Sagebrush Shrub Steppe
One of the most extensive and important of the general range plant communities in the Nortrh American Western Range is the "Sagebrush Country". This apt (and poetic) designation includes expansive areas across parts of several geographical regions in which one or more Artemisia species to a large extent determine the physiognomy and structure of several prominent range dominance types in the grassland and shrubland biomes and are also important components of cover types in the forest/woodland biome. The entire generic"Sagebrush Range" is a discontinuous and diverse range plant community with several main "bodies" of sagebrush-dominated (sagebrush-defined is a more accurate description) vegetation and with "islands" of the same or similar range vegetation scattered among and within other range cover types.
This Artemisia-defined or -dominated vegetation extends from the sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia)-mixed prairie and sand sagebrush-sand shinery oak (Quercus havardii) in the Great Plains to the coast sagebrush (Artemisia californica) scrub along the Pacific Ocean with the vast big sagebrush (A. tridentata)-form of the Great Basin Desert and several smaller range types in between. Most of these Artemisia-defined communities have traditionally been described as shrublands or as scrub, either arid (deserts or desert-scrub like the Great Basin Desert) or semiarid (eg. Pacific coastal shrub). That convention seemed obvious so those range cover types were included under the Shrubland Biome grouping in the present publication.
Other Artemisia-defined vegetation is more accurately interpreted as a grassland with scattered sagebrush (where plants of an Artemisia species are "few and far between") as, for example, the sand sagebrush-sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii) prairie or, alternatively, as a savanna (where sagebrush density, cover, etc. is generally more than that of grassland and less than that of shrubland). Savanna quite properly describes the latter range plant community being, in the classic meaning, an ecotone or transition zone between grassland and shrubland (other savannahs are ecotones between forests and grasslands).
Savannahs have been accorded biome status the same as grasslands, shrublands, and forests. In this publication savannahs were shown in the Table of Contents as a biome (on equal standing with the other biotic communities), but the different savannas were treated variously under Forests, Shrublands, and Grasslands depending on whichever vegetational features (physiognomy, structure, growth form of dominants, or species composition) were most defiining or characterizing of the range plant community.
One of the major sagebrush-range communities in the Western Range Region is the one designated as sagebrush shrub steppe. This vegetation is a regional climax of big sagebrush (with other Artemisia shrub species dominant at smaller spatial scales) and perennial festucoid bunchgrassses. This vegetation is grassland, specifically steppe, "semi-arid grassland characterized by grasses occurring in scattered bunches with other herbaceous vegetation and occasional woody species" (Bedell, 1998). It is, however, a grassland of cespitose Gramineae (bunchgrasses) with shrubs numerous enough or having cover adequate to justify the modifer, "shrub". Shrub (in this case Artemisia species)- steppe is bunchgrass-dominated prairie with so much of a shrub component in the climax community as to require application of another group of range plant, of plant form, as an adjective to describe the vegetation adequately.
Sagebrush- bunchgrass steppe can be interpreted (at least visualized) as a broad ecotone between the big sagebrush- dominated Great Basin Desert and the festucoid, cespitose grass-comprised Palouse Prairie. The sagebrush-shrub steppe is a transition between desert (arid shrubland or scrub) and semiarid grassland. This shrub-bunchgrass range plant community is a savanna. Grassland, not shrubland, was the major biome. This range vegetation is shrub-steppe not grass-shrubland (even if the sagebrush steppe was listed under FRES designation of Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). It followed that the sagebrush-bunchgrass steppe was placed under the grassland biome. Brown et al. (1998, p.40) distinguished between Great Basin Shrub-Grassland, the regional formation, within Cold Temperate Grassland, the climatic zone, (ie. a biotic community within a biotic province [Brown et al. 1998, p. 24]) which is the sagebrush shrub steppe and Great Basin Desertscrub, the regional formation or biotic community, within the Cold Temperate Desertland, the climatic zone or biotic province, which is the Great Basin Desert.
Given that the sagebrush-bunchgrass grassland has affinity with the sagebrush desert and the bunchgrass Palouse Prairie and that this shrub-steppe is a savanna between these two regional or zonal climaxes, there are range sites, habitat types, and range cover types in the Great Basin Desert and Palouse Prairie (and adjoining range plant communities) that closely resemble those in the shrub-steppe savanna. Some range dominance types in the Great Basin Desert seem to resemble dominance types in the sagebrush shrub-steppe more than other range cover types in the Great Basin Desert. The same is true for Palouse Prairie. In fact, there are "islands" or "outliers" of Palouse Prairie and of Great basin Desert in the ecotonal sagebrush shrub-steppe. These are generally topographic, edaphic, or local climatic climaxes within the general climatic climax (ie. polyclimaxes within the monoclimax). Examples include mesic grasslands on sheltered slopes at higher elevations and desert scrub on shallow, stoney, saline soils. Seral-stage vegetation on some range sites is sometimes about the same community as climax vegetation on another range site, habitat type, or, even, cover type. Distribution of plant communities-- at various spatial and temporal scales-- is typically discontinuous.
Vegetation will always be subject to interpretation and present some degree of arbitrariness or subjectivity. In the instance of sagebrush shrub-steppe where names and descriptions of rangeland cover types (Shiftlet, 1994) from two adjoining regions (say, Great Basin Cover Types and Northern Rocky Mountain Cover Types) are similar, choosing one or the other was of necessity judgmental on part of the one who photographed and described the range vegetation.
Contents for treatment of the sagebrush shrub-steppe came primarily from the large and vegetationally varied area of central and southeastern Oregon. This geographic area includes parts of both sagebrush shrub-steppe and cold desert scrub of the Great Basin Desert. Physical-chemical basis for distinction between these two regional plant communities (as between grassland and desert generally) is primarily climate, specifically the defining factor of precipitation (ie. semiaridity vs. aridity in the instance considered here). Direct basis for the difference in precipitation zones of this region is topography (= physiographic features). The Great Basin Desert is a rainshadow desert situated on the lee side of the great Sierra Nevada. The semiarid shrub steppe is also on the lee side of a mountain range, namely the Cascades, but this smaller, lower uplift is less effective at "wringing out" precipitation from moisture-laden air coming in from the Pacific Ocean.
Once more, physiographic provinces were critical to designating and distinguishing major units of range vegetation including range cover types, range sites, habitat types, etc. Other than for "islands" or "outliers" of vegetation that "strayed" out of their general region (from their regional or zonal climax) into an adjoining or neighboring regional climax as described above, the ecotonal sagebrush shrub steppe was in sections of the Columbia Plateau physiographic province while the Great Basin Desert communities were in sections of the Basin and Range physiographic province (Fenneman, 1931, ps. 225-273 and 326-395, respectively). These physiographic provinces are conterminuous at their respective southern and northern boundaries.
Plant communities and man's pedagogically designed units of vegetation quite obviously do not limit themselves to geographic units any more than to those of soil, slope, climate, etc., but the physiographic provinces and their sections provided meaningful patterns and furnished a rational framework from which to study range vegetation. This was true in particular for larger units of vegetation such as rangeland cover types (Shiflet, 1994).
After more than three decades, Natural Vegetation of Oregon and Washington (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973) remained the definitive source for range vegetation in the area from which the following examples of sagebrush shrub-steppe were drawn. The more recent Terrestrial Vegetation of California (Barbour and Major, 1995), the "vegetation bible" of California, also provided outstanding-- though, of necessity, brief-- coverage of the sagebrush steppe (Young et al. in Barbour and Major, 1995, ps. 763-796). Coverage of sagebrush steppe in California followed the format and nomenclature of the earlier Franklin and Dyrness (1973) treatment for sagebrush steppe conterminous in both states except that the sagebrush associations of Oregon were designated as sagebrush communities of California.
The Oregon Natural Heritage project recently released its Classification of Native Vegetation of Oregon (Kagan et al., 2004). This was based on the National Vegetation Classification System (Grossman et al. (1998) that was described and discussed elsewhere in the present publication. Common names of native vegetation associations as presented in Kagan et al. (2004) were given below following earlier designations of U.S.Forest Service ecosystems (FRES number and name) and Society for Range Management rangeland cover types (SRM number and name). Presentation of the common (vs. scientific) name of associations was done to be consistent with FRES and SRM units and to avoid the problem with ever-changing binomial names of plant species, many of which in Kagan (2004) were inconsistent with scientific names of genera and species in the seminal and historic literature including those by Kuchler (1964, 1966).
