Great Basin Desert

7. Inflorescences and fruit of rubber rabbitbrush- Armstrong County, Texas. September.

8. Good composite shot of high desert scrub probably typical of Great Basin climax vegetation- The olive-brown shrubs are antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), arguably the single most valuable browse plant on the Western Range. Rabbitbrush, winterfat, and several sagebrush species including low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula) and black sagebrush (A. nova) as well as ever-present big sagebrush comprise a diverse desert upperstory. The sparse but dominant understory herb is Indian ricegrass. Cheatgrass was essentially absent.

This was an example of the Sagebrush-Pygmy Rabbit-Bitterbrush Faciation of Shelford (1963, ps. 278-280). Note pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) under black sagebrush plant at right margin. What do you mean you can't see him? Of course he's hard to see. He's a pygmy.

A BLM allotment. Mono County, California. February. FRES no. 29 (Sagebrush Ecosystem). Variant of K-32 (Great Basin Sagebrush).This bitterbrush-rabbitbrush-sagebrush Great Basin range type was not described by SRM per se; it is one variant of SRM 210 (Bitterbrush). Variant of Sagebrush Series of Brown et al. (1998).

Salt desert shrub is the accepted designation for that part of the Great Basin Desert that species-wise is defined primarily by the saltbush-greasewood unit of vegetation-- regardless of level in organization hierarchy of vegetation (dominance type, association, consociation, fasciation, alliance, whatever)-- in contrast to the unit of Great Basin sagebrush. Designation of "salt desert shrub" can be traced back to pioneer work in Intermountain Region vegetation as, for example, in Flora of Utah and Nevada (Shantz in Tidestrom, 1925, p. 19).

In the Great Basin the most common of the dominant saltbushes (largest acreage dominated) is shadscale or spiny saltbush (Atriplex confertifolia). Black greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus) is the second (and second-most) defining and dominant species of the salt desert shrubland. Saltbush and greasewood sometimes grow without one or the other species whereas on other range types and range sites the two species grow in various relative proportions ranging from co-dominants to dominant-associate rank, dominant-incidental rank, both associates, or even both incidental species. In latter instances, shadscale and/or greasewood would not be defining species though they might well still be indicator, key, or keystone species. On some range habitats, greasewood or shadscale form consociations of such "purity" as to be single-species stands or more as populations than as plant communities. In such range vegetation shadscale or greasewood is the "whole enchilada".

Of these two overall dominant species of the salt desert shrubland, shadscale has typically been viewed as the more important or diagnostic species across the Great Basin. Mozingo (191987, p. 52) summarily wrote: "Three shrubs are especially characteristic of the Great Basin- sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and shadscale." This observation was consistent with the view of "Great Basin sagebrush" and "saltbush-greasewood" (Kuchler, 1964, 1966) as the two major "vegetation types" of the Great Basin Region. However, Shantz (in Tidestrom, 1925, p. 16-19) had the opposite view and recognized a Greasewood Formation and included the Shadscale Association as part of the Northern Desert Shrub.

Other major--and frequently dominant--shrubs of the Great Basin salt desert shrubland (shadscale-greasewood unit or type) include winterfat (Eurotia lanata= Ceratoides lanata), fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), spiny hopsage (Grayia spinosa), and various species of Mormon tea or jointfir (Ephedra spp.). Winterfat could be interpreted as the third-most important or defining species of Great Basin salt desert shrubland based on acreage dominated and feed value to livestock and wildlife. Blackbrush is also distinctive, especially as related to delineating Great Basin and Mojave Deserts.

The following treatment of the Great Basin salt desert shrubland was organized as to dominant species comprising the salt desert unit of Great Basin Desert. Generally speaking, one of the major shrub species of the Great Basin Desert will be a fairly obvious dominant such that it conveniently defines and indicates a range cover type (eg. shadscale cover type, greasewood cover type, winterfat cover type, blackbrush cover type). In cases of co-dominance as, for instance, shadscale and blackgreasewood then this can be readily accomodated as a two species designation (eg. shadscale-greasweood rangeland cover type) The Society for Range Management (Shiflet, 1994) followed this convention with regard sagebrush species and even subspecies whereas shrub species of the salt desert shrub were "lumped" into a catch-allI or generic rangeland cover type. Dominant species were used as basis for range types in the following discussion.

Shadscale-black greasewood-dominated scrub and sagebrush-dominated shrubland are the two broad range "vegetation types" of Great Basin Desert. These two general types of natural plant communities were seen as plant associations by Shelford (1963, ps. 260-281). Kuchler (1964, 1966) combined or "lumped" together the major two chenopodacious species (and they are bodacious) as a "vegetation type" and mapping unit of potential natural vegetation entitled "Saltbush-greasewood (Atriplex-Sarcobatus)". West (in Barbour and Billings, 1988, p. 217 and 2000, p 267) followed Kuchler's lead and kept the same title noting that the saltbush-greasewood community constitutes what is commonly known as the "salt-desert shrub".

