaceous species and was typically characterized by the dominance or codominance of Bouteloua eriopoda and Pleuraphis jamesii. Bouteloua eriopoda’s cover ranged from 1 to 10% (average 6%) and Pleuraphis jamesii had a 0 to 4% cover (average 1%). The shrub layer had a low cover of Gutierrezia sarothrae in all relevés, ranging from 0.5 to 2% (average 1%). C68
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National Park Service U.S. Departme
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Vegetation Classification and Distr
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The National Park Service, Natural
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Acronyms and Abbreviations AA ac AP
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Executive Summary The classificatio
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Acknowledgments Behind the authors
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Axis 3 Axis 2 Vegetation Classifica
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20 Table 5. continued Plant communi
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40 Table 13. Base map class summary
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46 Table 16. Summary statistics for
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56 Table 22. Summary statistics for
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Literature Cited ties: Terrestrial
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B2 Appendix B Plant Community 2003
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B4 Appendix B .continued Plant Comm
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Appendix C: Global and local plant
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Appendix D Plant species list The s
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D3 Appendix D continued Scientific
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Appendix E Plant community and map
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Appendix E: Plant community and map
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Appendix F Plant community and map
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F3 Appendix F continued Plant commu
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Appendix F continued Plant communit
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G4 B1 Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbru
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G6 B3 Blue Sage Dwarf-Shrubland Fig
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G8 B5 Copperweed - Alkali Sacaton S
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G10 B7 Drummond Goldenweed - Gallet
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G12 B9 Greasewood / New Mexico Salt
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G14 B11 Iodine Bush Shrubland Figur
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G16 B13 Sandsage Colorado Plateau S
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G18 B15 Tamarisk Shrubland Figure.G
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G20 B17 Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwa
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G22 B19 Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama
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G24 B21 Blue Grama Herbaceous Veget
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G26 B23 Galleta - Alkali Sacaton He
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G28 B25 New Mexico Saltbush / Alkal
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G30 B27 Russian Thistle Sand Dune V
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G32 B29 Arizona Siltbush Sparse Veg
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G34 B31 Slender Buckwheat Sparse Ve
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G36 B33 Airstrip Figure.G65..Photos
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G38 B35 Barren Wash Figure.G68..Gro
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G40 B37 Park Sites Figure.G71..Phot
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G42 B39 Residences Figure.G73..Phot
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G44 B41 Run-off Control Feature Fig
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G46 B43 Stock Ponds Figure.G77..Pho
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G48 B45 Vegetated Wash Complex Figu
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Appendix H: Accuracy Assessment Dat
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Table H-4. Contingency table: Manag
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The Department of the Interior prot
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