Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS
Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS
Vegetation Classification and Mapping Project Report - USGS
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National Park Service<br />
U.S. Department of the Interior<br />
Natural Resource Program Center<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution<br />
<strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong><br />
Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Natural Resource Technical <strong>Report</strong> NPS/SCPN/NRTR—2009/273
ON THE COVER<br />
Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>:<br />
Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Natural Resource Technical <strong>Report</strong> NPS/SCPN/NRTR—2009/273<br />
Errata<br />
Page<br />
Error<br />
Correction<br />
G13 Figure G19. Ground photo for map class B9,<br />
Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
G13 Figure 20. Photosignature for map class B9,<br />
Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
G32 Figure G57. Ground photo for map class B27,<br />
Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
G32 Figure G58. Photosignature for map class B27,<br />
Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Figure G19. Ground photo for map class B10,<br />
Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure 20. Photosignature for map class B10,<br />
Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure G57. Ground photo for map class B29, Arizona<br />
Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Photosignature for map class B29, Arizona Siltbush<br />
Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
NPS 110/100710, November 2009
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution<br />
<strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong><br />
Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Natural Resource Technical <strong>Report</strong> NPS/SCPN/NRTR—2009/273<br />
Authors<br />
Kathryn A. Thomas<br />
U.S. Geological Survey<br />
Southwest Biological Science Center<br />
Tucson, Arizona<br />
Anne Cully<br />
National Park Service<br />
Southern Colorado Plateau Network<br />
Northern Arizona University<br />
Flagstaff, Arizona<br />
Monica L. McTeague<br />
Northern Arizona University<br />
Flagstaff, Arizona<br />
Keith Schulz<br />
NatureServe<br />
Boulder, Colorado<br />
J. M. Shawn Hutchinson<br />
Department of Geography<br />
Kansas State University<br />
Manhattan, Kansas<br />
<strong>Project</strong> Coordinators<br />
Anne Cully <strong>and</strong> Monica L. McTeague<br />
Editing <strong>and</strong> design<br />
Jean Palumbo<br />
Southern Colorado Plateau Network<br />
National Park Service<br />
Flagstaff, Arizona<br />
November 2009<br />
U.S. Department of the Interior<br />
National Park Service<br />
Natural Resource Program Center<br />
Fort Collins, Colorado
The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that address natural resource<br />
topics of interest <strong>and</strong> applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service <strong>and</strong> others in natural<br />
resource management, including scientists, conservation <strong>and</strong> environmental constituencies, <strong>and</strong> the public.<br />
The Natural Resource Technical <strong>Report</strong> Series is used to disseminate results of scientific studies in the physical,<br />
biological, <strong>and</strong> social sciences for both the advancement of science <strong>and</strong> the achievement of the National Park Service<br />
mission. The series provides contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from<br />
journals because of page limitations.<br />
All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically<br />
credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, <strong>and</strong> designed <strong>and</strong> published in a professional<br />
manner. Data in this report were collected <strong>and</strong> analyzed using methods based on established, peer-reviewed<br />
protocols <strong>and</strong> were analyzed <strong>and</strong> interpreted within the guidelines of the protocols. This report received informal peer<br />
review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data.<br />
Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, <strong>and</strong> data in this report are those of the author(s) <strong>and</strong> do<br />
not necessarily reflect views <strong>and</strong> policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of<br />
trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National<br />
Park Service.<br />
Funding for this report was provided by the National Park Service, Interagency agreements: USDA Aerial Photo Flight<br />
Offce, F1248020019; <strong>USGS</strong> Southwest Biological Science Center, F1242030436; <strong>USGS</strong> Fort Collins Science Center,<br />
F1242030418; <strong>USGS</strong> Remote <strong>Mapping</strong> Center, F2121040009. Cooperative agreements: Northern Arizona University/<br />
Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, H1200040002; Kansas State University, Department of Geography,<br />
GISSAL, H7481030054; NatureServe, CA4560B0009.<br />
This report is available from Southern Colorado Plateau Network (http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/scpn/) <strong>and</strong><br />
the Natural Resource Publications Management Web site (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM) on the<br />
Internet.<br />
Please cite this publication as:<br />
Thomas, K. A., M. L. McTeague, A. Cully, K. Schulz, <strong>and</strong> J. M. S. Hutchinson. 2009. <strong>Vegetation</strong> classification <strong>and</strong><br />
distribution mapping report: Petrified Forest National Park. National Resource Technical <strong>Report</strong> NPS/SCPN/NRTR—<br />
2009/273. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado.<br />
NPS 110/100710, November 2009<br />
ii
Contents<br />
Figures............................................................................................................................................................ iv<br />
Tables............................................................................................................................................................... v<br />
Acronyms.<strong>and</strong>.Abbreviations....................................................................................................................... vii<br />
Executive.Summary........................................................................................................................................ ix<br />
Acknowledgments......................................................................................................................................... xi<br />
1..Introduction................................................................................................................................................ 1<br />
1.1..Background.......................................................................................................................................... 1<br />
1.2..Scope.<strong>and</strong>.Products.............................................................................................................................. 1<br />
1.3..The.<strong>USGS</strong>-NPS.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<strong>Mapping</strong>.Program............................................................................... 2<br />
1.4..The.National.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<strong>Classification</strong>.St<strong>and</strong>ard.............................................................................. 3<br />
1.5..Park.Environment................................................................................................................................ 5<br />
2..Identification.<strong>and</strong>.<strong>Classification</strong>.of.Plant.Communities......................................................................... 13<br />
2.1..Methods.............................................................................................................................................. 13<br />
2.2..Results................................................................................................................................................. 18<br />
3..Base.Map.Class.Development.................................................................................................................. 23<br />
3.1..Methods.............................................................................................................................................. 23<br />
3.2..Results................................................................................................................................................. 29<br />
4..Accuracy.Assessment.<strong>and</strong>.Additional.Map.Classes................................................................................. 33<br />
4.1..Methods.............................................................................................................................................. 33<br />
4.2..Results................................................................................................................................................. 37<br />
4.3..Discussion........................................................................................................................................... 48<br />
5..Literature.Cited......................................................................................................................................... 59<br />
6..Glossary..................................................................................................................................................... 61<br />
Appendix.A:.List.of.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.vegetation.mapping.project.products...................A1<br />
Appendix.B:.Relevé.numbers..................................................................................................................... B1<br />
Appendix.C:.Global.<strong>and</strong>.local.plant.community.descriptions................................................................... C1<br />
Appendix.D:.Plant.species.list................................................................................................................ D1<br />
Appendix.E:.Plant.community.<strong>and</strong>.map.class.key................................................................................ E1<br />
Appendix.F:.Plant.community.<strong>and</strong>.map.class.crosswalk....................................................................... F1<br />