Brown et al. (1998, p. 40) subdivided Great Basin Desertscrub into seven biotic communities including Shadscale Series, Saltbush Series, Winterfat Series, and Sagebrush Series. Tueller (in Shiflet, 1994, p.53-54) authored the Society for Range Management rangeland cover type, Salt Desert Shrub (SRM 414), in which shadscale, black greasewood, winterfat, and several other native shrubs were included under this one umbrella cover type. This was in contrast to treatments of sagebrush in Shiflet (1994) which separated out sagebrush species and even big sagebrush subspecies and used each taxon as basis for a separate cover type. In this chapter the present author followed the convention established by the first, and most subsequent, authors and interpreted each dominant Great Basin shrub species as representing a separate and unique dominance (=cover) type.

Shadscale has generally been interpreted as the regional climax dominant shrub of the salt-desert scrub form of Great Basin Desert. Shadscale apparently forms more associations than does black greasewood (14 versus 10, respectively, listed in The National Vegetation Classification for Nevada [Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 26 September, 2003]). Shadscale-dominated range communities vary widely ranging from shrubland consociations of "pure" shadscale minus even cheatgrass understorey to shadscale-associated shrubs shrubland to more savanna-like shadscale-herbaceous species scrub. Historic or successional status of many or, more likely, most of these shadscale-dominated range communities is uncertain. It is certain that shadscale is a major defining range shrub of the Great Basin Desert and surrounding grazing lands.

Time now for shadscale.

9. Shadscale on a sink- This alkaline sink was dominated by shadscale with Douglas or viscid rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidflorus), conspicuous by brighter green color, as associate species.The third major range plant was Shockley buckwheat (Eriogonum shockleyi) which comprised a second and low shrub layer. Other shrubs present in much smaller proportions included winterfat (Eurotia lanata= Ceratoides lanata), bud sagebrush (Artemisia spinescens), and, least of all, black sagebrush (A. nova). The two major grasses were Indian ricegrass (Oryzopsis hymenoides= Stipa hymenoides) and galleta (Hilaria jamesii). Needle-and-thread (Stipa comata) was present but nowhere as common as on semidesert grasslands in the general vicinity of this salt desert scrubland. Cheatgrass was largely restricted to local areas of severe disturbance or lowered soil surface (eg. eroded entrances of rodent burrows). The main forb was the native biennial or short-lived perennial crucifer, wallflower (Erysium asperum= E. capitatum= E. elatum), followed by the annual crucifer, hairy pepperplant or hispidcress (Lepidium lasiocarpum var. lasiocarpum).

In spite of monotonous outer appearance, there was much local variation in this range vegetation with miscellaneous combinations of plants that grew in close proximity. Some of these local affilitations were presented below. This alkaline sink was a combination of browse and grass range. Most of the browse species (with examples from this range) were shown below.

Example of range vegetation on one pasture of a five-range combination deferred rotation-rest rotation grazing system. On this BLM allotment in four years of five the grazing season (for cattle) runs from 1 April through 31 October and during the fifth year cattle grazing starts 1 May and extends through 30 November.

As shown this range plant community was a shadscale-viscid or Douglas rabbitbrush scrubland. Tueller (1975, p. 6) suspected that this plant community, which developed extensive over much of central Nevada was a grazing disclimax. Shelford (1963, p.273) concluded that viscid rabbitbrush "... is a subclimax species that is widespread in the desert". The climax or potential natural vegetation on this range site would probably be either Atriplex confertifolia/Achnatherum hymenoides Shrubland or Atriplex confertifolia/Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubland (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 26, September, 2003) which is shadscale-Indian ricegrass or shadscale-galleta shrubland. Shelford (1963, ps. 269-271) described this range vegetation under Shadscale-Rice Grass-Ord's Kangaroo Rat Faciation. (Entrance to burrow of this long-tailed rodent was presented below).

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, estival aspect with species in numerous phenological stages. FRES No. 30 (Desert Shrub Shrubland ecosystem). K-34 (Saltbush-Greasewood). SRM 414 (Salt Desert Shrub). Shadscale Sries 152.14 of Great Basin Desertscrub 152.1 (Brown et al., 1998, p. 40). Central Basin and Range- Shadscale-dominated Saline Basins Ecoregion, 13c (Woods et al., 2001).

10. Only slightly higher ground but substantially different range- Immediately adjacent to range vegetation of the alkaline sink presented in the two preceding slides there was a conspicuously different range plant community that was shown in these two slides. On this second range site shadscale was still the most common shrub but there was not an obvious dominant species as winterfat, bud sagebrush, viscid rabbitbrush, black sagebrush, basin big sagebrush, and fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) were present with relatively high aerial cover. Neither was viscid rabbitbrush present in proportions of an associate species. Shockley buckwheat had all but disappeared as a member of the lower shrub layer. The three native perennial grasses were still present on this range site, but cheatgrass was much more common. Most conspicuous of all was relatively high cover (and locally high density) of the two Eurasian annual crucifers, pinnate tansy mustard (Descurainia pinnata) and tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissmium). High populations of these alien weeds contrasted sharply with occurrence of the native wallflower as the main range forb on the alkaline sink. The annual mustards and cheatgrass were the source of brown coloration across this range site. Russian thistle or the classic 'tumbleweed" (Salsola kali= S. pestifer= S. iberica) was the other annual Eurasian species that was locally abundant (mostly on rodent-disturbed areas). Russian thistle is a warm-season chenopod such that it was still small and green at time of photograph (see below).