Franklin and Dyrness (1973, p. 6) provided physiographic and geologic provinces that differed slightly from the strict physiographic provinces of Fenneman (1931). Generally the Basin and Range provinces of both sources were the same. Franklin and Dyrness (1973, ps. 6) recognized High Lava Plains and Owyhee Upland provinces that coincided closely with the Payette section (Owyhee Mountains) and Harney section (including the Great Sandy Desert) of the Columbia Plateau province of Fenneman, 1931, ps. 244-248 and 272-273, respectively). The provinces of these two indispensible sources were specified from time to time in the captions below.
Various collequial names like "Oregon Desert", "High Desert", or "Oregon High Desert" have often been applied to the so-called Sagebrush Country that includes collectively the arid Basin and Range and semiarid Colorado Plateau provinces. Though such romantic and "catchy" appellations have been commonly and widely used and have been more-or-less effective in communicating a sense, spirit, or ambiance of this shrub-defined range area such terms are technically imprecise and somewhat misleading. They are even subject to misuse by special interest groups for political expediency. For that reason these appealing and long-used titles were avoided below. Even geologic-based titles appearing in technical references have been-- strictly speaking-- incorrect. Examples include parts or all of Big Sandy Desert (Fenneman, 1931, p. 226, 272-273) or Harney Digh Desert (Jaeger, 1957, p.148).
Such misnomer names, however, have been and, for that matter, remain useful in capturing the essence of the xeric nature of the semiarid environment of the shrub- steppe. Afterall, soils, slope, precipitation form and distribution, and numerous other factors interact with the precipitation zone so that annual quantity of precipitation is not always as important a factor as it might otherwise be. "The character of the Great Sandy Desert is not to be ascribed wholly to want of precipitation. This is, indeed, small but the aridity is intensified by the porous character of the mantle rock into which all surface waters disappear" (Fenneman, 1931, p. 273).
For general (and delightful) reading regarding range and the history of its use in this area two classics were cited as "required readings": Harney County, Oregon and its Range Land (Brimlow, 1951) and The Oregon Desert (Jackman and Long, 1964).
Big sagebrush-dominated (or -defined) range types- The most important of the sagebrush shrub-steppe communities are those recognized by the species and/or subspecies of big sagebrush that dominates the vegetation. The three major subspecies of big sagebrush that are most likely to be dominants on sagebrush steppe range are: 1) basin big sagebrush (Artemisis tridentata subsp. tridentata) on alluvial sites and those habitats generally having deeper, better-developed, and more fertile soils 2) Wyoming big sagebrush (A.tridentata subsp. wyomingensis) which is the most common and the one found on the greatest range of habitats and range sites, and 3) mountain big sagebrush (A. tridentata subsp. vaseyana) which is limited to mesic upland environments. Basin big sagebrush is typically the subspecies with the largest plants while Wyoming big sagebrush is the subspecies that usually has the smallest plants.
Big sagebrush-dominated range vegetation (both sagebrush steppe and sagebrush desert) has traditionally been identified, designated, and described based on which of these subspecies is the dominant of the range plant community. In some range vegetation there is more than one of these subspecies, but usually one is a farily clear dominant (although identification to subspecies taxon is not always obvious or an "easy call").
In some cases "dominance" is more a a matter of aspect dominance, the condition under which one or more plant species appear to dominate, present the appearance of dominance of, the vegetation due to brilliant floral display, large size as appearance against skyline, consistent distribution in the plant community, presence from year-to-year or season-to-season, etc. Dominance may not be determined or based strictly on the species that has (have) the greatest cover, density, frequency, etc.; largely determines the physiognomy; or most influences the range vegetation.
In theory, range cover (= dominance) types should be based on the strict meaning of dominance not aspect dominance, but when (and as long as) ecological descriptions are (remain) qualitative or descriptive rather than quantiative the phenomenon, the perspective, of aspect dominance is a possibility.
Of the three subspecies of big sagebrush Wyoming big sagebrush is the most common and often dominates the vast majority of sagebrush range. This is because it has has the widest adaptation to the varying habitats of the "Sagebrush Country" and due to the fact that much of the rangeland once dominated by basin big sagebrush has been converted to cropland.
Many of the published descriptions and community designations of big sagebrush-dominated vegetation do not specify subspecies. Value (even legitimacy) of distinguishing among the big sagebrush subspecies has been argued pro and con for a number of years. Such arguments seem likely to continue.
Franklin and Dyrness (1973, ps. 209-219, 223-225, 231-233, 234-242) provided names and descriptions of several big sagebrush-dominated or -defined associations and communities. These units of range vegetation were based on previous published work, personal communication, and original studies by the compiling authors. Nomenclature and discussion of big sagebrush-dominated communities by Young et al. in Barbour and Major (1995, ps. 771-775, 779-780) followed that of Franklin an Dyrness (1973). The presentation of big sagebrush-range communities below followed the treatment of Franklin and Dyrness (1973) and supplemented by Young et al. in Barbour and Major (1995) as well as (and as modified to conform with) the Society for Range Management rangeland cover types (Shiflet, 1974).
It was indicated periodically below that choosing between big sagebrush cover types included under Great Basin Cover Types and those under Northern Rocky Mountain Cover Types (Shiflet, 1994) was sometimes an arbitrary decision. Much of the central and eastern Oregon area that makes up the central part and much of the space of the sagebrush steppe is strictly speaking in neither the Great Basin (Basin and Range province) nor Northern Rocky Mountains but "sandwiched" in between.
Two of the major geographic regions supporting sagebrush shrub-steppe in North America are those generally defined by the physiographic provinces of 1) Basin and Range and 2) Columbia Plateau. Lines can be drawn on maps delineating these units, but native vegetation does not always honor those lines and commonly (and to the consternation of Man the Classifier) "overlaps" or crosses over the "property line" of physiographic provinces and their sections. To the extent t practicable big sagebrush-bunchgrass shrub-steppe was treated under separate headings and organizational arrangement according to these two divisions following the precident of Franklin and Dryness (1973) who devoted separate chapters to bunchgrass prairie (steppe) and shrub-bunchgrass savanna of the Columbia Plateau (Basin) and semiarid portions of Basin and Range (Chapters VIII and IX, respectively).
Treatment began with big sagebrush-bunchgrass steppe in the northern (semiarid; less xeric) part of Basin and Range.
1.Relict big sagebrush range- The bottom of this ancient drainage channel in the Payette section of the Columbia Plateau (Owyhee Upland) had a degree of protection from overgrazing by livestock afforded by rimrock-like walls. This range vegetation was largely subject only to natural grazing by native herbivores and thus served as a range reference area. Adjoining rangeland that had less natural protection had also received but limited livestock use and thus also served as relict range vegetation. (This did not imply that grazing by livestock is inherently damaging or that range grazed by livestock cannot also be relict vegetation. Protection from livestock use -- proper or improper-- does represent the natural state [pre-Columbian] of range use.)
The gray shrubs were Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. wyomingensis). Large individuals of bunchgrass was bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spicatum). Idaho fescue (Festuca idahoensis), Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda= P. sandbergii), squirreltail bottlebrush (Sitanion hystrix), Junegrass (Koeleria cristata) were other native bunchgrass species present. There was also scattered plants of cheatgrass or downy brome (Bromus tectorum). Forbs were very sparse and limited mostly to native composites and spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa).
Other shrub species were gray rabbitbrush (Chyrsothamnus nauseosus) and green, Douglas, or viscid rabbitbrush (C. viscidiflorus).
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass) had some details that were more descriptive. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass/bluebunch wheatgrass association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
2. Epitome of big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass- This relict vegetation was the Artemisia tridentata/Apropyron spicatum association that has been traditionally interpreted as the climatic climax of the Columbia Basin, High Lava Plains, and Owyhee Upland provinces of Franklin and Dyrness (1973, ps.211, 216-218, and esp. 236). In addition to the two dominants, Idaho fescue, Sandberg bluegrass, Junegrass, and green rabbitbrush were well-represented. Cheatgrass was almost totally absent from this relict site.
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-BluebunchWheatgrass) had some details that were more descriptive. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass/bluebunch wheatgrass association of Kagan et al.(2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
3. Species composition of climax sagebrush shrub steppe- This "photo-plot" of the relict range vegetation presented in the two preceding photographs showed the rather limited botanical diversity of the climatic climax Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum association (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, ps. 211, 216-218, and esp. 236). Wyoming big sagebrush and green rabbitbrush were featured in the foreground whereas a bluebunch wheatgrass consociation comprised the background. Other native cespitose grass species that were common in this pristine community included Idaho fescue, Junegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and squirreltail bottlebrush. Gray rabbitbrush was present, but with less density and cover than was the case for green rabbitbrush. Cheatgrass was very limited, but present (as almost always).