Appendix.G:.Map.class.summaries............................................................................................................ G1<br />
Appendix.H:.Accuracy.assessment.data..................................................................................................... H1<br />
iii
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figures<br />
Figure.1....Location.of.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.in.Arizona.............................................................. 5<br />
Figure.2....Petrified.Forest.National.Park,.project.environs,.<strong>and</strong>.location.of.places.named.in.this...................<br />
report.<strong>and</strong>.its.appendices.......................................................................................................... 6<br />
Figure.3....Location.of.149.classification.relevés.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.observed.in.2003.... 15<br />
Figure.4....Non-metric.Multi-dimensional.Scaling.(NMS).ordination.of.149.classification.relevés,..............<br />
2003. ......................................................................................................................................... 16<br />
Figure.5....The.number.of.significant.indicators.<strong>and</strong>.the.p-value.for.Indicator.Species.Analysis.............<br />
scores.................................................................................................................................. ....... 17<br />
Figure.6....Index.of.aerial.photographs.for.the.northern.half.of.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.......... 22<br />
Figure.7....Index.of.aerial.photographs.for.the.southern.half.of.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.......... 24<br />
Figure.8....Location.of.photointerpreters’.observation.points.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.......... 25<br />
Figure.9....Base.map.classes.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park................................................................. 28<br />
Figure.10...Location.of.662.accuracy.assessment.points.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.observed...............<br />
in.2006........................................................................................................................................ 37<br />
Figure.11...An.example.of.New.Mexico.Saltbush./.Galleta.–.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrub.Herbaceous.Veg-..............<br />
etation.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park................................................................................. 43<br />
Figure.12...An.example.of.Four-wing.Saltbush./.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.at.Petrified.Forest.National...............<br />
Park.. ......................................................................................................................................... 43<br />
Figure.13...An.example.of.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.at.Petrified.Forest.................<br />
National.Park............................................................................................................................. 44<br />
Figure.14...An.example.of.Barren.Badl<strong>and</strong>s.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park........................................ 44<br />
Figure.15...An.example.of.S<strong>and</strong>sage.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.at.Petrified.Forest.National.................<br />
Park.. ......................................................................................................................................... 44<br />
Figure.16...An.example.of.Arizona.Siltbush.Sparse.Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.at.Petrified....................<br />
Forest.National.Park................................................................................................................. 45<br />
Figure.17...An.example.of.the.base.map.class.Torrey’s.Jointfir.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.–.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush...........<br />
Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park............................................................. 45<br />
Figure.18...Group.map.classes.for.Petrified.Forest.National.Park........................................................... 47<br />
Figure.19...Macrogroup.map.classes.for.Petrified.Forest.National.Park................................................. 52<br />
Figure.20...Management.map.classes.for.Petrified.Forest.National.Park............................................... 55<br />
iv
Contents<br />
Tables<br />
Table.1...Terminology.used.to.describe.vegetation.<strong>and</strong>.map.classes.at.Petrified.Forest.National.............<br />
Park................................................................................................................................................. 2<br />
Table.2...The.National.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<strong>Classification</strong>.System,.version.2,.with.definitions.<strong>and</strong>.examples....... 2<br />
Table.3...Categories.of.environmental.variables.used.to.identify.unique.biophysical.units.to.sample..........<br />
at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park................................................................................................. 13<br />
Table.4...Summary.of.data.collected.within.2003.classification.relevés................................................... 14<br />
Table.4...Plant.communities.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.<strong>and</strong>.sources.of.supporting.field.docu-.......<br />
mentation..................................................................................................................................... 19<br />
Table.6...Modifiers.applied.to.map.classes.to.further.characterize.the.vegetation.of.each.map.unit...26<br />
Table.7...Base.map.classes.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.<strong>and</strong>.the.plant.communities.or.l<strong>and</strong>.cover...........<br />
/l<strong>and</strong>.use.types.they.represent.................................................................................................... 30<br />
Table.8...Base.map.classes.at.Petrified.Forest.National.Park.occurring.in.polygons.smaller.than.the..........<br />
minimum.mapping.unit.size........................................................................................................ 31<br />
Table.9...Sampling.design.scenarios.used.to.determine.the.target.number.of.field.accuracy.assess-........<br />
ment.observation.sites................................................................................................................. 34<br />
Table.10..Summary.of.data.collected.within.2006.accuracy.assessment.observation.sites..................... 35<br />
Table.11..Terminology.used.for.accuracy.assessment.data.collection.<strong>and</strong>.analysis.at.Petrified.Forest.........<br />
National.Park................................................................................................................................ 36<br />
Table.12..Accuracy.statistics.for.the.base.map.classes................................................................................ 38<br />
Table.13..Base.map.class.summary.statistics............................................................................................... 40<br />
Table.14..Cross-walk.of.group.map.classes.<strong>and</strong>.base.map.classes............................................................. 42<br />
Table.15..Accuracy.statistics.for.the.group.map.classes............................................................................. 45<br />
Table.16..Summary.statistics.for.group.map.classes................................................................................... 46<br />
Table.17..Cross-walk.of.macrogroup.map.classes.to.base.map.classes..................................................... 49<br />
Table.18..Accuracy.statistics.for.macrogroup.map.class............................................................................. 50<br />
Table.19..Summary.statistics.for.macrogroup.map.classes........................................................................ 51<br />
Table.20..Cross-walk.of.management.to.base.map.classes........................................................................ 53<br />
Table.21..Accuracy.assessment.statistics.for.management.map.classes.................................................... 54<br />
Table.22..Summary.statistics.for.management.map.classes....................................................................... 56<br />
v
Acronyms <strong>and</strong> Abbreviations<br />
AA<br />
ac<br />
APFO<br />
BLM<br />
BOR<br />
Accuracy assessment<br />
acres<br />
Aerial Photography Field Office<br />
United States Bureau of L<strong>and</strong> Management<br />
Bureau of Reclamation<br />
CEGL<br />
CIR<br />
cm<br />
DEM<br />
DOQQ<br />
Community Element Code – Global<br />
color infrared<br />
centimeter<br />
Digital Elevation Model<br />
Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangle<br />
DVD<br />
ECW<br />
ESRI<br />
FGDC<br />
ft<br />
Digital Video Disk<br />
Enhanced Compressed Wavelet<br />
Environmental Systems Research Institute<br />
Federal Geographic Data Committee<br />
foot/feet<br />
GB<br />
GCP<br />
GIS<br />
GISSAL<br />
GPS<br />
gigabytes<br />
Ground Control Point<br />
Geographic Information System<br />
Geographic Information Systems Spatial Analysis Laboratory<br />
Global Positioning System<br />
ha<br />
I&M<br />
in<br />
ISA<br />
ITIS<br />
hectares<br />
Inventory <strong>and</strong> Monitoring Program<br />
inch<br />
Indicator Species Analysis<br />
Integrated Taxonomic Information System<br />
km<br />
KSU<br />
m<br />
mi<br />
.mdb<br />
kilometer<br />
Kansas State University<br />
meters<br />
miles<br />
Microsoft Access file format<br />
MMU Minimum <strong>Mapping</strong> Unit<br />
MRPP Multiple Response Permutation Procedure<br />
n.d. no date<br />
NA not applicable<br />
NAD83 North American Datum of 1983<br />
NAU<br />
Northern Arizona University<br />
vii
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Acronyms <strong>and</strong> Abbreviations continued<br />
NBII<br />
NED<br />
NMS<br />
NP<br />
NPS<br />
National Biological Information Infrastructure<br />
National Elevation Dataset<br />
Non-metric Multi-dimensional Scaling<br />
National Park<br />
National Park Service<br />
NS<br />
NVCS<br />
NVC<br />
.pdf<br />
PEFO<br />
not sampled<br />
National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong><br />
Adobe Portable Document Format<br />
Petrified Forest National Park<br />
RMGSC<br />