Mixed shrub-grass range like this is valuable for both browse and forage (grass) species. Examples of browse plants growing on this range were included below.

This range was one of five pastures managed as a combination rest rotation-deferred rotation system grazed by cattle. Grazing season was from 1 April through 31 October four years out of five with the fifth year having a turn-on date of 1 May and take-off date of 30 November.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, early estival aspect. FRES No. 30 (Desert Shrub). K-34 (Saltbush-Greasewood). SRM 414 (Salt Desert Shrub). Mixed Scrub Series 152.16 of Great Basin Desertscrub 152.1 (Brown et al., 1998, p. 40). Central Basin and Range- Shadscale-dominated Saline Basins Ecoregion, 13c (Woods et al., 2001).

11. Rats-annual weeds!- Soil disturbance at entrance to this Ord's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii) burrow provided a microsite favorable for establishment of two common Eurasian annual plants. Cool-season cheatgrass or downy brome (at "seed-shatter"-dead plant phenological stage) had completed its annual life cycle down in the "throat" of this jumping rodent's house. The warm-season Russian thistle was in early stages of growth on perturbed soil all around burrow opening. In the range site of this alkaline sink annual species could not effectively compete with native shrubs shadscale, viscid rabbitbrush, and Shockley's buckwheat or native perennial grasses Indian ricegrass and galleta. Where the soil surface was disturbed by rodent activity or, judging by presence of a dense bunch of cheatgrass down inside the burrow, where a more mesic micro-environment had been created ethese Eurasian invaders made themselves right at "home on the range".

Shelford (1963, p. 267) noted that cheatgrass sometimes grows from grain stored by Ord's kangaroo rat in "surface caches".

What, if any, impact these alien weeds had on native range plants (or the facilitating kangaroo rat) was unknown. Occurrence of these two species on the range increased biodiversity (not necessarily the kind that native plant enthusiasts welcome) and both--weeds though they are--periodically provide forage for grazing animals. It is also probable that these naturalized annuals stabilize soils and reduce soil erosion on the range.

Shadscale-dominated salt desert scrub on an alkaline sink. Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June.

12. Actors on a sink stage- Species composition of a salt desert range was presented in this and the next photograph. On the alkaline sink shown above the potential natural vegetation was probably a shadscale-Indian ricegrass shrubland. This particular range had probably been degraded resulting in increased cover (greater invasion) of viscid rabbitbrush to the degree that this shrubby composite rather than Indian ricegrass was the associate species. Individual plants of these three species were shown in this sample of the sink or large depression on one of many basins in the Great Basin. The large central shrub is shadscale and the bright-green shrubs are viscid or Douglas rabbitbrush. All visible grass was Indian ricegrass.

While Indian ricegrass was locally dominant the overall dominant grass on this range was galleta. It is possible that grazing in decades before this view had resulted in reduced cover of Indian ricegrass, the likely climax dominant for this range site, and increased cover of galleta. Current grazing mangement was allowing persistence of both grasses on this range that was part of a public land allotment being managed in a five-pasture specialized grazing system (explained above).

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, most Indian ricegrass is soft-dough grain stage..

13.Other actors on the sunken stage- Galleta was in anthesis alongside a dormant or dead shrub of unknown species on an alkaline sink supporting a salt desert shrub community dominated by shadscale with viscid rabbitbrush as associate shrub species. Climax range vegetation for this range site appeared to be shadscale-Indian ricegrass shrubland, but the "more like" shadscale-galleta shrubland was also recognized as a plant association in the National Vegetation Classification for Nevada (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 26 September, 2003) which was used for this part of western Utah.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, anthesis in galleta.

14. Most made it- Galleta growing on a range that was part of a five-pasture combination deferred rotation-rest rotation grazing system (details presented above in captions that introduced the shadscale-viscid rabbitbrush-Indian ricegrass-galleta and the mixed shrub Great Basin range plant communities).

Clearly, degree of use hand not been excessive up to this point in the galleta growing season. Most shoots bore full-flower inflorescences. Life mission complete for the shoot that produced fruit.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, anthesis in galleta.

15. Great Basin wind (and anemophily vs. anemorchory)- This wind-blown inflorescence of galleta gave testimony to the fact that most grass species (and grasslike plants such as sedges and rushes also) are pollinated by wind. This form of pollination in which wind is the pollinizing agent is anemophily . Dispersal of seeds and spores (also the cases for most grasses and grasslike plants) is anemorchory. Galleta is eragrostoid grass, most of which are regarded as having the raceme type inflorescence. Hilaria species play a trick on agrostologists by having sessile spikelets arranged in units of three all spikelets of which are shed together in this unit that is termed a spike or fascicle. Some agrostologists refer to the Hilaria inflorescence as a bilateral spike.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June.

16. In sink- Winterfat (left) and shadscale (right) growing on an alkaline sink as members of a Great Basin salt desert shrub range. This was one of five ranges in a combination deferred rotation-rest rotation grazing system on a public land allotment.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June.