Vegetation in this and the immediately preceding slide were just outside that growing in the natural drainage shown in the first slide of this section. The vegetation shown in these last two slides had undoubtedly been subjected to periodic overuse and, likely, overgrazing when this rangeland had been open range in the days of unregulated grazing on the Public Domain. In fact, adjudication in this entire area of public range (administered by the Bureau of Land Management) was an on-going legal range war through much of the 1950s.
Portions of this relict vegetation that had been subjected-- at least periodically-- to improper grazing management was an example of the power of recovery of this native vegetation. It was also a testament to the improved stewardship of the rangeland and of better working relations between a federal land agency and stockmen.
Owyhee Upland physiographic and geologic province of Franklin and Dyrness (1973, ps. 6, 34-38); Owyhee Mountains in Payette section of the Columbia Plateau physiographic province of Fenneman (1931, ps. 244-248).
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management. Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-BluebunchWheatgrass) had some details that were more descriptive. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass/bluebunch wheatgrass association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
4. Picturesque example of species composition of basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass range- This range plant community was the basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. tridentata) form of the climatic climax Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum association (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, 211, 216-218, and esp. 236). The large rocks were somewhat deceiving because this was a bottomland site in which the largest of the three subspecies of big sagebrush was the dominant shrub. Green rabbitbrush was the associate shrub. The dominant herbaceous species was bluebunch wheatgrass, but Sandberg bluegrass, Junegrass, squirreltail bottlebrush, needle-and-thread (Stipa comata), and Idaho fescue were common with the latter least abundant. Cheatgrass was present in smallest amounts of any grass species.
The largest specimen of basin big sagebrush was over six feet tall. There were several individuals of basin big sagebrush in the height range of four and a half to five feet.
For discussion of the various Artemisia species, including subspecies of big sagebrush, the timeless work of Beetle (1960) and the newer and outstanding field treatment by Wambolt and Frisina (2002) were recommended highly.
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass) had some details that were more descriptive. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass/bluebunch wheatgrass association of Kagan et al.(2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
5. Basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe- This example of the big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass association had green rabbitbrush as the associate shrub and needle-and-thread as the associate herbaceous species. Sandberg bluegrass and Junegrass were also commonnly occurring native, perennial bunchgrasses. The naturalized annual cheatgrass was also present in trace amounts (the least plentiful grass). Forbs were almost as rare as cheatgrass.
Burns District, Burau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect. FRES No. 29 ). Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), generally and baed on geographic location, but SRM 314 (Big Sabebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass) had some details that were more descriptive. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass/bluebunch wheatgrass association of Kagan et al.(2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
6. Detail of basin big sagebrush-bluebunch whaeatgrass range- Species composition and structure of the Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum association (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 236) on deep soil of a lowland habitat. Needle-and-thread was associate grass (herbaceous) species. In deeper soils, especially sandy soils, these two grass species "swap places" in dominance rank. A basin big sagebrush-needle-and-thread association was presneted below.
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass) had some details that were more descriptive. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/Sandberg bluegrass/bluebunch wheatgrass association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
7. Basin big sagebrush/Idaho fescue-mixed bunchgrass range community- On this lower north slope there were several species of bunchgrasses, but mesic soil conditions favored Idaho fescue which was the predominant herbaceous species. This vegetation was best described as the Artemisia tridentata/Festuca idahoensis association (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, ps. 211, 219-220, and esp. 239). Other locally important grasses included bluebunch wheatgrass, needle-and-thread, and squirreltail bottlebrush. Green rabbitbrush was the associate shrub species.
Drier upslope range vegetation was the big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass association. The savanna vegetation of sagebrush bunchgrass steppe was a mosaic of polyclimaxes determined by complexes of soils, slope, aspect, elevation, etc. This quilt-like pattern included not only the big sagebrush associations but sites dominated by other Artemisia species including low sagebrush (A. arbuscula) and silver sagebrush (A. cana) associations.
This range was in the High Lava Plains province of Franklin and Dyrness (1973, p.6, 32-34) that corresponded to the Harney section (Big Sandy Desert) of the Columbia Plateau of Fenneman (1931, ps. 272-273).
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect; major grass species were in the boot phenological stage. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 40l (Basin Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but SRM 315 (Big Sagebrush-Idaho Fescue) has some details that were more descriptive. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/Idaho fescue association of Kagan et al.(2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
8. North slope basin big sagebrush/Idaho fescue vegetation- On this moist north slope Idaho fescue was the dominant of several bunchgrass speceies. Other major species were bluebunch wheatgrass, needle-and-thread, and squirreltail bottlebursh foremost grass in left-center of photograph). Franklin and Dyrness (1973, p. 238) cited findings by previous workers and concluded: "The Artemisia tridentata/Festuca idahoensis association is a topographic or topoedaphic climax on sites more mesic than those occupied by the Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum association".
On many of the sagebrush-bunchgrass ranges in the High Lava Plains province (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, ps. 6, 32-34) vegetation is a "patchwork" of various climax communities (designated as associations by vegetation scientists). These mosaics of topographic, edaphic, climatic, etc. climaxes remain a textbook illustration of polyclimax theory applied to fairly large areas at relatively small spatial scale. Upslope vegetation in both this and the preceding slide was the big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass association.
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but SRM 315 (Big Sagebrush-Idaho Fescue) had some details that were more descriptive. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/Idaho fescue association of Kagan et al.(2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
9. Basin big sagebrush/needle-and-thread range type- The Artemisia tridetata/Stipa comata association is one associated with sandy soils (even those with deep sand) in both the High Lava Plains (as shown here) and Columbia Basin provinces (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, ps. 224, 242). "The Artemisia tridentata/Stipa comata association is very similar to the Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum association physiognomically and floristically except for the substitution of Stipa for Agropyron" (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 224).
In the vegetation that developed on the sandy land habitat of this "photo-quadrant" bluebunch wheatgrass was the associate herbaceous species to needle-and-thread. Other grasses were limited with squirreltail bottlebrush ranking a distant third. The larger plants of basin big sagebrush were about five feet in height. Green rabbitbrush was the associate shrub. The lower-growing shrub with yellow flowers (right foreground) was sulfur or umberella wild buckwheat (Erigonum ubellatum).
The mosaic of several sagebrush range types (often designated as associations by plant ecologists) that developed in close proximity (often contiguous with each other) was described in the two immediately preceding captions. These spatial patterns of range plant communities were typically arranged as to topographic features like slope aspect (eg. north vs south slope), steepness or degree of slope, or position on slope (bottom, top, or middle of slope) or edaphic factors including soil texture, fertility, depth, or parent material.
In this polyclimax pattern of range vegetation many of the local plant communities were topographic, edaphic, or topoedaphic climaxes. The spatial relationship between the big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass and the big sagebrush-needle-and-thread associations provided a case in point. These two climax communities typically occurred "cheek-by-jowl" with the two grass species shifting rank of dominant and associate depending on sandiness of soil (as was immediately obvious) and perhaps on numerous other factors (which were not readily obvious).
The basin big sagebrush-needle-and-thread association association could be visualized in the Clementsian monoclimax model as postclimax where big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass is the climatic climax (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 236). Franklin and Dyrness (1973, p. 224) remarked that the big sagebrush/needle-and -thread association was found in both the Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum and Artemisia tridentata/Festuca idahoensis Zones (the climatic climaxes or zonal climaxes).
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steeppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but a variant of SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass) was probably more descriptive in some details. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998).Basin big sagebrush/needle-and-thread association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
10. Interior of a basin big sagebrush/needle-and-thread range- Species composition and floristic arrangement of the Artemisia tridentata/Stipa comata association on a sandy soil was presented in this representative sample from the High Lava plains Province. The bunchgrasses were mostly needle-and-thread, the dominant herb, with some bluebunch wheatgrass, the associate herbaceous species. Other grasses were very limited with squirreltail bottlebrush being "second runner-up". Forbs were largely absent on this sandy soil.
High Lava Plains province of Franklin and Dyrness (1973, ps. 6, 32-34); Harney section (Big Sandy Desert) of Columbia Plateau physiographic province of Fenneman (1931, ps. 226, 272-273).
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), generally and based on geographic location, but a variant of SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass) was probably more descriptive in some details. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/needle-and-thread association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
11. Basin big sagebrush/basin or giant wildrye range- The Artemisia tridentata/Elymus cinereus association occurs in the High Lava Plains and Owyhee Upland provinces of eastern Oregon on more mesic bottomland habitats (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p, 235, 239). This range plant community has some of the highest potential productivity and forage yield capability of any of the big sagebrush types (subtypes, depending on the rangeman's view).
The particular example presented appeared generally to have been in some state of range degradation with only isolated "patches", such as the one shown here, at theoretical climax state. In local segments of this example range community basin or giant wildrye was the dominant range plant with its annual biomass production far outweighing that of any other species including the large subspecies of basin big sagebrush, the dominant shrub. Note size of basin wildrye compared to basin big sagebrush. The "photo-plot" preseented here had physiognomy that was typical for this rangeland type (subtype).