SCPN<br />
SBSC<br />
spp<br />
TIF<br />
Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center<br />
Southern Colorado Park Network<br />
Southwest Biological Science Center<br />
Species (plural)<br />
Tagged Image Format<br />
TNC<br />
TSN<br />
UNESCO<br />
USDA<br />
<strong>USGS</strong><br />
The Nature Conservancy<br />
Taxonomic Serial Number<br />
United Nations Education, Science, <strong>and</strong> Cultural Organization<br />
U.S. Department of Agriculture<br />
United States Geological Survey<br />
UTM<br />
VMP<br />
.xls<br />
Universal Transverse Mercator<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />
Microsoft Excel file format<br />
viii
Executive Summary<br />
The classification <strong>and</strong> distribution<br />
mapping of the vegetation of Petrified<br />
Forest National Park (PEFO) <strong>and</strong><br />
surrounding environment was completed<br />
through a multi-agency effort between<br />
2003 <strong>and</strong> 2007. The National Park<br />
Service’s Southern Colorado Plateau<br />
Network facilitated the team that<br />
conducted the work, which comprised<br />
the U.S. Geological Survey’s Southwest<br />
Biological Science Center, Kansas State<br />
University, Northern Arizona University,<br />
<strong>and</strong> NatureServe.<br />
The project team described 39 plant<br />
communities for PEFO; 38 of which were<br />
described from quantitative classification<br />
based on field-relevé data collected in 1996<br />
<strong>and</strong> 2003. The team derived one additional<br />
plant community from field observations<br />
during the photointerpretation phase<br />
of the project <strong>and</strong> field documented it<br />
during accuracy assessment. The National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard served<br />
as a conceptual framework for assigning<br />
these plant communities to the alliance<br />
<strong>and</strong> association level. Seven of the thirtynine<br />
plant communities were designated<br />
“park specials”; that is, plant communities<br />
with insuffcient data to describe them as<br />
new alliances or associations.<br />
The project team also developed a spatial<br />
vegetation map database representing<br />
PEFO, with four different map-class<br />
schemas: base, group, macrogroup,<br />
<strong>and</strong> management map classes. The<br />
base map classes represented the finest<br />
level of spatial detail. Initial polygons<br />
were through manual interpretation<br />
of 2003/2004 1:6,000 true color<br />
aerial photography supplemented by<br />
occassional computer screen digitizing on<br />
a mosaic of digitized aerial photos. These<br />
polygons were labeled with base map<br />
classes during photointerpretation. Field<br />
visits verified interpretation concepts.<br />
The vegetation map database includes<br />
● 46 base map classes, which consist of<br />
associations <strong>and</strong> park specials classified<br />
with the quantitative analysis<br />
● one additional association noted during<br />
photointerpretation<br />
● non-vegetated l<strong>and</strong> cover, such as infrastructure,<br />
l<strong>and</strong> use, <strong>and</strong> geological l<strong>and</strong><br />
cover.<br />
The base map classes consist of 6,989<br />
polygons in the project area. A field-based<br />
accuracy assessment of the base map<br />
classes showed the overall accuracy to be<br />
40.6%.<br />
The group map classes represent<br />
aggregations of the base map classes,<br />
approximating the group level of the<br />
National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong><br />
St<strong>and</strong>ard (NVCS), version 2 (Federal<br />
Geographic Data Committee 2008).<br />
Terrestrial ecological systems, as described<br />
by NatureServe (Comer et al. 2003),<br />
were used as a first approximation of the<br />
group level. The project team identified<br />
15 group map classes for this project. The<br />
overall accuracy of the group map classes<br />
was determined using the same accuracy<br />
assessment data as for the base map<br />
classes. The overall accuracy of the group<br />
representation of vegetation was 55.7%.<br />
The next higher level of the NVCS, the<br />
macrogroup, was also used to develop<br />
a map class schema. The project team<br />
identified 13 macrogroup map classes.<br />
The overall accuracy of the macro group<br />
representation of vegetation was 73.5%.<br />
In consultation with park staff, the team<br />
developed management map classes,<br />
consisting of park-defined groupings of<br />
base map classes intended to represent<br />
a balance between maintaining required<br />
accuracy <strong>and</strong> providing a focus on<br />
vegetation of particular interest or import<br />
to park managers. The 24 management<br />
map classes had an overall accuracy of<br />
68.6%.<br />
While the main products of this project<br />
are the vegetation classification <strong>and</strong> the<br />
vegetation map databases, a number of<br />
ix
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
ancillary digital geographic information<br />
system <strong>and</strong> database products were also<br />
produced <strong>and</strong> can be used independently,<br />
or to augment the main products. These<br />
products include shapefiles of the location<br />
of field-collected data <strong>and</strong> relational<br />
databases of field-collected data.<br />
x
Acknowledgments<br />
Behind the authors of this report are the U.S. Geological Survey (<strong>USGS</strong>), National Park Service<br />
(NPS), Northern Arizona University (NAU), <strong>and</strong> Kansas State University affliates that were<br />
responsible for much of the project’s execution. The project team thanks the NAU classification<br />
field crew—Josh Lambert <strong>and</strong> Steve Till—<strong>and</strong> accuracy assessment field crew Jessica Fisher, Kyle<br />
Christie, Scott Stollery, Kelsey Johnson, Christina Bille, Meredith Jabis, <strong>and</strong> Meghan Pope for their<br />
hard work in the field. Heather Folger, Stacy McKnight, <strong>and</strong> Lakhbir Kaur from NAU provided data<br />
entry <strong>and</strong> quality control. Jonathan Donaldson provided important background research for the<br />
plant community descriptions. Terry Arundel, Jered Hansen, <strong>and</strong> Mike Gishey provided technical<br />
support to the <strong>USGS</strong> Southwest Biological Science team. Jason Sweet, Clancy Jensen, Katie Franke,<br />
Joseph Grasela, <strong>and</strong> Tammy Johnson provided digital data layer development, image processing<br />
<strong>and</strong> cartographic support from the Geographic Information Systems Spatial Analysis Laboratory<br />
(GISSAL) in the Department of Geography at Kansas State University. Patty Guertin of the <strong>USGS</strong><br />
provided invaluable support during the compilation <strong>and</strong> publishing of the final products.<br />
Logistical <strong>and</strong> administrative support was provided by Mark Sogge, Linda Lasley, <strong>and</strong> John D.<br />
Kite, Sparrow Adson, <strong>and</strong> Wendy Parrish of the Southwest Biological Science Center; Marie<br />
Saul <strong>and</strong> Cindy Judge of NAU; <strong>and</strong> Leslie Holl<strong>and</strong>-Bartels <strong>and</strong> Carl Markon of the <strong>USGS</strong> Alaska<br />
Science Center. The team particularly thanks the staff of the Alaska Science Center for housing <strong>and</strong><br />
providing logistical support for M. McTeague during the last part of the project.<br />
Karen Beppler-Dorn, Chuck Dorn, <strong>and</strong> Pat Thompson at Petrified Forest National Park provided<br />
housing, critical logistical support, water drops for backcountry support, vehicle use for the<br />
classification field teams, <strong>and</strong> guidance to the project. The NPS Southern Colorado Plateau<br />
Network, through coordinator Lisa Thomas, provided funding support <strong>and</strong> information technology<br />
specialist Nicole Tancreto helped with spatial data acquisition. Tom Forsyth <strong>and</strong> Lynelle Wright at<br />
the Intermountain Region assisted with contract development. The <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
Program national offce, through support from Karl Brown, Tammy Hamer, Chris Lea, <strong>and</strong> Mike<br />
Story, provided the project team with critical financial <strong>and</strong> programmatic support.<br />
Cindy Sessions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Aerial Photography Field Offce assisted with<br />
the acquisition of aerial photography for the project.<br />
The project team was permitted access to some sites in the park <strong>and</strong> in the project boundaries by<br />
several l<strong>and</strong>owners <strong>and</strong> agencies.<br />
The project also benefited from the critical review of the report <strong>and</strong> digital products by Janet Coles<br />
of the Northern Colorado Plateau Network <strong>and</strong> Sam Drake of the University of Arizona.<br />
The project team is extremely grateful for the help, advice, <strong>and</strong> assistance provided to the project by<br />
all these people <strong>and</strong> their respective institutions.<br />
xi
1 Introduction<br />
1.1 Background<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> is a primary resource of natural<br />
areas, <strong>and</strong> description of vegetation<br />
composition, structure, <strong>and</strong> distribution is<br />
fundamental to effective l<strong>and</strong> management.<br />
The term “vegetation” encompasses<br />
plants at multiple scales, from the most<br />
refined floristic levels (referred to as<br />
“plant communities” in this report) to<br />
the broadest physiognomic or life-form<br />
levels. This report describes the methods<br />
used <strong>and</strong> results obtained from a four-year<br />
project (2003-2007) to classify, describe,<br />
<strong>and</strong> develop a vegetation map database for<br />
Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO).<br />
The National Park Service’s (NPS)<br />
Southern Colorado Plateau Network<br />
(SCPN), part of the service-wide<br />
Inventory <strong>and</strong> Monitoring (I&M)<br />
Program, organized <strong>and</strong> coordinated<br />
vegetation classification, description,<br />
<strong>and</strong> mapping at PEFO. For PEFO as well<br />
as its other 18 network parks, the SCPN<br />
needed baseline vegetation data upon<br />
which to develop <strong>and</strong> implement specific<br />
monitoring programs. Park managers<br />
needed baseline data <strong>and</strong> information on<br />
park resources for management purposes.<br />