17. Shadscale, also known as spiny saltbush or salt sage, (Atriplex confertifolia)- Shadscale is co-dominant with black greasewood of salt desert shrub range in Great Basin and Mojave Desert and adjacent range. Other important shrubs included viscid or Douglas rabbitbrush, winterfat, Shockley's buckwheat, and bud sagebrush. Major native grasses were galleta and Indian ricegrass. These specimens were growing on alkaline sink that was part of a large basin near Sevier Lake (Sevier Lake hydrologic basin) in western Utah.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June.

18. Details of shadscale- Photographs to show characteristics of leader (shoot or main limb), leaves, and immature bark of one of the most important (commonly a dominant) shrub of Great Basin Desert. The smooth, gray branches that have numerous terminal spines is a fast on-the-range identifying characteristic. The gray-green oval- to elliptical-shapped leaves are another field identification feature.

Leaves and terminal parts of twigs serve as browse for most range ungulates, livestock and wildlife. Shed leaves of shadscale blow into small piles and these are readly eaten by sheep, cattle, and, presumedly, game species (Dayton, 1931,ps. 30-31). The present author has consistenly referred readers to the Range Plant Handbook for particulars in regards to major range species. Shadscale was no exception: Forest Service (1940, ps. B28). Shrubs of the Great Basin included an outstanding treatment of shadscale (Mozingo, 1987, ps. 52-59). In fact, Monzingo (1987) is one of the finest references available for beginning students of Great Basin range vegetation.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June.

I

19. Winterfat or, sometimes, white sage (Eurotia lanata= Ceratoides lanata)- Winterfat is another major (frequently dominant) shrub of the Great Basin Desertscrub. Winterfat was treated below in a section of its own. These two examples were growing on an the alkaline sink in the greater Sevier Lake basin used as example of shadscale-Indian ricegrass range type.These two plants were included to provide more nearly complete coverage of species composition ocharacteristic of many shadscale-dominated salt desert ranges.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, full-flower phenological stage.

20. Bud sagebrush or, simply, budsage (Artemisia spinescens)- This sagebrush species differs noticeably from its Artemisia brethern of the Great Basin and sagebrush steppe ranges. Tueller (1975, p.6) pointed out tht bud sagebrush is a semiprostrate, non-tridentate Artemisia species. Bud sagebrush has terminal buds that look like odd-shaped buttons on the small fan-appearing shoot tip. As much if not more conspicuous is the deciduous feature of budsage which sheds its leaves in mid to late summer.

Budsage is a valuable browse plant, but it has caused livestock poisoning under certain conditions.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June.

21. Bud sagebrush up close- These photographs showed the most picturesque and readily detected feature of this species: button-shaped terminal buds arranged so as to have a minature fan-like appearance. The specimens presented here were in full-foliage, but some of their "rangemates" ahd already shed most of their leaves. Leaf-deciduousness is unique among Artemisia species in the Great Basin.

Students were referred to the brief coverage by Dayton (1931, ps. 172-173) and the fine chapter in Mozingo (1987, ps. 265-266)

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June.

22. Almost surrounded- On the shadscale-dominated range of a alkaline sink that served as an example of the shadscale range type Shockley's buckwheat was second only to viscid or Douglas rabbitbrush as a major shrub species. It was noted that this range was likely an example of shadscale-viscid rabbitbrush grazing disclimax (Tueller, 1975, p. 6). Successional status of Shockley's buckwheat was not known, but its relative abudance made it deserving of a featured place in this lineup of alkali-abiding shrubs and subshrubs.

In this scene four, plants of Shockley's buckwheat encircled a lone shadscale, the local range dominant and a dominant range shrub over much of the Great Basin. This composite snapshot displayed the density and cover of iShockley's buckwheat at local microsites on what was regarded as a shadscale-Indian ricegrass shrubland. Welsh et al (1993, p. 534-552) recognized and described over 50 species of buckwheat (Eriogonum), several of which had six to eight varieties. Most of these are, like Shockley's buckwheat, subshrubs rather than "full-fledged" shrubs.

Eriogonum is one of those genera that could only be loved by taxonomists or fanatics (like varieties of Eriogonum these two groups frequently integrade). Eriogonum is a genus that is characteristic of Great Basin Desert (and sagebrush steppe) range vegetation, and often with such cover that the taxon deserved due coverage.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June.

23. Shockey's buckwheat (Eriogonum shockeyi)- There are many Eriogonum species in the Great Basin, including Great Basin Desert. A shadscale-viscid rabbitbrush disturbance climax on an alkaline sink was used as an example of shadscale-dominated salt desert shrub. Shockley's buckwheat was the third major non-herbaceous species. For that reason it received "expaned coverage" herein.

Typical plants of the perennial Shockley's buckwheat have a rounded or hemispherical habit described by Welsh et al, 1993) as "mound-forming". Most of these plants have a single woody or semi-woody shoot from which short limbs and branches arise. Such a shoot is a caudex, "the woody base of an otherwise herbaceous perennial" (Welsch et al., 1993, p. 932).

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, full-bloom stage.

24. Bless that blooming buckwheat- Shockley's buckwheat was in full-bloom on an alkaline sink range in which it was a locally abundant subshrub. On tough and stark-looking range like salt desert scrub rangemen learn to appreciate things of beauty. Bless the buckwheat and fill the canteens.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, anthesis.

