Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS

Appendix E: Plant community and map class key
51b..
vegetated.areas..Other.shrub.species.that.tend.to.occur.in.this.map.class.include.Atriplex
confertifolia,.Artemisia bigelovii,.and.Gutierrezia sarothrae..This.map.class.tends.to.occur.in.
sparse.areas.on.whitish.clay.badland.soils.
•. Base.Map.Class:.Slender.Buckwheat.Sparse.Vegetation
•. Group.Map.Class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badland
•. Management.Map.Class:.Vegetated.Rim.Complex
•. Association:.Eriogonum leptophyllum.Sparse.Vegetation
The.dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(52a)
52a..
52b..
53a..
53b..
54a..
54b..
55a..
55b..
56a..
.Salvia pachyphylla.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..The.understory.tends.to.be.sparse..This.
map.class.is.restricted.to.the.higher.elevations.of.the.northern.half.of.the.project.boundary.
near.Chinde.Mesa.
•. Base.map.class:.Blue.Sage.Dwarf-shrubland
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badland
•. Management.map.class:.Blue.Sage.Dwarf-shrubland
•. Association:.Salvia pachyphylla.Dwarf-shrubland.[Park.Special]
The.dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(53a)
.Forestiera pubescens.is.the.dominant.shrub..This.species.tends.to.grow.in.large.dense.
patches..This.map.class.is.isolated.to.a.few.small.patches.near.the.Puerco.River..
•. Association:.Forestiera pubescens.Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubland.Alliance
The.dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(54a)
.Salix exigua.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..Other.shrub.species.may.occur,.including.Ericameria
nauseosa.and.Isocoma drummondii..The.understory.tends.to.have.a.sparse.herbaceous.
layer..This.map.class.is.restricted.to.areas.with.periodic.stream.flow.and.is.most.common.in.
the.Puerco.River.corridor.
•. Base.map.class:.Coyote.Willow.Shrubland
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Riparian.Woodland.and.Shrubland
•. Management.map.class:.Coyote.Willow.Shrubland
•. Association:.Salix exigua./.Barren.Shrubland
The.dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(55a)
.Tamarix.sp..dominates.the.shrub.layer..This.species.often.occurs.as.a.tall.shrub.or.a.short.tree.
and.forms.dense.monocultures..This.community.generally.occurs.in.riparian.areas.or.in.areas.
with.a.high.water.table,.such.as.in.washes.or.near.stock.tanks.
•. Base.map.class:.Tamarisk.Shrubland
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Riparian.Woodland.and.Shrubland
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex
•. Association:.Tamarix.spp..Semi-Natural.Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubland
.Gutierrezia sarothrae.is.the.dominant.species.and.no.other.shrub.species.has.even.a.low.cover.in.this.map.class..A.very.low.cover.of.Opuntia.spp..can.occasionally.occur..The.herbaceous.
layer.is.often.present,.but.does.not.have.to.occur,.with.a.low.cover.of.the.grass.Pleuraphis
jamesii.
•. Base.map.class:.Snakeweed.-.(Prickly.Pear)./.Galleta.Dwarf-shrubland
•. .Association:.Gutierrezia sarothrae.-.(Opuntia.spp.).-.Pleuraphis jamesii Dwarf-shrubland
.None.of.the.individual.associations.included.in.the.key.above.define.this.map.class..This.map.
class.is.distinguished.by.its.landform.characteristic.and.occurs.on.mesa.rims..A.wide.range.
of.herbaceous.and.shrub.species.can.occur.in.this.habitat..No.one.individual.association.was.
determined.to.represent.this.map.class.which.contains.a.complex.of.associations.and.unique.
communities..Associations.that.can.occur.in.this.complex.include,.but.are.not.limited.to,.Juniperus
monosperma./.Artemisia bigelovii.Woodland,.Artemisia bigelovii.-.Ephedra torreyana.Shrubland,.and.Ephedra
viridis.-.Rhus trilobata.Talus.Shrubland..This.map.class.contains.a.
mix.of.species.and.associations.and.was.defined.as.a.heterogeneous.group.of.associations..
•. Base.map.class:.Vegetated.Rim.Complex
•. Group.map.class:.Colorado.Plateau.Mixed.Bedrock.and.Tableland
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Rim.Complex.
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