On the range shown here plant biodiversity was some of the highest among any of the sagebrush-defined range types. Bluebunch wheatgrass was the associate herbaceous species (due to greater cover and biomass of this species that was larger than any of the other subordinate Gramineae species). The latter inlcuded Idaho fescue, Junegrass, squirreltail bottlebrush, and Sandberg bluegrass among native cespitose perennials and the naturalized annual cheatgrass or downy bromegrass which was the most scarce of any grass. Needle-and-thread was rare to absent apparently having been replaced by Thurber needlegrass (Stipa thurberiana) on this less sandy and higher clay content soil.
Associate shrubs included both green or Douglas and gray rabbitbrush. Forbs were also high in both cover and density as well as number of species (by sagebrush shrub-steppe "standards"). These included tapertip hawksbeard (Crepis acuminata) and sulphur or umbrella wild buckwheat.
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect; full-bloom phenololgical stage for most herbaceous species. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), giant wildrye variant. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/basin wildrye association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
12. Basin or giant wildrye in a basin big sagebrush/basin wildrye association- Closer-in view of the range vegetation presented in the immediately preceding slide. A young plant of green rabbitbrush (far left margin of foreground) represneted one of the associate shrub species.
Floristic richness (= botanical diversity) in this sample of the Artemisia tridentata/Elymus cinereus association was illustrated in several succeeding slides. High Lava Plains province of Franklina nd Dyrness, 1973, p. 6, 32-34); Harney section (Big Sandy Desert) of the Columbia Plateau physiographic province of Fenneman, 1931, ps. 226, 272-273).
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect; early bloom to anthesis phenological stage of giant wildrye. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), basin wildrye variant. Basin big sagebrush/basin wildrye association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
13. Species diversity on basin big sagebrush/basin wildrye range- With but limited descriptions of the Artemisia tridentata/Elymus cinereus association as for example Franklin and Dyrness (1973, ps. 235, 239) it was not possible for this author to determine if the rich mixture of bunchgrass species encountered on the range presented in the two preceding photographs was typical for certain microsites of that range subtype or if such species mix represented some state of range deterioration. Franklin and Dyrness (1973, p. 239) reported succinctly: "Elymus cinereus is always conspicuous and sometimes dominates the ground cover". That was exactly the condition presented herein. Sometimes giant wildrye dominated; sometimes giant wildrye did not dominate and other typically decreaser grass species did.
In the photograph shown here the following native perennial bunchgrass species were present (approximate order of cover): bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, squirreltail bottlebrush, Junegrass, and Sandberg bluegrass. Cheatgrass or downy brome, the Eurasian annual invader that dominates millions of acres throughout this region, was present only in trace amounts. Not visible in this "plot" but well-represented elsewhere was tapertip hawksbeard, a decreaser forb on most range sites.
Both green or Douglas and gray rabbitbrush were present. Basin and Wyoming big sagebrush were common depending on local or microsite. Basin big sagebrush grew in association with basin wildrye whereas Wyoming big sagebrush grew in affilitation with the other bunchgrass species on most local "spots" as shown here.
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect; full-bloom phenological stage for perennial grasses. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush steppe). Variant of SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush) overall, but with local communities of SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush) such as the one shown for this caption. Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Basin big sagebrush/basin wildrye association of Kagan et al. (2004) overall, but locally Wyoming big sagebrush/bluebunch wheatgrass association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
14. Cast of cespitose characters- A local congregation of bunchgrasses on a microsite of a big sagebrush/basin wildrye range in the High Lava Plains province (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, ps. 6, 32-34) included a range of species. These were squirreltail bottlebrush (large grass in right center foreground and small "clump" in left corner), Idaho fescue (left and center foreground), Junegrass (panicle visible behind and between left fescue plants), Sandberg bluegrass (right of and behind large squirreltail bottlebrush. Note absence of cheatgrass.
Several individuals of green rabbitbrush were visible in bakcground.
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect; full-bloom phenological stage for grasses. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). Local variant of SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush). Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Overall, basin big sagebrush/basin wildrye association of Kagan et al. (2004), but locally basin big sagebrush/ Idaho fescue association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
15. Bird's eye-view of bunchgrass buddies- Idaho fescue and Junegrass on a microsite of big sagebrush/basin wildrye bottomland range. Good example of spatial pattern, arrangement of species, and plant community structure at microsite scale. A general idea of foliar and basal cover of plants and proportion of ground (soil surface) that is bare on sagebrush bunchgrass range in fairly high ecological statue (range condition class was probably low Good).
This example of sagebrush steppe was in High Lava Plains province of Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, ps. 6,32-34) that corresponded to Harney section of Columbia Plateau physiographic province of Fenneman, 1931, ps. 226, 272-273).
Bruns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). Local variant of SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush). Mixed Bunchgrass Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
16. Tapertip hawksbeard (Crepis acuminata)- This generally highly palatable decreaser had a happy home in the herbaceous understorey of a basin big sagebrush-basin wildrye range of the general sagebrush shrub-steppe in the High Lava Plains province of southcentral Oregon.
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June.
17. Sulphur or umbrella wild buckwheat (Erigonum umbellatum)- There are several species of wild buckwheat in the forest, grasslands, and shrub steppe of the Cascades and Intermountain Region. Most of these species are fairly conspicuous when in flower. Some like this one are downright showy for their brief "moment of glory". (Put this professor in mind of "flowering" college coeds.) This individual was growing on the big sagebrush-basin wildrye range featured in the preceding slides. Colorful beggar ain't it?
Definitive treatment of the Erigonum species from the standpoint of range forbs remains that of Dayton (1960, ps. 65-72). According to this reference wild buckwheats are not particularily palatable, but sheep sometimes develop a fondness for the brightly colored flowers of sulfur buckwheat (must catch even the colorblind eye of a "bleating wooly").
Burns District, Bureau of Land Management, Harney County, Oregon. June.
18. Sandhills sagebrush shrub steppe- An example of the Artemisia tridentata/Chrysothamnus nauseosus-Stipa thurberiana association (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 242) was provided on a range with deep sand in higher hills of the Owyhee Upland (Franklin nd Dyrness, 1973, p. 6).
This Wyoming big sagebrush/green rabbitbrush-Thurber needlegrass range vegetation was interpreted by the author as another postclimax plant community much like the Stipa comata associations within the climatic or zonal climaxes of the Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum and Artemisia tridentata/Festuca idahoensis Zones (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 224). Alternatively this Thurber needlegrass association could be interpreted as an edaphic climax that was one of several polyclimax communities that develop along gradients of numerous interacting topographic and climatic factors.
Giant or basin wildrye was also conspicuous in this vegetation. Other abundant grasses included bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, squirreltail bottlebrush, and Sandberg bluegrass. Commonness of Idaho fescue and basin wildrye, the two more mesic species, attested to this site's more favorable moisture regime (= the Clementsian chresard, term for soil water available for plant use).
Interestingly, the greater chresard was not reflected by occurrence of the more mesic basin big sagebrush rather than dominance by Wyoming big sagebrush. Franklin and Dyrness (1973, p. 224) cited earlier work that suggested low soil fertility rather than soil moisture was the main edaphic factor that accounted for dominance by Stipa comata in the Artemisia/Agropyron and Artemisia/Festuca Zones. These authors also reported, however, that there were differences in soil moisture equivalent as well as in fertility parameters such as cation exchange capacity among soils supporting these associations. Furthermore, the shrub associates were less sensitive to soil differences than were herbaceous plants (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 224).
Relative scarcity of the typically dominant big sagebrush and green rabbitbrush on this specific range was noteworthy. This vegetation was pristine. It was another example of relict vegetation that was valuable as a range reference area.
Vale District, Bureau of Land Management, Malheur County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). Thurber needlegrass variant of SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush). Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Wyoming big sagebrush/Thurber needlegrass association of Kagan et al. (2004). Northern Basin and Range- Dissected High Lava Plateau Ecoregion (Thorson et al., 2003).
19. Another version of sandhills sagebrush range (such as it was)- Wyoming big sagebrush and thickspike wheatgrass (Agropyron dasystachyum) were the dominant shrub and herbaceous species on this sand dune. Needle-and-thread was also present though in less abundance as was yellow wildrye (Elymus flavus) in even smaller amounts.
Apparantly there has been much less study and reporting of this sagebrush-grass community as none of the descriptions seemed to fit. Yet, presence of these species suggested that it was a distinctive range community and range site. It could have been in a severe state of range depletion, but the almost complete absence of cheatgrass except in small isolated populations and at much less cover than that of thickspike wheatgrass was incossistent with range retrogression in this area.