25. Four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens)- This Atripex species has one of the largest geographic ranges and is one of the most adaptable shrubs on the Western Range. Fourwing waltbush was treated in more detail elswhere in this publication (on range types where it is a dominant species), but this relatively large specimen was shown here because it was growing on the mixed-shrub salt desert range that served as an example of one form of the shadscale range type.

Four-wing saltbush is a dioecious species. The specimen "trotted out" above was a male plant.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June, peak anthesis.

26. Hispidcress or hairy pepperweed (Lepidium lasiocarpum var. lasiocarpum)- The Cruciferae is not as well-represented on Great Basin Desert range as the Gramineae, Chenopidiaceae, or Compositae, but there are important crucifers--native and exotic--that are important in this range ecosystem. This plant was growing on a alkaline sink in a shadscale-viscid rabbitbrush disclimax of former climax shadscale-Indian ricegrass shrubland.

Hispidcress is a native annual crucifer. It was more common than naturalized Eurasian species tumble mustard or tansy mustard on a salt desert range occupying the alkaline sink that served as an example of the shadscale range type. On mixed shrub-salt desert range adjecent to the sink range site hispidcress was less abundant while tansy and tumble mustards were far more abundant.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Managfement, Fillmore Field Office. June, termination of annual life cycle (plant dead)..

Black greasewood was regarded as a co-dominant with saltbush (Atriplex spp.), especially shadscale (A. confertifolia), as a major subdivision or subunit of Great Basin Desert. The title of "Saltbush-greasewood" was used by Kuchler (1964, 1966) as a "vegetation type" or mapping unit of potential natural vegetation. This title was retained by West (in Barbour and Billings, 1988, p. 217 and 2000, p. 267).

Greasewood has usually been regarded as second to saltbush (specifically sahdscale) especially on more xeric habitats. Shantz (in Tidestrom, 1925, p.19) had the opposite interpretation and designated the Salt Desert Shrub as the Greasewood Formation under which was a Greasewood Association and a Greasewood-Shadscale Association. From his perspective, Shantz (in Tidestrom, 1925, p. 16-17) saw the Shadscale Association as a unit of Northern Desert Shrub.

Although black greasewood and one to several saltbush species frequently grow side-by-side and share dominance, these species also form separate and singularly distinct climax range plant communities. Shelford (1963, ps. 269-271) recognized and described a greasewood faciation, a shadscale faciation, and a winterfat faciation all within the shadscale association. With only one exception Brown et al. (1998, p. 40) recognized each of these plus several others as separate series (ie. Shadscale Series, Saltbush Series, Winterfat Series) under Great Basin Desertscrub. The one exception, and an obvious oversight, was Greasewood Series. There should have been a Greasewood Series with number 152.18. Minus 10 points! All of these species (Series in Brown et al.1998, p. 40) were lumped together under one Society for Range Management rangeland cover type (Salt Desert Shrub SRM 414) by Tueller (in Shiflet, 1994).

Black greasewood takes center stage.

27. A greasy floodplain- This lowest end of a basin in part of the Snake Valley that receives water from the Conger Range is frequently (by desert standards) flooded. A black greasewood consociation consisting of only a few other range plant species developed on this low-lying range site. There were relatively few plants of shadscale, viscid or Douglas rabbitbrush, low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula), and, least of all, rubber rabbitbrush. The prominent feature of this desert basin vegetation to a rangeman was the almost total absence of any herbaceous species, including cheatgrass and Eurasian crucifers. Exclusive dominance of black greasewood is such that these range plant communities are commonly known as greasewood flats.

The homogenous species composition of this greasewood salt desert scrub was remarkable. Three photographs of "sameness". Imagine human beings with priminitive tools (early white man was not that much better off tool-wise, and skill-wise worse off, than Indians) crossing this stark land. Pull of gold in the Sierra Nevada or better soil near the Pacific Slope must have been strong.

Shelford (1963, p. 271) regarded such greasewood flats as part of the Greasewood-Harvest Mouse Faciation. Shelford's brief description indicated that this was critical habitat for numerous species of smaller wildlife, including black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus), and invertebrates. One can see a long way, but it would be hard to see how anything but jackrabbits, mice, spiders, and fast-flying birds could survive on this rangeland.

Millard County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Fillmore Field Office. June (and to think that summer had just begun). FRES No. 30 (Desert Shrub Shrubland Ecosystem). K-34 (Saltbush-Greasewood). Greasewood variant of SRM 414. No Brown et al. (1998, p. 40) biotic community, but should be Greasewood Series 152.18 of Great Basin Desertscrub 152.1. Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Intermittently Flooded) Shrubland (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 26 September, 2003). Central Basin and Range- Shadscale-dominated Saline Basins Ecoregion, 13b (Woods et al., 2001).

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28. Now this is more like it (well, kinda)- Black greasewood-Indian ricegrass salt desert shrubland. These three photographs presented greasewood-dominated desert at its finest-- from a rangeman's point of view. Indian ricegrass, one of the Great Basin's dominant climax grasses, accompanied by galleta and, at much less cover, needle-and-thread (two other climax species) formed an interrupted herbaceous layer in this shrubland. Other but clearly subordinate shrub species included both viscid and rubber rabbitbrush, spiny hopsage, shadscale, and small cover of Wyoming big sagebrush.