In addition to the NPS, the project<br />
team included members from the U.S.<br />
Geological Survey (<strong>USGS</strong>) Southwest<br />
Biological Science Center (SBSC),<br />
Department of Geography at Kansas<br />
State University (KSU), Northern Arizona<br />
University (NAU), <strong>and</strong> NatureServe. The<br />
<strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />
partially funded the project, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
project team used the <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
Program’s programmatic st<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />
1.2 Scope <strong>and</strong> Products<br />
The scope of this project was Petrified<br />
Forest National Park <strong>and</strong> its environs,<br />
consisting of an approximately 1-km buffer<br />
around the 2003 park boundary. The total<br />
project area was 53,201 ha (131,463 ac);<br />
l<strong>and</strong>s within the park boundary comprised<br />
38,057 ha (94,042 ac) or 71.5% of the<br />
project area.<br />
A major goal of the project was to identify<br />
<strong>and</strong> classify plant communities at the park,<br />
based on field-collected vegetation data<br />
<strong>and</strong>, to a lesser extent, observations made<br />
during fieldwork conducted in association<br />
with photointerpretation. First, the<br />
project team identified <strong>and</strong> quantitatively<br />
described plant communities using the<br />
National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> System<br />
(NVCS) as a classification framework.<br />
The term “plant communities” refers<br />
to the finest floristic levels of the NVCS<br />
(associations <strong>and</strong> alliances) <strong>and</strong> to park<br />
specials (i.e. plant communities with<br />
insuffcient data to describe them as new<br />
alliances or associations) for some st<strong>and</strong>s<br />
(table 1).<br />
Second, the team created a spatial database<br />
(the vegetation map database)<br />
documenting the park’s vegetation <strong>and</strong><br />
l<strong>and</strong> cover. The vegetation map database<br />
represents four map class schemas (table<br />
1):<br />
1. the “base” map class, the finest level of<br />
floristic detail that could be mapped<br />
2. the “group” map class, a physiognomicfloristic<br />
view of the vegetation<br />
3. the “management” map class, park-defined<br />
groupings of base map classes to<br />
represent a balance between required<br />
accuracy <strong>and</strong> maintaining map classes<br />
of management concern<br />
4. the “macrogroup” map class, aggregation<br />
of group map classes to represent<br />
the next higher level of the NVCS<br />
hierarchy<br />
Finally, we assessed each map-class<br />
schema for accuracy. The base, group,<br />
<strong>and</strong> macrogroup map classes were not<br />
changed, but the management map classes<br />
were refined following a meeting with park<br />
resource staff.<br />
This report <strong>and</strong> its appendices document<br />
the methods, results, <strong>and</strong> findings for<br />
the PEFO vegetation characterization<br />
<strong>and</strong> mapping project. The project has<br />
1
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 1. Terminology used to describe vegetation <strong>and</strong> map classes at Petrified Forest National<br />
Park.<br />
Terminology Definition Derivation<br />
Plant communities<br />
Base map class<br />
Group map class<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Management map class<br />
Associations, alliances, <strong>and</strong> park<br />
specials<br />
Individual plant communities or<br />
groupings of plant communities<br />
Groupings of base map classes that<br />
reflect physiognomy <strong>and</strong> floristics<br />
Groupings of base map classes that<br />
reflect physiognomy <strong>and</strong> floristics<br />
Groupings of base map classes that<br />
reflect management interests<br />
Field relevés or observations<br />
Photointerpretation<br />
Based on ecological systems<br />
Aggregations of group map classes<br />
Park defined<br />
2<br />
also produced a number of interrelated<br />
products that are available on a DVD that<br />
accompanies the hard-copy report, or<br />
on the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
Program web site (http://biology.usgs.<br />
gov/npsveg/). A full listing of project<br />
deliverables, their availability, file name,<br />
<strong>and</strong> format appears in Appendix A.<br />
1.3 The <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />
The <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
Program is a cooperative project<br />
between the <strong>USGS</strong> <strong>and</strong> the NPS whose<br />
purpose is to classify, describe, <strong>and</strong> map<br />
vegetation in more than 270 national<br />
park units in the United States 1 . The<br />
<strong>USGS</strong> Center for Biological Informatics<br />
administers the program in cooperation<br />
with the NPS Inventory <strong>and</strong> Monitoring<br />
Program. Through implementation of<br />
the NPS Natural Resource Challenge<br />
(National Park Service 1999) significant<br />
funding became available for completing<br />
important natural resource baseline<br />
inventories in park units, including<br />
vegetation classification <strong>and</strong> mapping.<br />
This support made it possible for the<br />
NPS to move forward with dozens of new<br />
park unit vegetation classification <strong>and</strong><br />
mapping projects.<br />
The <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />
(VMP) supports consistent vegetation<br />
classification, mapping, <strong>and</strong> accuracy<br />
assessment protocols <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ards across<br />
all park-mapping projects. The program<br />
has established guidance for all vegetation<br />
mapping projects in four documents:<br />
● St<strong>and</strong>ardized National <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
System (The Nature Conservancy <strong>and</strong><br />
Environmental Systems Research Institute<br />
1994a)<br />
● Methodology for Assessing the Utility<br />
of Existing Data for <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
(The Nature Conservancy <strong>and</strong> Environmental<br />
Systems Research Institute<br />
1996)<br />
● Field Methods for <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
(The Nature Conservancy <strong>and</strong> Environmental<br />
Systems Research Institute<br />
1994b)<br />
● Accuracy Assessment Procedures (Environmental<br />
Systems Research Institute<br />
et al.1994)<br />
In addition, the program follows<br />
national st<strong>and</strong>ards for all park vegetation<br />
classification <strong>and</strong> mapping projects:<br />
● <strong>Vegetation</strong> classification follows the<br />
Federal Geographic Data Committee<br />
(FGDC) st<strong>and</strong>ards for vegetation classification<br />
<strong>and</strong> the National <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
1<br />
Language for the sections on the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard (NVCS).<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program, National <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
● Spatial data formatting follows the<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard, <strong>and</strong> Federal Geographic Data<br />
Committee was modified from von Loh <strong>and</strong> others FGDC st<strong>and</strong>ards for spatial data<br />
(2006). transfer.
Introduction<br />
● Metadata for each spatial dataset follows<br />
the FGDC metadata st<strong>and</strong>ard.<br />
● Spatial data is provided with a horizontal<br />
positional accuracy that meets<br />
National Map Accuracy St<strong>and</strong>ards at<br />
the 1:24,000 scale; each well-defined<br />
object within the spatial database is<br />
within 1/50 of an inch display scale or<br />
12.2 meters (40 ft) of its actual location.<br />
● All plant names used in the classification<br />
are consistent with the Integrated<br />
Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).<br />
● Each vegetated map class will meet or<br />
exceed 80% accuracy at the 90% confidence<br />
level.<br />
● The minimum mapping unit (MMU) is<br />
0.5 ha (1.24 ac).<br />
1.4 The National <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
Patterns of vegetation vary continuously<br />
over l<strong>and</strong>scapes. <strong>Classification</strong> systems<br />
attempt to categorize those patterns by<br />
identifying <strong>and</strong> describing assemblages of<br />
plants that repeat in similar habitats. The<br />
NVCS provides a classification framework<br />
that is the st<strong>and</strong>ard for all NPS vegetation<br />
mapping projects (Comer et al. 2003, The<br />
Nature Conservancy, <strong>and</strong> Environmental<br />
Systems Research Institute 1994a). In<br />
1997, the FGDC formally adopted the<br />
NVCS Version 1 (Federal Geographic Data<br />
Committee 1997). During the course of the<br />
project, Version 2 of the NVCS (Federal<br />
Geographic Data Committee 2008) was<br />
approved, but it was not used in this<br />
project as the vegetation classification<br />
units were still under development.<br />
Not to be confused with the National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> (NVC) described<br />
below, the NVCS refers to the framework<br />
<strong>and</strong> rules of classification <strong>and</strong> evolved<br />
from vegetation classification work<br />
conducted over more than two decades<br />
by The Nature Conservancy (TNC),<br />
NatureServe, <strong>and</strong> the Natural Heritage<br />
Program network (Grossman et al. 1998).<br />
It derives in part from earlier vegetation<br />
classification schemes produced by the<br />
United Nations Educational, Cultural,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Scientific Organization (UNESCO)<br />
(UNESCO 1973, Driscoll et al. 1984).<br />
Use of this st<strong>and</strong>ardized classification<br />
system helps ensure data compatibility<br />
throughout the National Park Service <strong>and</strong><br />
other agencies.<br />
The NVCS is a hierarchical system that<br />
allows vegetation classification to occur<br />
at multiple scales. In Version 1, there<br />
are seven levels: the upper five are based<br />
on the physiognomic characteristics of<br />
vegetation, <strong>and</strong> the lower two are based<br />
on the floristic characteristics of the plant<br />
community. Version 2 (Federal Geographic<br />
Data Committee 2008) has eight levels<br />
(table 2). The upper three levels (which<br />