Rabbitbrush species were conspicuously rare in this vegetation.
High Lava Plains (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, ps. 6, 32-34) corresponding closely to Harney section (Big Sandy Desert) of Columbia Plateau physiographic province (Fenneman, 1931, ps. 236, 272-273).
Deschutes County, Oregon. June. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). Variant of SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush). Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). None of the associations presented by Kagan et al. (2994) semed to fit. Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
20. Local colony of thickspike wheatgrass (Agropyron dasystachyum)- An example of thickspike wheatgrass on microsites of a sandhills Wyoming big sagebrush range.
Deschutes County, Oregon. June. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). Variant of SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush). Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
21. Thickspike wheatgrass- Basic form of a dominant member of the barley or wheat tribe on a sandhills Wyoming big sagebrush range. Spatial pattern of this grass species indicted presence of creeping rhizomes.
Deschutes County, Oregon. June.
22. Wyoming big sagebrush-green rabbitbrush range- These two views were of one form of the Artemisia tridentata-Chrysothamnus species association (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 242) of sagebrush steppe were in the High Lava Plains province (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, ps. 3, 32-34), the Harney section (Big Sandy Desert) of the Columbia Plateau (Fenneman, 1931, ps. 236, 272-273). In addition to a diverse array of bunchgrasses (no apparent dominant grass species) and co-dominance of Wyoming big sagebrush and green or Douglas rabbitbrush this particular range had a floristically rich representation of forbs.
On most climax or high seral stage sagebrush shrub-steppe ranges forbs are in "short supply" compared to species and individuals of shrubs and grasses. This particular example of the big sagebrush-rabbitbrush association of sagebrush steppe had relatively high botanical biological diversity from the standpoint of species richness, "the diversity of species in a community measured as the number of species compared with the number of individuals in the community" (Allaby, 1998).
Bunchgrass species (again, the dominant grass species was not obvious) included: bluebunch wheatgrass, needle-and-thread, squirreltail bottlebrush, Idaho fescue, Junegrass, and Sandberg bluegrass. Some of the more common forbs were cushion or oval-leaf wild buchwheat (Erigonum ovalifolium; numerous larger forbs with showy off-white inflorescences), pale wallflower (Erysium occidentale), spread phlox (Phlox diffusa), and an unidentified Indian paintbrush (Castilleja sp.). Gray rabbitbrush was the associate shrub, but it ranked a "distant third" behind the co-dominant Wyoming big sagebrush and green rabbitbrush.
This range may have been degraded (abused to some degree of retrogression; depleted from natural potential), but, if so, deterioration was not severe because cheatgrass or downy borme and tansy mustard (Descurainia pinnata), two annual Eurasian weeds common on abused sagebrush ranges, were rare (no tansy mustard could be found) and no more common than on sagebrush steppe ranges that were in "mint condition" in this immediate area.
High Lava Plains province of Franklin and Dyrness (1973, ps. 6, 32-34); Harney section (Big Sandy Desert) of Columbia Plateau physiographic province of Fenneman (1931, ps. 236, 272-273).
Deschutes County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect. Phenological stages: peak bloom for most forbs, boot stage for most grasses, and pre-bloom for shrubs. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosystem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). Variant of SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush). Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
23. Green, Douglas, or viscid rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus)- This species and gray rabbitbrush (C. nauseosus) are typically the associate shrub(s) to the dominant big sagebrush (any of three major subspecies of Artemisia tridentata) on millions of acres across the vast Intermountain Region streatching from the West Slope of the Rocky Mountains to the Sierra Nevada-Cascades Ranges.The individual shown here represented the co-dominant species (with Wyoming big sagebrush) on the species-rich sagebrush steppe range shown in the immedaitely preceding two slides.
Deschutes County, Oregon. June.
24. Needle-and-thread (Stipa comata)- This was one of the more common grass species on the species-rich sagebrush shrub-steppe range featured above. On this range that provided an example of the Wyoming big sagebrush-green rabbitbrush association needla-and-thread and bluebunch wheatgrass were the grass species with the largest plants. Needle-and-thread was in the boot stage, the phenological stage in which the grass inflorescence is still enclosed within the enveloping sheath of the topmost leaf of the shoot.
Harney County, Oregon. June.
25. Cushion or oval-leaf wild buckwheat (Erigonum ovalifolium)- This Erigonum species was the dominant forb on the range presented above as an example of the Wyoming big sagebrush-green rabbitbrush association of sagebrush steppe. The wild buckwheats are some of the more numerous and frequently dominant forbs on the various sagebrush range cover types, including those dominated by big sagebrush and those dominated by Artemisia species besides A. tridentata.
Deschutes County, Oregon. June.
26. Pale wallflower (Erysium occidentale)- This biennial crucifer was one of the largest and more conspicuous forbs on the range featured above as an example of the Wyoming big sagebrush-green rabbitbrush association of sagebrush steppe. The biennial life cycle is far less common among range plants than are the annual and perennial life cycles. Biennialism is more common among forbs than grasses, grasslike plants, and woody species. On sagebrush shrub-steppe annual life cycles are most common among naturalized Eurasian grasses (eg. cheatgrass) and forbs (eg. tansy mustard).
The fruit of Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) members is a silique, a relatively short fruit (only two to three times as long as wide) which dehisces (splits) such tht the fuit walls fall off leaving a central parchment-like central partition, or, as in the case of this species, a silicle, elongated (more than three times longer than wide) pod-like fruit that splits lengthwise leaving a persistent partition when the fruit walls are shed.
Crucifer refers to the arrangement of petals in a shape resembling that of a cross.
Deschutes County, Oregon. June.
27. Spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa)- The Polemoniaceae (phlox family) is a small one but several members are conspicuous on grassland and savanna range communities in North America. These are more common in the spring flora. Spreading phlox is frequently common (often at local scale) on sagebrush steppe ranges. It seems to be more common on heavily grazed (especially overgrazed) ranges where it appears to be associated with Sandberg bluegrass. This species is not particularily palatable but certainly its low stature protects it from all but the most severe grazing defoliation.
Hermann (19, p. 234) remarked that Phlox species "are among the most showy plants of our western rangelands but are not imortant as forage".
This specimen grew on the forb-rich range presented above as an example of the Wyoming big sagebrush-green rabbitbrush association of sagebrush steppe.
Deschutes County, Oregon. June.
28. Two big sagebrush range types- In this landscape going from a narrow bottomland, a draw or wash with occasional runoff from showers and snowmelt, to rimrock there were two readily distinguishable range plant communities dominated by big sagebrush. A basin big sagebrush-green rabbitbrush association developed on the alluvial (wash) site in the foreground while a Wyoming big sagebrush/mixed bunchgrass community grew on the slopes and rimrock habitats above the wash community.
The herbaceous understories of both range communities had been severely depleted almost to point of elimination, but relict plants of bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue were found on the mesic, relatively deep soil of the alluvial site. Sandberg bluegrass was the most common native perennial grass on both range types. Cheatgrass, the naturalized Eurasian annual grass, was the most common herbaceous species on the alluvial site of the basin big sagebrush range type whereas cheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and squirreltail bottlebrush seemed grow at roughly similar cover on the upslope Wyoming big sagebrush range type.
The hillside and rimrock were on a west-- therefore drier-- slope and more xeric soil moisture conditions contributed to a harsher environment so that Wyoming big sagebrush rather than the more moisture-requiring mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. vaseyana) dominated these habitats.
Harney County, Oregon. FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 401 (Basin Big Sagebrush), foreground; SRM 403 (Wyoming Big Sagebrush), background (hillside). Mixed Bunchgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Northern Basin and Range- High Lava Plains Ecoregion, 80g (Thorson et al., 2003).
29. Big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass steppe- Landscape-scale view of the Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum zonal association, "the climatic climax in driest parts of the Columbia basin steppe region" (Franklin and Dryness, 1973, ps. 211, 216-218, esp. Fig. 155, p. 217). This photograph was of range vegetation in the Loess Islands portion of the Columbia Plateau not far from Grand Coulee and channeled scablands. Rangeland was of a generally more mesic nature (by climatic/edaphic standards of land in the Columbia Plateau) with a predominant north slope in background. Foreground was free of prevailing high slope, but of a southerly orientation. Range plant communities were described in captions that followed this landscape-scale perspective.
The range plant community introduced here and subsequently shown in detail in the following series of photographs was the Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type [that is apparently also the Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum association as one of nine zonal series] of Daubenmire (1968, ps. iii, 8-16). The Daubenmire habitat type classification was obviously the basis of the zonal association of Franklin and Dryness, 1973, cited immediately above[except for a" /" instead of a "-"]).