This range plant community was climax--or near it--vegetation. Near absence of cheatgrass and annual Eurasian crucifers attested to the high successional status of this range vegetation.

Observe in the third slide how Indian ricegrass ocurred in a distinct "ring" around the large mound produced by harvester ants. Harvester ants maintain a clear area that is devoid of plant life in the immediate vicinity of their nest site. Harvester ants undoubtedly also rely heavily on grains of Indian ricegrass (as did North American aborigines whose use of this festucoid/stipoid grass is indicated by its common name). Perhaps ants dropped grains of ricegrass at perimeter of their nest site resulting in the "hedge" or "shelter-belt". Water that was shed from the conical mound of earth would have been availaable as a form of natural "irrigation" for ricegrass. This grass would then set grains which would be available for ants. If something like this herbivorous activity (coaction was the Clementsian term) occurred it would be a form of mutualism.

Cole (1932, ps. 140-14) described the denuded area around western harvester ant mounds. He remarked tht there were "a few scattered grasses" like species of Agropyron and Stipa "...growing near the periphery of the circle". Numerous workers have been intrigued by the natural history and ecology of western harvester ants. Enter "western harvester ant" into Goggle and be amazed at the study that has been made of this social insect.

Beaver County, Utah. Bureau of Land Management, Cedar City Field Office. June, estival aspect (anthesis stage in greasewood). FRES No. 30 (Desert Shrub Shrubland Ecosystem). K-34 (Saltbush-Greasewood). Greasewood variant of SRM 414 (Salt Desert Shrub).Should be Greasewood Series 152.18 of Great Basin Desertscrub 152.1 of Brown et al. (1998, p. 40). Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Achnatherum hymenoides Shrubland (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 26 September, 2003). Central Basin and Range- Shadscale-dominated Saline Basins Ecoregion, 13b (Woods et al., 2001).

29. Quilt on the desert- No, not exactly a blanket of lush foliage, but this patchwork of salt desert vegetation provided one of the traditional lessons of Desert Ecology. Climax range vegetation had developed in local zones on a halosere, "a characteristic sequence of communities associated with the developmental stages in plant succession on salt marshes or salt desert" (Allaby, 1998). This zonation of vegetation development was along areas of increasing soil salinity aligned varying distances from the shore of Great Salt Lake.

This resulting mosaic of halophytic range plant communities represented an example of "vegetation writ small", a compressed-into-a short-distance, life-zone-like assemblage of halophytes. Halophyte refers to "a terrestrial plant that is adapted morphologically and/or physiologically to grow in salt-rich soils and salt laden air"; the adjective halophytic means "thriving in, or preferring to grow in, the presence of salt" (Allaby, 1998).

The halophytic climax range vegetation shown here and expained in the series of slides below has been a long-standing, "textbook example" of plant succession processes, vegetation development, and resultant plant communities. In the classic Flora of Utah and Nevada Shantz (in Tidestrom, 1925, p. 19-21) described zonal halophytic vegetation of the salt desert shrub in the Clementsian association/associes model. Flowers and Evans (1966) presented a similar halosere for the Great Salt Lake vicinity which was shown by West (in West, 1983, p. 389; in Barbour and Billings, 1988, p.221 and 2000, p.270). Students can go to these references and use the halosere diagrams as a guide ("road map") by which to follow the scenes of halophytic range plant communities that followed. Tueller (1975, p. 26) also presented a diagramatic halosere, but it was not as appropriate for this Great Salt Lake halosere.

All of these halophytic range plant communities were seen as climax vegetation. Shantz (in Tidestrom, 1925, ps. 19-21) used the original monoclimax model of Frederick E. Clements to describe the Salt Desert Shrub (perhaps the first usage and original literature source of this designation). Shantz interpreted the greasewood- and samphire-dominated range communities as Clementsian associations (ie. greasewood association, samphire association) while he regarded saltgrass grassland as the seral unit of associes (ie. saltgrass associes). In the original Clementsian model of plant succession any vegetation that was not determined primarily or ultimately by climate was seral. In the monoclimax model any plant communities that developed on land receiving more water than provided directly by precipitation (eg. most wetlands like marshes and riparian, floodplain, or other overflow water-derived vegetation) would be seral and regarded as a Clementsian associes. Thus designation of saltgrass associes by Shantz (in Tidestrom, 1925, ps. 19-21). Under polyclimax theory saltgrass semidesert grassland is climax range vegetation.

The mosaic of range plant communities were of different range types or variants of range types, alliances, associations, biotic communities, or zones depending on reference(s) referred to. These Lilliputian-sized units of range vegetation were too small to be described by such large-scale vegetation mapping units as those of Kuchler (1964, 19660 or Garrison et al. (1977). The halosere extended from the shore of Great Salt Lake inland to a semidesert grassland with a transition plant community between that was a shrubland dominated by black greasewood and having a sparse, herbaceous understorey.

The vegetation in the foreground (low-growing, shining-green color) was of the succulent halophytes Utah samphire (Salicornia utahensis) with small amounts of seepweed (Suaeda spp.), occasional plants of iodinebush or pickleweed (Allenrolfea occidentalis), and desert saltgrass (Distichlis stricta= D. spicata var. stricta= D. spicata), Immediately behind the samphire-saltgrass community "patch" was a consociation (a population-level stand) of Indian ricegrass (tan or fawn-colored vegettion of mid-height). Background was black greasewood scrubland.