are a reorganization of the five upper<br />
physiognomic levels from Version 1)<br />
indicate physiognomic characteristics<br />
that reflect geographically widespread<br />
(global) topographic <strong>and</strong> edaphic factors.<br />
The middle three levels, which are new<br />
to the NVCS hierarchy, focus on largely<br />
biogeographic <strong>and</strong> habitat factors along<br />
very broad regional-to-continental<br />
topographic, edaphic, <strong>and</strong> disturbance<br />
gradients. The lower two levels—alliance<br />
<strong>and</strong> association—are used in the park<br />
mapping project <strong>and</strong> are the same in<br />
both Version 1 <strong>and</strong> Version 2, with some<br />
changes to Version 2 alliances expected.<br />
Because the Group level in NVCS,<br />
Version 2 was still under development,<br />
NatureServe Ecological Systems were<br />
used to approximate the group level for<br />
the PEFO group map classes.<br />
The NVCS provides a framework for levels<br />
of classification, but it does not provide<br />
descriptions of the vegetation types at all<br />
levels. The classification maintained by<br />
NatureServe <strong>and</strong> used by many federal<br />
agencies (including the NPS) is the NVC.<br />
The NVC includes the plant communities<br />
(associations <strong>and</strong> alliances) identified<br />
<strong>and</strong> described in the United States. Work<br />
conducted primarily by TNC through<br />
1999 provided initial definitions of plant<br />
communities at each level. NatureServe<br />
3
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 2. The National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> System, Version 2, with definitions <strong>and</strong> examples. 1<br />
Level Level name Primary basis for classification Example<br />
Upper<br />
Level 1<br />
Upper<br />
Level 2<br />
Upper<br />
Level 3<br />
Mid<br />
Level 4<br />
Mid<br />
Level 5<br />
Mid<br />
Level 6<br />
Lower<br />
Level 7<br />
Lower<br />
Level 8<br />
Formation<br />
Class<br />
Formation<br />
Subclass<br />
Formation<br />
Division<br />
Macrogroup<br />
Group<br />
Alliance<br />
Association<br />
1<br />
Adopted from Federal Geographic Data Committee (2008)<br />
Defined by broad combinations of dominant general growth forms adapted to<br />
basic moisture, temperature, <strong>and</strong>/or substrate or aquatic conditions.<br />
Defined by combinations of general dominant <strong>and</strong> diagnostic growth forms<br />
that reflect global macroclimatic factors driven primarily by latitude <strong>and</strong> continental<br />
position, or that reflect overriding substrate or aquatic conditions.<br />
Defined by combinations of dominant <strong>and</strong> diagnostic growth forms that reflect<br />
global macroclimatic conditions as modified by altitude, seasonality of precipitation,<br />
substrates, <strong>and</strong> hydrologic conditions.<br />
Defined by combinations of dominant <strong>and</strong> diagnostic growth forms <strong>and</strong> a<br />
broad set of diagnostic plant taxa that reflect biogeographic differences in<br />
composition <strong>and</strong> continental differences in mesoclimate, geology, substrates,<br />
hydrology, <strong>and</strong> disturbance regimes.<br />
Defined by combinations of moderate sets of diagnostic plant species <strong>and</strong><br />
diagnostic growth forms that reflect biogeographic differences in composition<br />
<strong>and</strong> sub-continental to regional differences in mesoclimate, geology, substrates,<br />
hydrology, <strong>and</strong> disturbance regimes.<br />
Defined by combinations of relatively narrow sets of diagnostic plant species<br />
(including dominants <strong>and</strong> co-dominants), broadly similar composition, <strong>and</strong><br />
diagnostic growth forms that reflect biogeographic differences in mesoclimate,<br />
geology, substrates, hydrology, <strong>and</strong> disturbance regimes.<br />
Defined by characteristic range of species composition, habitat conditions,<br />
physiognomy, <strong>and</strong> diagnostic species, typically at least one of which is found<br />
in the uppermost or dominant stratum of the vegetation. They reflect regional<br />
to subregional climate, substrates, hydrology, moisture/nutrient factors, <strong>and</strong><br />
disturbance regimes.<br />
Defined on the basis of a characteristic range of species composition, diagnostic<br />
species occurrence, habitat conditions <strong>and</strong> physiognomy. They reflect topoedaphic<br />
climate, substrates, hydrology, <strong>and</strong> disturbance regimes.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Temperate <strong>and</strong> boreal<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Temperate shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
North American great<br />
plains grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Great Plains tall grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Great Plains mesic<br />
tallgrass prairie<br />
Wet-mesic tallgrass<br />
prairie<br />
Central wet-mesic<br />
tallgrass prairie<br />
4<br />
inherited that documentation when<br />
it branched from TNC. NatureServe<br />
manages <strong>and</strong> continues to develop the<br />
database of NVC plant community entities.<br />
Their online database, NatureServe<br />
Explorer (http://www.natureserve.org/<br />
explorer/), provides public access to<br />
regularly updated versions of the NVC<br />
plant community listings <strong>and</strong> descriptions.<br />
NatureServe’s documentation of alliances<br />
<strong>and</strong> associations is the most accessible<br />
listing currently available. However, the<br />
plant community listings within the NVC<br />
are not complete, <strong>and</strong> projects such as the<br />
one described in this report constantly add<br />
to the documentation <strong>and</strong> listing of NVC<br />
types.<br />
1.4.1. Alliances <strong>and</strong> Associations<br />
Alliances <strong>and</strong> associations are based on<br />
both the co-dominant (greatest-canopycover)<br />
species in the upper strata of a<br />
st<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> on diagnostic species—those<br />
consistently found in some l<strong>and</strong>-cover<br />
types, but not others. Associations are<br />
the most specific classification <strong>and</strong> are<br />
hierarchically subsumed in alliances.<br />
Typically, each association is included in<br />
only one alliance, while each alliance may<br />
include many associations. Alliance names<br />
are generally based on the dominant/<br />
diagnostic species in the uppermost<br />
stratum of the vegetation, though up to<br />
four species may be used, if necessary,<br />
to define the type. Associations define<br />
distinct plant compositions that repeat<br />
across the l<strong>and</strong>scape <strong>and</strong> are generally<br />
named using both the dominant species in
Introduction<br />
the uppermost stratum of the vegetation<br />
<strong>and</strong> one or more dominant species in<br />
lower strata (or a diagnostic species<br />
in any stratum). Documentation from<br />
NatureServe Explorer (2009) describes<br />
the naming conventions <strong>and</strong> syntax for all<br />
NVC names:<br />
● A hypen with a space on either side (-)<br />
separates names of species occurring in<br />
the same stratum.<br />
● A slash with a space on either side (/)<br />
separates names of species occurring in<br />
different strata.<br />
● Species that occur in the uppermost<br />
stratum are listed first, followed successively<br />
by those in lower strata. Order<br />
of species names generally reflects<br />
decreasing levels of dominance, constancy,<br />
or indicator value. Parentheses<br />
around a species name indicates the<br />
species is less consistently found either<br />
in all associations of an alliance, or in<br />
all occurrences of an association.<br />
● Association names include the dominant<br />
species of the significant strata,<br />
followed by the class in which they<br />
are classified (e.g., Forest, Woodl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
or Herbaceous). Alliance names also<br />
include the class in which they are classified<br />
(e.g. Forest, Woodl<strong>and</strong>, or Herbaceous),<br />
but are followed by the word<br />
“Alliance” to distinguish them from<br />
associations.<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards (http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards.html) or Grossman et al. (1998).<br />
1.4.2. Ecological Systems<br />
<strong>Classification</strong><br />
In addition to the NVC, NatureServe has<br />
created a st<strong>and</strong>ardized Ecological Systems<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> for describing sites, based<br />
on both vegetation <strong>and</strong> the ecological<br />
processes that drive it. Ecological systems<br />
are mid-scale biological communities that<br />
occur in similar physical environments<br />
<strong>and</strong> are influenced by similar dynamic<br />
ecological processes, such as fire or<br />
flooding. They are not conceptually a<br />
unit within the NVCS, but are rather a<br />
vegetation-mapping concept. However,<br />
NVC associations occur with ecological<br />
systems. An association may occur in any<br />
number of ecological systems, limited<br />
only by the range of ecological settings in<br />
which that association occurs. Ecological<br />
systems are broad-scale <strong>and</strong> can embody<br />
any number of highly specific associations<br />
found in a particular setting.<br />
1.5 Park Environment<br />
Petrified Forest National Park, part of the<br />
The species nomenclature for all alliances<br />
<strong>and</strong> associations follows Kartesz (1999).<br />
Examples of association names from<br />
PEFO:<br />
Artemisia fililolia / Bouteloua<br />
eriopoda Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Purshia stansburiana – Eriogonum<br />
corymbosum Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Examples of alliance names from PEFO:<br />
Artemisia filifolia Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance<br />
Purshia (stansburiana, mexicana)<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance<br />
For more information on the NVC, see the<br />
<strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />
Figure 1. Location of Petrified Forest National Park<br />
in Arizona.<br />
5
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
6<br />
Figure 2. Petrified Forest National Park, project environs, <strong>and</strong> locations of places named in this report <strong>and</strong> its appendices.