There were also local range plant communities of the Artemisia tridentata-Poa secunda (= P. sandbergii) zonal association (Franklin and Dryness, 1973, 211) or the Artemisia tridentata-Poa secunda habitat type of Daubenmire (1968, ps. iv, 62-64). One of these was presented near the end of this series of photographs.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin. Columbia Plateau- Loess Islands Ecoregion,10b (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
30. Pristine big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass steppe range- Range vegetation presented in this and the series of slides shown below was described and shown by Daubenmire (1968, esp. Fig. 4, p.10) as "in pristine condition". For being virgin this range vegetation was "boring", at least by standards of plant species richness, biodiversity, etc. (essentially numbers of plant species) because there was little else but basin big sagebrush and bludbunch wheatgrass from obvious cover, density, biomass, etc. Other species included: both needle-and-thread (Stipa comata) and, lesser amounts, western or Nelson's needlegrass (Stipa occidentalis var. nelsonii= S. nelsonii), Sandberg's bluegrass, Idaho fescue, cheatgrass or downy brome among grasses; some species of balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sp?) and threadleaf fleabane (Erigeron filifolius) as about only forbs; and spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa= Atriplex spinosa) the only other shrub of note except for basin big sagebrush. The photographer did not find any representatives of rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus spp.), but it would be easy to overlook a few in this "sea of sagebrush" and it couldprobably be safely assumed that there was some rabbitbrush present.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass). Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin. Columbia Plateau- Loess Islands Ecoregion,10b (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
31.Virgin shrub-steppe- Closer-in views of virgin vegetation of a basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe range. The two dominants were about the only species that were conspicuous in these photographs, except for the "stand-out" plant of spiny hopsage in the second of these two photographs (right corner foreground). Several plants of needle-and-thread at grain shatter stage were featured prominently in foreground of the first slide, but this was not visible after Jpegging and scanning (unless one has a vivid imagination). Some Sandberg's bluegrass was present in left foreground (shadows) of second slide.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass). Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin. Columbia Plateau- Loess Islands Ecoregion,10b (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
32. Textbook- Classic representation of physiogonomy, structure, and species composition of basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub steppe range shown to good advantage in an upslope view. Relief of the land was also typical of the "up-and-down" rolling sweep pattern of the Loess Islands. Range plant species present (thought most not discernable) in addition to the two dominants included: both needle-and-thread and, less abundant, Nelson's or western needlegrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, Idaho fescue, cheatgrass, some species of balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sp?), threadleaf fleabane, and spiny hopsage.
The fact that big sagebrush-bunchgrass (including numerous species of cespitose grasses) shrub-steppe is a svaanna was portrayed more obviously in this and the next (immediately following) two photographs. At zonal scale the sagebrush (including several Artemisia spp.)-bunchgrass shrub steppe is an ecotone--a transition zone--between the sagebrush (especially big sagebrush) scrub or shrubland, desert range types, and bunchgrass prairie (think Palouse Prairie), grassland range types.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass). Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin. Columbia Plateau- Loess Islands Ecoregion,10b (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
33. Interior of basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe range- Two views of sagebrush-bunchgrass steppe "from the inside looking out". From this perspective, plants of basin big sagebrush figure more prominently in physiogonomy and structure of this Columbia Plateau savanna. It was worth repeating from the preceding photo-caption that this savannah is a transition zone--an ecotone--between the zonal range vegetation of sagebrush desert and zonal range plant communities of bunchgrass prairie or steppe, a grassland formation or subformation (depending on which classifiction scheme one follows).
.In addition to conspicuous basin big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass other range plant species encountered by the photographer were needle-and-thread and, less abundant, Nelson's or western needlegrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, cheatgrass, Idaho fescue, some species of balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sp?), which along with its composite "cousin" threadleaf fleabane, were about the only forbs present. The other shrub on this range was spiny hopsage. The author could not find any rabbitbrush, but it had to be assumed there was some present.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass). Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin. Columbia Plateau- Loess Islands Ecoregion,10b (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
34. Deeper in the interior- Structure and species composition of the basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrsss shrub-steppe presented above was featured in this photo-quadrant. In addition to basin big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass other plant species descernible were needle-and-thread (at immediate post grain-shatter stage), Sandberg's bluegrass, one plant of threadleaf fleabane, and one representative of the Eurasian nautralized weed, western or yellow salsify (Tragopogon dubius) at late pre-bloom stage (swollen upper shoot).
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass).Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin. Columbia Plateau- Loess Islands Ecoregion,10b (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
35. Deeper yet in the interior- Another photo-quadrant near large big sagebrush plant "landed" these two nice specimens of arrowleaf balsamroot (Balasmorhizza sagittata). These plants were handily identified by the characteristically shaped leaves. This was not always an option when dealing with Balasmorhizza species (see very next photograph and caption). Also present amount the counted were several plants of basin big sagebrush and a lot of Sandberg'sbluegrass.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
36. Two denizens of the basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass- These two range pals of the herbaceous layers of a basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe were bluebunch wheatgrass (left) and Carey's balsamroot (Balasmorhizza careyana) or rosy balsamroot (B. rosea) or a hybrid thereof (B. careyana X B. rosea). There are also reports of hybrids of B. sagittata and B. rosea (Flora of North America Editoriaol Committee, Vol. 21, ps. 95, 96). On this same range, this species (or hybrid) and the more common and better-known arrowleaf balsamroot (Balasmorhizza sagittata), that was presented in the immediately preceding slide, sometimes grew within a few feet of each other. Positive identification of the species (or hybrid) of this balsamroot was not possible given the post-bloom and fruit-shatter state of specimens.
Other range plants present included part of one basin big sagebrush and cheatgrass (at the stage of disintegration).
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
37.Western or Nelson's or, maybe even, Columbia needlegrass (Stipa occidentalis var. nelsonii= S. nelsonii)- There are a number of Stipa species throughout the Intermountain West of North America-- at least there numerous Stipa species before this traditional genus was " split nine ways to Sunday" by revisionist taxonomists as treated, for example, in Flora of North America- (Vol. 24)...Poaceae, part 1 (Barkworth et al., 2007). Readers should this comprehensive text (and its older sister volume 25) for latest taxonomic treatment. The author of Range Types of North America elected to stay--to the extent--with traditional scientific names found in the classic works on range vegetation and/or in the flora or manual covering the area, region, state, etc. in which range plants were photographed. Hence, by way of example, the binominial Stipa occidentalis var. nelsonii was retained with regard to western needlegrass presnted here because that was the scientific name used in Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 1973, p.672) as well as other standard works like the readily available description of Palouse Prairie by Dodd in Grass Systematics (Gould and Shaw, 1983, p. 353).
Some of the varieties of S. occidentalis (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 1973, p.672) were at one point in taxonomic time given species status or as a variety of S. columbiana. This included S. nelsonii (which following that was S. columbiana var nelsoni in Hitchcock and Chase [1950, p. 458]), S. californica, and S. viridula var. pubescens, and S. viridula var. minor which, again, were included as varieties under S. occidentalis by Hitchcock and Cronquist, 1973, p. 672). Barkworth et al. (2007, ps. 121-125) reinterpreted S. occidentalis var. californica and S. occidentalis var. pubescens of Hitchcock and Cronquist (1973, p. 672) as Achnatherum occidentale subsp. californicum and A. occidentale subsp. pubescens, respectively. Barkworth et al. (2007, ps. 123-124) elevated S. occidentalis var. nelsonii back to species level as A. nelsonii (ie. predating Hitchcock and Chase [1950, p. 458]). Barkworth et al. (2007, ps. 1213-124) thereupon split A. nelsonii into A. nelsonii subsp. nelsonii and A. nelsonii subsp. dorei. Somewhere along the way Stipa or Achnatherum nelsonii picked up a second "i" to accompany its restored status as a species.
So is the common name of this species properly designated as Columbia, western or Nelson's needlegrass? (Sherlock Holmes could probably--would you believe, maybe-- solve this mystery of moving taxa, but he would be wise enough not to waste his time.)
The inflorescence type of the Stipa species is a panicle. The panicle of S. occidentalis var. nelsonii is a narrower semi-contracted panicle than is the case for many members of this traditional genus. This author strongly recommended and referred readers to Barkworth et al. (2007, p. 122) as an outstanding reference---for line drawings of the species (by whatever scientific name was used in this revolutionary treatment).
Okanogan County, Washington. June (early summer). Immediate floret-shedding stage.