Backshore of Great Salt Lake Tooele County, Utah. June.

30. Closer to the halophytic patchwork- Nearer to the range plant communities introduced in the immediately preceding slide: a diagonal view across the Indian ricegrass stand (left; tan-colored plants) and Utah samphire-seepweed community (right; bright green and gray-colored plants) with greasewood scrubland in background.

Backshore of Great Salt Lake, Tooele County, Utah. June, early estival aspect..

31. Black greasewood salt desert- Two sweeping views of a salt desert shrubland with both a shrub and an herbaceous layer (if they could be called layers by streatch of imagination). Climax range plant community on part of a halosere that went from the shore of Great Salt Lake inland to a desert saltgrass semidesert grassland. Dominant species of this salt desert shrubland was black greasewood which, with associate shrub, viscid or Douglas rabbitbrush, comprised the woody layer. The herbaceous layer consisted of local stands of Indian ricegrass and local assemblages of desert saltgrass, Utah samphire, seepweed, and scattered plants of iodinebush or pickleweed. Different patches of saltgrass and samphire varied in which species prevailed in this herbaceous group. Seepweed was sparse (and about as much dead as alive). As always there was cheatgrass, but it was not associated with any particular species or local group of plants. Relative scarcity of cheatgrass was indicative of the climax (at least high seral stage) of this range vegetation.

This range had been grazed by cattle within two months of this series of photographs.

The entire halosere of climax range vegetation could be regarded as FRES No. 30 (Desert Shrub Shrubland Ecosystem) with an appropriate Kuchler "vegetation type" being number 34 (Saltbush-Greasewood). "Super-salty" greasewood variant of SRM 414 (Salt Desert Shrub). Part of this halosere was Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Distichlis spicata Shrubland (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 26 September, 2003). If the classification system of Brown et al. (1998, p. 40) had not inadverdently omitted it this would be the Greasewood Series 152.18 of Great Basin Desertscrub 152.1. Central Basin and Range- Shadscale-dominated Saline Basins Ecoregion, 13b (Woods et al., 2001).

Tooele County, Utah. June, early estival aspect..

32. Salt pals- This 'photo-quadrant" of a greasewood-samphire-grass salt desert shrubland included the following species: black greasewood, viscid or Douglas rabbitbrush, Utah samphire, Indian ricegrass, cheatgrass or downy brome, plus an unknown forb in the right foreground.

Tooele County, Utah. June, early estival aspect. FRES No. 30 (Desert Shrub Shrubland Ecosystem). K-34 (Saltbush-Greasewood). "Super-salty greasewood vriant of SRM 414 (Salt Desert Shrub). Would be Greasewood Series 152.18 of Great Basin Desertscrub 152.1 of Brown et al. (1998, p. 40). Central Basin and Range- Shadscale-dominated Saline Basins Ecoregion, 13b (Woods et al., 2001).

33. Salty dogs- Utah samphire with some amount of seepweed at local- or microsite-scale on a greasewood-herb salt desert shrubland. These species typically grew farther inland from the shore of Great Salt Lake. Many of these microhabitats are the most saline parts of the halosere due to accumulation of water from Great Salt Lake and internal drainage which upon its evaporation leads to extreme soil salinity.

Tooele County, Utah. June.

34. Iodinebush or, sometimes, pickleweed (Allenrolfea occidentalis)- This subshrub is typically one of the dominant range plants of salt flat deserts or the salt desert shrub range community, especially at edges of saline playas, basins, and shores of Great Salt Lake. At this location iodinebush was scarce and such as incidenetal range plant that it was important primarily as an indictor species. It was presented here for that purpose. The dark or brown coloration of lower shoots was typical. Shoots of this species are succulent (like those of Salicornia species), but older and larger shoots of iodinebush become woody or, at least, semi-woody.

Outer shore of Great Salt Lake, Tooele County, Utah. June.

35.Another ant hill- Mound and denuded area of western harvester ant. Indian ricegrass and desert saltgrass were thriving (by salt desert criteria) at perimeter of the ant-maintained "clearing" around their home. Viscid or Douglas rabbitbrush in background. Brief discussion of harvester ants herbivory was provided above. (We're into harvester ants on this program.)

Tooele County, Utah. June.

36. Edge of the salt pond- Innermost shore of Great Salt Lake where the salt desert shrub was primarily individual plants of black greasewood (and these were extremely sparse). Utah samphire and desert saltgrass were also present. Thus the species composition was similar to tht further inland except that Indian ricegrass, viscied rabbitbrush, and cheatgrass "gave it up". So had the harvester ants.

Salt had accumulated on the soil surface where puddles of water evaporated. Cattle had grazed this range less than two months after this series of slides was taken. No, not much to eat but look at it this way: would not have to put out salt.

Tooele County, Utah. June. FRES No.30. K- 34 (Saltbush-Greasewood). Greasewood variant of SRM 414 (Salt Desert Shrub). Would be Greasewood Series 152.18 of Great Basin Desertscrub 152.1 of Brown et al. (1998, p.40)-- if they had not forgotten it. Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Distichlis spicata Shrubland (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 26 September, 2003). Central Basin and Range- Shadscale-dominated Saline Basins Ecoregion, 13b (Woods et al., 2001).