Introduction<br />
plateau country of the ‘four-corners’<br />
area of the Colorado Plateau, is located<br />
east of Holbrook in northeastern<br />
Arizona. The park is hourglass-shaped<br />
<strong>and</strong> approximately 40 km (24 mi) long<br />
(fig. 1). Topographic relief within the<br />
park is not extreme (1620 m to 1890 m,<br />
or around 5,273 ft to 6,152 ft), with the<br />
major elevation changes occurring where<br />
various mesas within the park drop to<br />
surrounding plateau l<strong>and</strong>s. The Puerco<br />
River bisects the park at the midpoint (fig.<br />
2). Interstate 40 intersects the park in the<br />
northern section. The Petrified Forest<br />
Road runs the length of the park <strong>and</strong><br />
connects the northern park headquarters<br />
<strong>and</strong> the southern park museum. Two areas<br />
at PEFO, approximately 50% of the park,<br />
are designated wilderness: a northern<br />
wilderness unit located in the Painted<br />
Desert <strong>and</strong> a southern unit located in the<br />
Rainbow Forest area (Thomas et al. 2006).<br />
The project area includes the entire park<br />
<strong>and</strong> a buffer (park environs) of 1 km<br />
(0.6 mi). These park environs include<br />
l<strong>and</strong>s owned by private cattle ranchers,<br />
state l<strong>and</strong>s with cattle allotments, <strong>and</strong><br />
Navajo Nation tribal l<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> consist<br />
of approximately 15,144 ha (about 37,421<br />
ac). The entire study area is 53,201 ha or<br />
around 131,463 ac.<br />
1.5.1 Park Establishment<br />
Theodore Roosevelt established Petrified<br />
Forest National Park as a national<br />
monument in 1906. His Presidential<br />
Proclamation (34 Stat. 3266) states:<br />
“. . . whereas, the mineralized<br />
remains of Mesozoic forests,<br />
commonly known as the ‘Petrified<br />
Forest’ . . . are among the greatest<br />
of scientific interest <strong>and</strong> value <strong>and</strong><br />
it appears that the public good<br />
would be promoted by preserving<br />
these deposits . . . with as much<br />
l<strong>and</strong> as may be necessary for proper<br />
protection thereof.”<br />
The park contains one of the largest<br />
concentrations of petrified wood in the<br />
world, as well as abundant plant <strong>and</strong><br />
animal fossils from the 225 million yearold<br />
Chinle Formation (NPS 2004, Thomas<br />
et al. 2006). Subsequent proclamations<br />
<strong>and</strong> acts of Congress exp<strong>and</strong>ed the park<br />
to include cultural as well as natural<br />
resources. PEFO gained national park<br />
status in 1962 (72 Stat. 69) <strong>and</strong> portions<br />
of the park (20,340 ha or 52,070 ac) were<br />
designated as wilderness in 1970 (84<br />
Stat. 1105). The boundaries of the park<br />
now encompass a variety of significant<br />
natural <strong>and</strong> cultural resources, including<br />
some of the most valuable <strong>and</strong> accessible<br />
paleontological resources in the world<br />
(NPS 2004).<br />
1.5.2 Pre-park History<br />
According to the most reliable<br />
information, human occupation of the<br />
Southwest began after the end of the<br />
Pleistocene, about 10,000-15,000 years ago<br />
(Cordell 1997). The earliest inhabitants<br />
of the southwestern region, called<br />
Paleo-Indians, hunted large animals like<br />
mammoth <strong>and</strong> bison <strong>and</strong> left evidence<br />
of their presence in the form of hearths,<br />
tools, <strong>and</strong> sometimes bones at kill <strong>and</strong><br />
butchering sites. Although no campsites<br />
or bone concentrations have been found,<br />
Folsom-style projectile points with their<br />
distinctive, fluted (grooved) form have<br />
been found in the park, suggesting that the<br />
areas that are now park l<strong>and</strong>s were at least<br />
occasionally occupied during this period<br />
(Thomas et al. 2003).<br />
During the decline <strong>and</strong> extinction of the<br />
Pleistocene megafauna after around 10,000<br />
BC, people most likely relied increasingly<br />
on plant resources for survival. During the<br />
Archaic period, from about 6000 BC to<br />
around 300 AD, plant resources probably<br />
became an increasingly important part<br />
of the subsistence base in the Southwest.<br />
Sometime around 1000 BC, people in<br />
what is now the southwestern region of<br />
the United States became more sedentary<br />
<strong>and</strong> began to cultivate domesticated plant<br />
species (Cordell 1997). Crop plants like<br />
corn <strong>and</strong> squash developed in Mexico.<br />
During the time of the Archaic culture,<br />
7
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
human occupants of the park area left<br />
basin metates (grinding stones) <strong>and</strong><br />
tools typical of the period in campsites<br />
on mesatops throughout the park. The<br />
transitional nature of the late Archaic<br />
to more sedentary lifestyle <strong>and</strong> the use<br />
of domesticated plants are indicated by<br />
the presence of charred corn kernels<br />
associated with one site (Thomas et al.<br />
2003).<br />
The development of permanent<br />
settlements probably began around 200<br />
AD (Cordell 1997). The first dwellings of<br />
the Basketmaker II/III Period (300 AD –<br />
800 AD) were usually semi-subterranean<br />
pithouses in small clusters or villages.<br />
These types of structures, along with<br />
stone-lined storage cists, pottery, baskets,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the remains of cultivars, are found<br />
within the park boundaries (Thomas et<br />
al. 2003, NPS 2004, http://www.nps.gov/<br />
pefo).<br />
Over time, permanent surface dwellings<br />
were constructed, populations of the<br />
Basketmaker III <strong>and</strong> Pueblo I Period, from<br />
around 800 AD to around 950 AD, became<br />
ever more substantial, <strong>and</strong> there was<br />
greater aggregation of human populations<br />
(Cordell 1997). At PEFO, most sites of<br />
this period occur on the bluff overlooking<br />
Dead Wash <strong>and</strong> Puerco River, <strong>and</strong> in the<br />
Dry Wash basin <strong>and</strong> near the southern<br />
boundaries of the park (Thomas et al.<br />
2003).<br />
Small pueblos, clustered near arable<br />
l<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> major watercourses, mark the<br />
beginning of the Pueblo II/III Period<br />
around 800 AD, which lasted until around<br />
1300 AD (Cordell 1997). Pueblo II/III sites,<br />
typically small pueblos with 10-20 rooms<br />
<strong>and</strong> a kiva, occur throughout the park<br />
(Thomas et al. 2003). The Puerco Ruins,<br />
one of the most visible archeological<br />
resources in the park, date from near the<br />
end of the Pueblo II period (around 1100<br />
AD).<br />
During the Pueblo IV Period (1300 AD –<br />
1450 AD), large multi-room dwellings were<br />
constructed along major river corridors<br />
or other reliable water sources. Two major<br />
pueblos have been found at Petrified<br />
Forest: Puerco Pueblo <strong>and</strong> Stone Axe<br />
Pueblo at Wallace Tank, a spring four miles<br />
southeast of Puerco Pueblo (Thomas et al.<br />
2003). Drought <strong>and</strong> probably other factors<br />
contributed to the ab<strong>and</strong>onment of the<br />
park area around the mid 1400s. People<br />
from the park area probably moved to<br />
areas with more permanent water supplies.<br />
The Hopi <strong>and</strong> Zuni people living in the<br />
surrounding areas today may be some of<br />
their descendants (Thomas et al. 2003).<br />
1.5.3 Historic Period<br />
Around 1500 AD, Athabascan-speaking<br />
people (Navajo <strong>and</strong> Apache tribes<br />
today) moved into the region, although<br />
these groups likely did not use l<strong>and</strong>s<br />
that now make up the park until the<br />
1700s (NPS 2004, Thomas et al. 2003).<br />
Early Athabascan-speakers settled in<br />
mountainous areas. After the arrival of<br />
Europeans <strong>and</strong> their livestock, subsistence<br />
included cattle <strong>and</strong> sheep, <strong>and</strong> access to<br />
grazing l<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> adequate watering sites<br />
became important. Today, the Navajo<br />