38. Basin big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata subsp. or var. tridentata)- Large specimen of basin big sagebrush in the virgin vegetation of the basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass range described above. The various taxa within A. tridentata remain a source of some confusion (even after having recognized the thhree or four subspecies or varieties decades ago). One of the more useful (and straightforward) treatments was that of Roche (1983, ps. 145,147). The specimen shown here fit "textbook" features, namely a single large and round bole (trunk like that of a small tree) and the largest limbs (fork of the trunk) were only two (two or less is the rule). See Beetle (1960, ps. 36, 38, esp. plate 8, p. 50). The general large size of this rascal was a sagebrush spotter's first clue that it was A. tridentata subsp. tridentata. Besides Beetle (1960) another outstanding guide to sagebrush was Wambolt and Frisina (2002).
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
39. Crown of the sagebrush-bunchgrass shrub-steppe- The highest layer of this shrub-grass savannah was not exactly a canopy or crown layer, but basin big sagebrush did have the highest level of range vegetation to itself. A crown that is not somewhat level but instead has a center (or even a side) that is higher than other parts (perimeter, especially) is characteristic of basin big sagebrush (Roche, 1983,p. 147).
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
40. Spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa= Atriplex spinosa)- Spiny hopsage is one of several shrub species of the Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type. Other shrubs include both green and rubber rabbitbrush, gray or spineless horsebrush (Tetradymia canescens), and three tip or cutleaf sagebrush (Artemisia tripartita) (Daubenmire, 1968, ps. iii, 8-16; Franklin and Dryness, 1973, ps.215, 216). Specimens viewed here were growing in the basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe range described above.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
41.Threadleaf fleabane (Erigeron filifolius)- There are numerous Erigeron species (depending on author and "lumper"vs. "splitter" tendencies) in the "sagebrush country" ofthe Columbia Plateau, but this is one of the more common ones. It was growing on the pristine basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass ahrub-steppe range covered above.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
42.A little different "version"of the basin big sagebrush-bunchgrass steppe- On the pristine big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass range featured in this series of slides there were local range plant communities that were of the Artemisia tridentata-Poa secunda habitat type of Daubenmire (1968, ps. iv, 62-64). These local units of range vegetation were minor on the range featured here, but the one shown here was a good example of this vegetational classification unit. Daubenmire (1968, ps.62-64) did not know how to interpret this habitat type. It was not a degraded form or phase of the Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type because there were ecotones between these two habitat types. Furthermore, cheatgrass (the key or characteristic indicator species of range deterioration on both steppe and sagebrush-steppe) was typically limited to almost absent on this habitat type. Note near absence of cheatgrass on the example shown here.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). No SRM (would have to be a Big Sagebrush-Sandberg Bluestem). Artemisia tridentata-Poa secunda habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). There was not an appropriate Series in Brown et al. (1998), but this would be Columbia Plateau- Bluegrass-Shrub Series. Columbia Plateau- Loess Islands Ecoregion,10b (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
43. Down the to the big draw (or in a coulee into the coulee)- View from the predominately north slope basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe range that was covered in detail immediately above looking down into valley of Grand Coulee. Another example of the climatic climax Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum zonal association (Franklin and Dryness, 1973, ps. 211) which was the orignial Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type described by Daubenmire (1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Physiogonomy and structure of this bunchgrass-sagebrush savanna was presented in this slide that also showed spikes of bluebunch wheatgrass well-highlighted.
Unique feature of this rangeland location was that was included in two Level III Ecosystems: foreground was Columbia Plateau- Loess Islands Ecoregion,10b while background was Columbia Plateau- Channeled Scablands Ecoregion, 10a (Environmental Protection Agency, undated). Extreme background was the dramatically cut bank of Grand Coulee.
The short series of photographs that followed immediately below were of range vegetation in the valley of Grand Coulee (the background of this current photograph).
Coulee- "(a) A term applied in western U.S. to a small stream, often intermittent. Also, the bed of such a stream when dry. (b) A term applied in NW U.S. to a dry or intermittent stream valley, gulch, or wash of considerable extent; esp. a long, steep-walled, trench-like gorge or valley repreesenting an abandoned overflow channel that temporarily carried meltwater from an ice sheet, as the Grand Coulee (formerly occupied by the Columbia River) in Washington State (Gary et al., 1972).
The draw in the foreground of this photograph was a coulee as defined in (a) usage quoted above. Coulee as used in (b) was in the distant background and as presented in the next three photographs.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass).Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin.
44. Biggest channel yet- Three slightly different vantage point views featuring the range plant community in the valley floor of the biggest channel cut by the sequence of cataclymsic Bretz (Spokane) floods caused when ice (glacial) dams of Lake Missoula gave way . The bank of Grand Coulee served as "curtain" or backdrop landmark for another vegetational expression of the climatic climax Artemisia tridentata/Agropyron spicatum zonal association (Franklin and Dryness, 1973, ps. 211), the orignial Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type described by Daubenmire (1968,ps.iii, 8-16), which supported a much more botanically diverse plant community.
Herbaceous range plants present in addition to the two dominants included Sandberg's bluegrass, western or Nelson's needlegrass, needle-and-thread, and cheatgrass or downy brome, and Carey's balsamroot or rosy balsamroot (or a hybrid thereof), the most common forb. The major low shrub was rock or round-headed wild-buckwheat (Eriogonum sphaerocephalum) which was the associate shrub to basin big sagebrush. Together these two shrub species resulted in a two-shrub layer structure in this range plant community. Rabbitbrush species were"conspicuous by their absence" although undoubtedly there were a few isolated plants. Scattered dead plants of the Eurasian annual crucifer, tall tumble mustard, that had grown earlier in the spring were present, but these did not have the density or general abundance that was typical of abused shrub-steppe range.
The rangeland vegetation presented in these three slides was nearly contiguous with the basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass range of the Loess Islands shown in the immediately preceding slide and several previous to that. Range plant communities on the predominately north slope, loess upland and on the valley floor of Grand Coulee were two different forms or variants of the Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968, ps.iii, 8-16). Obviously, these two forms (variants) of the same habitat type were two different--quite different--range sites. More on this later when yet other variant forms of this same habitat type were shown.
Range condition class of this range was Good with climax dominats being the most abundant and best-distributed range plants.
Grand Coulee is the ancient river bed of the Columbia River produced by a combination of 1) diversion of the river by glaciers and formation of Lake Columbia and 2) the series of cataclysmic Spokane floods caused when the glacier-dams of Lake Missoula gave way releasing ten to twenty times more water than in any river on Earth today, much of which followed the earlier glacier-carved river bed. Grand Coulee is the largest channel cut by the Spokane Floods, but erosion from these deepened and widened the previously glacier-formed channel. The spectacular bank of Grand Coulee as shown here is what remained after geologic erosion of deep layers of basalt laid down from erupting volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains several million years prior to the Ice Ages and their immense floods. The basalt depositions followed much earlier geologic phenomenon that produced an inland sea which over course of more recent geologic time was filled with igneous materials, especially basalt. This synopsis was drawn primarily from Allen et al. (1986), an excellent layman's-level reference that this author highly recommended to his readers.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass).Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin. Columbia Plateau- Channeled Scablands Ecoregion, 10a (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
45. Rock or round-headed wild-buckwheat (Eriogonum sphaerocephalum)- Robust plant of round-headed wild-buckwheat growing on the basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe range in valley of Grand Coulee. Companion plant species to this hearty specimen were bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, and cheatgrass.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
46. Flowering shoots and their flowers- Details of sexual shoots (including upper leaves of shoot) and flower cluster of rock or round-headed wild-buckwheat. Throughout the "Sagebrush Country" there are many Eriogonum species. Some of these are dominants and distinguish habitat types. Round-headed wild-buckwheat in the basin big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass range that developed on the Grand Coulee valley presented above.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
47. A varied landscape (and its range vegetation)- In this part of the Okanogan Valley basin wildrye formed consociations in shallow potholes (swales or depressions) while big sagebrush-bunchgrass range communities developed on surrounding hills. On rangeland between these two vastly different range plant communities a relatively broad ecotone existed with large but scattered plants of basin wildrye and with interspaces among wildrye supporting a sward of inland saltgrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, needle-and-thread, western or Nelson's needlegrass, and (always) cheatgrass along with a few plants of big sagebrush. This transition zone was a classic Clementsian ecotone, but like the basin wildrye stands it was grassland not savannah. The big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass (and associate grass species) shrub-steppe on hills was savanna.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). Generally or overall this rangeland was FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem) and K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe), but the within these there were three distinct climax range plant communities two of which were not covered by Society of Range Management rangeland cover types (Shiflet, 1994) or the Brown et al. (1998) biotic community classification system. SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass).Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau not Great Basin. The basin wildrye-inland saltgrass-bunchgrass ecotone was the Elymus cinereus-Distichlis spicata habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968, ps. iii, 50-51), but the single-species stands of basin wildrye (except for a few cheatgrass plants) did not have a habitat type. The Brown et al. classification system (1998) should have a Basin Wildrye Series under a Columbia Plateau Shrub-Grassland. Columbia Plateau- Okanogan Valley Ecoregion, 10m (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
48. Two different kinds of range (or what difference water makes)- Closer-in view of the basin wildrye consociation and the ecotone between basin wildrye and big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass savanna (shrub-steppe). The latter was the range vegetation on the hills in background (which was featured immediately below) The transistion zone was a grassland of mixed bunchgrass and inland saltgrass.