37. Utah samphire (Salicornia utahensis)- This succulent chenopod is a perennial herbaceous plant. Utah samphire was the dominant range forb in the understorey of a greasewood-herbaceous salt desert shrubland. It grew in local patches as did the native perennial grasses, Indian ricegrass and desert saltgrass, with which it alternated as the dominant herbaceous species of this range vegetation.

Tooele County, Utah. June.

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38. Useful (barely) for something even in death- On a salt desert shrubland dead wood of a black greasewood supported growth of lichen. Range vegetation had a remarkable botanical diversity given the relatively few plant species present. Also remarkable is the extreme diversity of environments under which lichen, the smybiosis of alga and fungus, can thrive. Whenever possible the author introduced the student to the amazing world of lichens.

Tooele County, Utah. June.

39. Saltgrass semidesert grassland- Where shore of Great Salt Lake petered out and encountered a mountain range (ie. where basin met range) the range had developed into an actual grassland dominated by desert or inland saltgrass. Associate species was Utah samphire. There was absolutely no black greasewood or any shrubs of any species, period. Nor was there any cheatgrass. (Range on the mountain was bluebunch wheatgrass [Agropyron spicatum]-dominated bunchgrass steppe.)

This range had been heavily grazed by cattle less than two months before this photograph was taken. Next slide, please.

40. "Reckon we got it all?"- View of range sward of desert saltgrass semidesert grassland on which Utah samphire was associate species. Heavy degree of use (bordering on severe utilization) of saltgrass by beef cattle. This was a growing season of roughly average precipitation (or a little above average) causing one to wonder if this range has been grazed this heavily in other years. If so, the desert saltgrass had persisted unbelieveably well. Otherwise this range would have (or will) become a "nice" stand of Utah samphire.

Heavy degree of use was obvious,but this was also guaged by comparison to ungrazed desert saltgrass outside this pasture. That and other details of the desert saltgrass range type were presented in the Semidesert Grassland (Great Basin) chapter elsewhere in this book.

Tooele County, Utah. June, hard-dough stage in desert saltgrass. FRES No. 40 (Desert Grasslands Ecosystem). No Kuchler or SRM units for saltgrass grassland. Kuchler (1964, 1966) did not have mapping units for "vegetation types" that were present at such small scale. Society for Range Mnaagement (Shiflet, 1994) probably could found noone to write a description for what should have been Desert Saltgrass rangeland cover type. Distichlis spicata (Intermittently Flooded) Herbaceous Vegetation or Distichlis spicata (Intermittently Flooded) Mixed Herb Herbaceous Vegetation (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 26 September, 2003). Central Basin and Range- Shadscale-dominated Saline Basins Ecoregion, 134 b (Woods et al., 2001).

44. Black greasewood-Sandburg bluegrass range- In a transition zone between the High Lava Plains and Basin and Range Provinces (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 6) this upper storey consociation of black greasewood and understorey of Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda= P. sandbergii) formed a relatively simple plant community that afforded range for both livestock and big game-- inhospitable and unappealing as it might appear to human senses. As cited in the preceding caption, Franklin and Dyrness (1973, ps. 227, 245) designated a black greasewood-inland saltgrass community for central and eastern Oregon. These workers made no reference to a greasewood-Sandberg bluegrass community or variant of the former community, but that was clearly the vegetation presented here. In fact, this photographer observed no saltgrass on the range portrayed here. Rather Sandberg bluegrass held forth as essentially the only graminoid species. There was some scattered cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) but it would rank a weak associate species. (Refer to two slides immediately below.) Neither were Carex species encountered on this range in this typical precipitation year.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County, Oregon. June. Estival aspect. FRES No. 30 (Desert Scrub Ecosystem) but no appropriate Kuchler unit for natural plant communities of this scale. Kuchler unit 34 (Saltbush-Greasewood) is "as close it gits" and that does not reflect those plant communities that are greasewood consociations. Furthermore, the description of this unit (Kuchler, 1964, unit 40 therein) included no grasses or grasslike plants. Kindly note again comment on incompleteness of vegetation designations and mapping given in preceding caption. SRM 414 (Salt Desert Shrub). Mixed Scrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Sarcobatus vermiculatus Shrubland (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 2003).

45. Species composition of black greasewood-Sandberg bluegrass range plant community- In addition to the dominant shrub and herbaceous species a specimen of cheatgrass was represented in this photograph. Cheatgrass was widely scattered and a search was necessary to find cheatgrass and the dominants within the same "frame". Transition zone between High Lava Plains and Basin and Range provinces (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973, p. 6), but this range vegetation clearly had physiogonomy, structure, composition more that of the Great Basin Desert than of a shrub steppe, the major expression of vegetation in this area.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County, Oregon. June. FRES No. 30 (Desert Scrub Ecosystem) but no apt Kuchler unit (K-34 was "closest fit"). SRM414 (Salt Desert Shrub). Mixed Scrub Series of Brown et al. (1998). Sarcobatus vermiculatus Shrubland (Nevada Natural Heritage Program, 2003).