Nation is adjacent to the north boundary<br />
of the park, <strong>and</strong> the San Carlos Apache<br />
Reservation is about 60 mi (96 km) to the<br />
south.<br />
Spanish explorers were the first Europeans<br />
to reach the vicinity of present-day<br />
park l<strong>and</strong>s. In 1540, some members of<br />
Coronado’s expedition likely passed to the<br />
northeast of the park l<strong>and</strong>s on their way<br />
to Hopi villages <strong>and</strong> to the Gr<strong>and</strong> Canyon<br />
area (Bolton 1930). The Petrified Forest<br />
area itself was probably only peripheral to<br />
the interests <strong>and</strong> activities of the Spanish<br />
<strong>and</strong> Athabascan speakers, although<br />
introduced livestock may have grazed<br />
there in small numbers during the 1700s<br />
<strong>and</strong> early 1800s.<br />
In the 1800s, various American<br />
expeditions passed through the park<br />
region. The Sitgreaves expedition in<br />
1851 <strong>and</strong> the Whipple expedition in<br />
8
Introduction<br />
1853 included several scientists who<br />
recorded information on the flora, fauna,<br />
<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>scape (relevant comments are<br />
summarized in Thomas et al. 2003). Beale<br />
(1857) proceeded westward from Zuni,<br />
New Mexico, <strong>and</strong> crossed the Puerco<br />
River, traveling west until he reached the<br />
Little Colorado River near Holbrook;<br />
Beale noted cottonwood trees on the river<br />
bottoms, along with abundant grass.<br />
These expeditions, as well as the<br />
movement of people <strong>and</strong> livestock to gold<br />
strikes in California, set the stage for new<br />
settlers in the area. Cattle <strong>and</strong> sheep were<br />
herded through northern Arizona, <strong>and</strong><br />
ranchers moved sheep <strong>and</strong> cattle into Little<br />
Colorado drainage areas. The coming of<br />
the railroad in 1881 further encouraged<br />
ranching (Thomas et al. 2003).<br />
1.5.4 Possible Human Impacts on the<br />
L<strong>and</strong>scape<br />
Early humans may have burned the<br />
vegetation to attract or to drive big game<br />
(Pyne 1982), although the few artifacts<br />
from the Paleo period at PEFO suggest<br />
that there were very few people in the area<br />
during this time period. Archaic people<br />
may have also burned or manipulated<br />
vegetation. In Puebloan times, intensive<br />
farming, using floodwater agriculture <strong>and</strong><br />
manipulation of intermittent streams,<br />
may also have affected certain areas of the<br />
park. Of all the human activities occurring<br />
in the Petrified Forest region, livestock<br />
grazing during the historic period probably<br />
had the most significant effect on the<br />
l<strong>and</strong>scape.<br />
Thomas et al. (2003) summarized the<br />
changes in livestock numbers in Northern<br />
Arizona during the 1700s <strong>and</strong> 1800s. On<br />
Navajo l<strong>and</strong>s, there were around 64,000<br />
sheep by 1742 <strong>and</strong> perhaps 500,000 by the<br />
1850s (Young 1968). The Navajo people<br />
are said to have grazed sheep on l<strong>and</strong>s<br />
between the Little Colorado River <strong>and</strong> the<br />
San Juan River, <strong>and</strong> from the San Francisco<br />
Peaks to the Rio Puerco, thus possibly<br />
covering l<strong>and</strong>s that are now included<br />
within the park. After the Navajo returned<br />
from their exile at Bosque Redondo in<br />
New Mexico in 1868, they rebuilt their<br />
herds up to around 1,100,000 sheep,<br />
400,000 goats, <strong>and</strong> 60,000 horses (Young<br />
1968). These herds were likely kept within<br />
reservation boundaries. However, grazing<br />
on higher elevations <strong>and</strong> upstream of<br />
drainages running into the park likely may<br />
have affected parkl<strong>and</strong>s through erosion<br />
<strong>and</strong> down cutting of stream channels.<br />
The number of sheep held by ranchers<br />
outside Navajo l<strong>and</strong>s in Arizona increased<br />
from about 800 in 1870 to 76,000 in 1880<br />
(Sheridan 1995). This increased to 700,000<br />
in the next decade. Most of Arizona’s<br />
sheep were raised in the northern<br />
counties. Barnes (1913) estimated<br />
approximately 1,570,000 sheep in Arizona.<br />
Cattle were not as abundant as sheep,<br />
their numbers increased from around<br />
50,000 in the late 1870s (Hamilton 1883)<br />
to 812,000 in 1913 (Barnes 1913). There<br />
were ranches in the Holbrook area in the<br />
late 1800s <strong>and</strong> early 1900s, so grazing no<br />
doubt had a direct effect on l<strong>and</strong>s that<br />
are now part of the park. In addition,<br />
grazing in the Little Colorado <strong>and</strong> Puerco<br />
drainages may also have affected the park<br />
l<strong>and</strong>s, through erosion <strong>and</strong> deposition, as<br />
well as downcutting of stream channels.<br />
A series of droughts in the late 1800s <strong>and</strong><br />
early 1900s, in association with intense<br />
grazing, probably accelerated erosion,<br />
downcutting, <strong>and</strong> decline of groundwater<br />
levels (Thomas et al. 2003).<br />
1.5.5 Climate<br />
Petrified Forest National Park is within<br />
Bailey’s (Bailey et al. 1994) Colorado<br />
Plateau Semidesert Province, a region of<br />
around 195,000 km 2 (75,300 mi 2 ) including<br />
parts of Arizona, New Mexico, <strong>and</strong><br />
Utah. In general, the climate has the cold<br />
winters typical of high elevations. Summer<br />
days are often hot, <strong>and</strong> nights are cool.<br />
Temperature at PEFO is highest in July <strong>and</strong><br />
lowest in January [July mean high = 92.3° F<br />
with an extreme of 105° F in 1995; January<br />
mean high = 47.5° F with an extreme of<br />
9
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
-27° F in 1971 (mean based on 1931-2009<br />
data; Western Regional Climate Center,<br />
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu)].<br />
Most of the annual precipitation falls<br />
in the warm months of July <strong>and</strong> August<br />
(Western Regional Climate Center, http://<br />
www.wrcc.dri.edu), with more widespread<br />
rain falling in winter. However, in some<br />
years, unusual amounts of rainfall may fall<br />
during late-winter <strong>and</strong> spring. The mean<br />
annual precipitation from 1948 to 2007<br />
was 9.48 in (24.2 cm), with torrential rains<br />
falling primarily in the summer months,<br />
but occasionally at other times of the year.<br />
June is the driest month during most years.<br />
Peaks in temperature <strong>and</strong> precipitation<br />
occur at approximately the same time<br />
during the year.<br />
The Mogollon Rim, a massif that stretches<br />
across the central part of Arizona,<br />
primarily influences winter storms. PEFO<br />
is located on the rain shadow side of this<br />
mountain <strong>and</strong> canyon region. During the<br />
winter, precipitation originates in lowpressure<br />
systems that travel eastward<br />
from the eastern Pacific <strong>and</strong> deposits as<br />
snow or rain as the low encounters the<br />
Mogollon Rim. However, the Mogollon<br />
Rim acts as an orographic barrier, reducing<br />
the amount of snow <strong>and</strong> rain that reaches<br />
the park. When precipitation does occur<br />
from winter storms, it is characterized by<br />
gentle showers followed by strong winds<br />
(Thomas et al. 2003).<br />
On the Colorado Plateau, this summer<br />
rainfall pattern is characteristic of areas<br />
of perennial woodl<strong>and</strong>, shrubl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong><br />
grassl<strong>and</strong> with a component of warmseason<br />
annuals that appear from year<br />
to year, depending on conditions. In<br />
some of these years, greater than usual<br />
precipitation, along with the right<br />
temperatures during late winter or<br />
spring, may result in the germination <strong>and</strong><br />
establishment of annual plant species in<br />
great abundance (Cully <strong>and</strong> Cully 1989).<br />
1.5.6 Geology, Hydrology, <strong>and</strong><br />
Topography<br />
The badl<strong>and</strong>s exposed in the park belong<br />
to the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation<br />