Scale or relative size of basin wildrye was shown by the steel, studded T fencepost in left foreground.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). Generally or overall this rangeland was FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem) and K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe), but neither of these range plant communities was covered by either the Society of Range Management rangeland cover types (Shiflet, 1994) or the Brown et al. (1998) biotic community classification system. It was remarked periodically in this publication that there should have been an SRM Basin Wildrye rangeland cover type under Pacific Northwest, Northern Rocky Mountains, and/or Great Basin Cover Types (Shiflet,1994). The Brown et al. classification system (1998) should have a Basin Wildrye Series under a Columbia Plateau Shrub-Grassland. Columbia Plateau- Okanogan Valley Ecoregion, 10m (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
49. Variation on the same theme- Another expression of the big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe, and another form or variant of the Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Vegetation on this range had western or Nelson's needlegrass as the associate grass species to bluebunch wheatgrass. Sandberg's bluegrass, needle-and-thread, and, of course, cheatgrass were present, but on big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass rangeland like that which Daubenmire (1968, Fig. 2,p. 10) showed as the "Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum association in pristine condition" western needlegrass was clearly the second most abundant grass. This range vegetation that developed on hills in the Okanogan Valley was similar to that in the Loess Islands Ecoregion that was described in detail, but there was certainly more western or Nelson's needlegrass while balsamroot species were absent on the big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass steppe featured here. Impacts (if any) of grazing history were unknown.
Physiogonomy and structure of this big sagebrush-bunchgrass range was presented in this photograph.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass).Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau (not Great Basin) Shrub-Grassland. Columbia Plateau- Okanogan Valley Ecoregion, 10m (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
50. Interior of the big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass (western or Nelson's needlegrass)- Species composition view of another form or variant of the climatic climax Artemisia tridentata-Agroypon spicatum zonal association that is widespread over the Columbia Plateau. The major (though it was uncommon) forb was western yarrow (Achillea millefolium var. lanulosa). Nelson's or western needlegrass was well-represented, but not conspicuous in this photograph..
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass).Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau (not Great Basin) Shrub-Grassland. Columbia Plateau- Okanogan Valley Ecoregion, 10m (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
51. Still more variation on the same theme- Another variant of different form or phase of the climatic climax Artemisia tridentata-Agroypon spicatum zonal association and the corresponding Artemisia tridentata-Agroypon spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968, ps.iii, 8-16; Franklin and Dryness, 1973, ps. 211, 216-218) with a more species-diverse range plant community and another soil than of those presented above.
Wide-scale perspective of a sandy land variant of the big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe with a remarkable diversity of range plants including in addition to the co-dominants Sandberg's bluegrass, Cussick's bluegrass (Poa cusickii), needle-and-thread, cheatgrass, thread-leafed sedge (Carex filifolia), and western yarrow as major herbaceous species with narrowleaf fleabane (Erigeron linearis) as first runner-up range forb, and rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), little-leaf horsebrush (Tetradymia glabrata), and three-tip or cut-leafed sagebrush (Artemisia tripartita).
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass).Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968, ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau (not Great Basin) Shrub-Grassland. Columbia Plateau- Okanogan Valley Ecoregion, 10m (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
52. Zooming in on more variation- Two photo-plots of the sandy land form of the big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe range introduced in the preceding photograph. Important and common grasses included bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg's bluegrass, Cusick's bluegrass, needle-and-thread, and, of course, the Eurasian invader, cheatgrass. There was (were) no obvious associate shrub species to basin big sagebrush though rubber rabbitbrush, little-leaf horsebrush, and three-tip or cut-leafed sagebrush were all important at local scale. The main forb was western yarrow. Cover of cheatgrass was limited; this range was probably in Good range condition class.
Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer). FRES No. 29 (Sagebrush Shrubland Ecosytem). K-49 (Sagebrush Steppe). SRM 314 (Big Sagebrush-Bluebunch Wheatgrass).Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type (Daubenmire, 1968,ps.iii, 8-16). Wheatgrass-Shrub Series of Brown et al. (1998), but should be Columbia Plateau (not Great Basin) Shrub-Grassland. Columbia Plateau- Okanogan Valley Ecoregion, 10m (Environmental Protection Agency, undated).
Range site versus habitat type: It was discussed in the Literature Review herein (Range Site- Range Site vs. Habitat Type) that range site and habitat type are two related, even similar, concepts and units of native vegetation and land (primarily soil), but that they are different and distinct from one another (ie. thay are not synonymous). Some of the more recent interpretations and definitions of habitat type and range (= ecological) site by some organizations or individuals have stressed the similarity of these two units of classification. The fourth edition of the Society for Range Management Glossary of Terms Used in Range Management (Bedell, 1998) specified that difference between these two units depended "mainly on how specifically plant associations are defined".
Indeed. As Daubenmire (1968,ps.iii, 8-16) was cited repeated above, Artemisia tridentata-Agropyron spicatum habitat type and Artemisia tridentata-Agroypon spicatum zonal association were apparently synonmous such that this (these) unit(s) of classification covered many different forms, variants (or whatever the appropriate term would be) of shrub-steppe range vegetation that was dominated by these two species. Four distinctive kinds of rangeland in the Columbia Basin that were dominated by big sagebrush and bluebunch wheatgrass (= four different kinds of shrub-steppe with four different soil series or associations) were shown and described generally above. These four different ranges (land management units) were representative of four different kinds of rangeland. The four different kinds of big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe rangeland were obviousy four distinct range sites, but they were all one habitat type.
The four kinds of big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe presented above served as examples of the fact that habitat type and range site are not synonymous. They are two similar and different units of classification. At least such was the case for these examples. Some of the habitat types of steppe and shrub-steppe defined by Daubenmire (1968) were edaphic climaxes whereas others were climatic climaxes that were of greater spatial scale and more general distribution. The latter are regarded as zonal associations. Some of these habitat types that are zonal associations are closer to range types (ie. dominance types, including most rangeland and forest cover types) whereas the edaphic climaxes are more similar to or consistent with range sites. This would seem to be the situation whenever the habitat type is based on vegetation, specifically the dominant plant species of the major layers of vegetation, rather than being based on edaphic or other physical feature (oil series or association, relief, etc.) as is the case for range sites. Range sites are the smallest, most distinctive unit of classification whereas zonal associations are some of the largest spatial-scale units that would by definition and inclusiveness include several smaller classification units.
In effect, habitat types define vegetation and seek to make plant communities fit the land that was described after the vegetation was chosen. Range sites by contrast define the land (soils, topographic features) and then describe plant communities that fit land characteristics. There were bound to be some inconsistencies and lack of fit between these two classification units.
53. Threadleaf or thread-leafed sedge (Carex filifolia)- This species has generally been regarded as the--at least one of the--most important forage carices in North America. Unlike many sedges threadleaf sedge is a not a wetland species, but is instead a range plant of semiarid regions that includes some kinds of mixed prairie, bunchgrass prairie, shrub-steppe, and even understories of some open canopy forests. The specimen presented here and in the two subsequent photographs was growing on the range last described above that was typical of the sandy land form of big sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass shrub-steppe range that was in Good range condition class.
Threadleaf sedge was treated by numerous workers in standard range plant references and texts including Forest Service (1940, GL5), Weaver and Albertson (1956, ps. 39-4,216), Hermann (1970, ps. 202-203), and Hurd et al (1998, ps.112-113). Threadleaf sedge was one of two carices selected for inclusion in the Society for Range Management International Intercollegiate Range Plants Contest. As such C. filifolia was included in North American Range Plants of which this author preferred the fourth edition (Stubbendieck et al., 1992, ps. 326-327).Douglas County, Washington. June (early summer).
54. Taking a closer look at thread-leaf sedge- Details of shoots and inflorecences of thread-leafed sedge at dormancy and with very dry material. The inflorescences were at immediate pre fruit-shatter stage (most had already shed).
Forage value of threadleaf sedge has traditionally been regarded as good to excellent (see for eg. Hermann, ;1970, p. 202). This is one of the most valuable grasslike plants on the Western Range for livestock and wildlife forage. It is also extremely valuable for soil protection, especially wind erosion.
Douglas County,