<strong>and</strong> represent the deposits of a vast 225<br />
million year old river system. Around 4-8<br />
million years ago, during the Miocene <strong>and</strong><br />
Pliocene, fluvial <strong>and</strong> lacustrine sediments<br />
were deposited over the Chinle Formation;<br />
volcanic ash <strong>and</strong> lava were also deposited<br />
during this time. More recent Quaternary<br />
deposits (1.8 million years ago to the<br />
present) of windblown s<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> alluvial<br />
material cover much of the park (Thomas<br />
et al. 2006, http://www.nps.gov/pefo).<br />
Numerous intermittent washes <strong>and</strong><br />
drainages occur throughout the park.<br />
Perhaps the most reliable, although<br />
intermittent, water source is the Puerco<br />
River, a tributary of the Little Colorado<br />
that runs through the narrow mid-section<br />
(or “neck”) of the park. Only about 2.7 km<br />
of stream length is within park boundaries.<br />
Springs, seeps, tinajas, <strong>and</strong> tanks also<br />
occur within park boundaries (Thomas et<br />
al. 2006).<br />
Water erosion has shaped much of the<br />
l<strong>and</strong>scape at the park. Torrential summer<br />
rains cause rapid erosion from steep, bare<br />
slopes, <strong>and</strong> fine sediments are susceptible<br />
to “piping” or the creation of many small<br />
tunnels under the surface of slopes <strong>and</strong><br />
hills. Over time, sheet erosion <strong>and</strong> gullying<br />
have given the badl<strong>and</strong>s their distinctive<br />
dissected appearance (http://www.nps.<br />
gov/pefo).<br />
Petrified Forest consists of three distinct<br />
geographic areas: the Painted Desert, the<br />
Puerco River Valley, <strong>and</strong> the Rainbow<br />
Forest. The Painted Desert in the northern<br />
third of the park is comprised of southwest<br />
to northeast trending clay hills, mesas,<br />
<strong>and</strong> buttes that reflect the influences of<br />
the Little Colorado River as it erodes the<br />
Chinle Formation. These “badl<strong>and</strong>” desert<br />
systems are sparsely vegetated because<br />
plants have great diffculty becoming<br />
established in the shrinking <strong>and</strong> swelling<br />
10
Introduction<br />
bentonite soils (Chronic 1986). High<br />
erosion rates in the Painted Desert also<br />
make it diffcult for plants to become<br />
established. From the Painted Desert rim,<br />
the l<strong>and</strong> slopes down to the southeast<br />
through a series of wide erosional basins<br />
to the Puerco River. The middle section of<br />
the park is a relatively narrow strip of l<strong>and</strong><br />
across this valley. In the southern third of<br />
the park, the l<strong>and</strong> has eroded into small<br />
groups of buttes <strong>and</strong> mesas separated by<br />
the wide expanses of Dry Wash <strong>and</strong> its<br />
tributaries (Thomas et al. 2006).<br />
1.5.7 Wildlife<br />
Petrified Forest National Park provides<br />
habitat for a diverse assemblage of<br />
mammals, avifauna, <strong>and</strong> herpetofauna.<br />
Mammals<br />
The badl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> grassl<strong>and</strong>s of the park<br />
support 59 species of mammals. Coyotes<br />
(Canis latrans) are found throughout the<br />
park. Pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra<br />
americana) occur in grassl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong><br />
also occasionally in the badl<strong>and</strong>s of<br />
the park. Smaller mammals include<br />
Gunnison’s prairie dog (Cynomys<br />
gunnisoni), white-tailed antelope squirrel<br />
(Ammospermophilus leucurus), Ord’s<br />
kangaroo rat (Dipodomys ordii), <strong>and</strong> deer<br />
mice (Peromyscus maniculatus).<br />
Avifauna<br />
Birds are the most speciose group of the<br />
vertebrates, with 231 species known for<br />
the park. The common raven (Corvus<br />
corax) is one of the most conspicuous<br />
bird species, often seen at parking lots<br />
looking for h<strong>and</strong>outs, as well as flying<br />
overhead throughout the park. Golden<br />
eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), various<br />
hawks, <strong>and</strong> turkey vultures (Cathartes<br />
aura) are also seen throughout the park.<br />
Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) <strong>and</strong><br />
thrashers are found in shrubl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong><br />
grassl<strong>and</strong>s. Horned larks (Eremophila<br />
alpestris) <strong>and</strong> meadow larks (Sturnella<br />
neglecta) are common in the grassl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
American robins (Turdus migratorius),<br />
western bluebirds (Sialia mexicana),<br />
<strong>and</strong> Townsends’s solitaires (Myadestes<br />
townsendi) are found in areas with trees<br />
(Thomas et al. 2006, http://www.nps.gov/<br />
pefo).<br />
Reptiles <strong>and</strong> Amphibians<br />
Current records indicate that PEFO<br />
supports seven species of amphibians,<br />
including tiger salam<strong>and</strong>ers (Ambystoma<br />
tigrinum), Woodhouse’s toads (Bufo<br />
woodhousii), red-spotted toads (B.<br />
punctatus), <strong>and</strong> other toad species.<br />
Amphibians hibernate in damp soils <strong>and</strong><br />
reproduce when rains form st<strong>and</strong>ing water<br />
in pools <strong>and</strong> intermittent stream channels.<br />
The 16 species of reptiles known to occur<br />
in the park include the colorful collared<br />
lizard (Crotaphytus collaris), gopher snake<br />
(Pituophis catenifer), western rattlesnake<br />
(Crotalus oreganus), <strong>and</strong> western box<br />
turtle (Terrapene ornata).<br />
No federally or state-listed threatened<br />
or endangered wildlife reside in the park<br />
(Thomas et al. 2006).<br />
1.5.8 <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Biotic communities at PEFO belong to the<br />
Colorado Plateau Semi-Desert Province<br />
(Bailey et al. 1994) <strong>and</strong> include primarily<br />
arid grassl<strong>and</strong>s, xeric shrubl<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong><br />
sparsely vegetated badl<strong>and</strong>s. Riparian<br />
species, such as cottonwoods <strong>and</strong> willows<br />
(Populus spp. <strong>and</strong> Salix spp.), grow along<br />
some of the permanent streams. Within<br />
the province as a whole, woodl<strong>and</strong> is<br />
the most extensive vegetation formation,<br />
dominated by open st<strong>and</strong>s of Colorado<br />
pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) <strong>and</strong> several<br />
species of juniper (Juniperus spp.), but the<br />
extent of woodl<strong>and</strong> in the park is limited.<br />
Two rare plants are found in the park:<br />
● gladiator milkvetch (Astragalus xiphoides)<br />
occurs in several populations<br />
● paper-spined cactus (Pediocactus<br />
papyracanthus) occurs in pinyonjuniper<br />
woodl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
One of the more important <strong>and</strong> least<br />
recognized biological communities in this<br />
11
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
area is cryptobiotic soil. These living<br />
crusts are comprised of cyanobacteria,<br />
lichens, mosses, green algae, microfungi,<br />
<strong>and</strong> bacteria, <strong>and</strong> represent up to 70%<br />
of the living ground cover. (NPS 2004,<br />
Thomas et al. 2006, Belnap <strong>and</strong> Lange<br />
2002).<br />
Sheep <strong>and</strong> cattle grazed in the Petrified<br />
Forest area until 1936, when grazing<br />
was excluded from the southern part of<br />
the park. In 1981, a perimeter fence was<br />
erected to prevent trespass grazing on park<br />
l<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Thomas et al. (2003) prepared a<br />
preliminary vegetation classification for<br />
PEFO based on field sampling of the<br />
vegetation, analysis, <strong>and</strong> classification<br />
under the National <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Classification</strong> System. This classification<br />
identified 19 plant communities<br />
consisting of seven shrubl<strong>and</strong> alliances,<br />
three dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> alliances,<br />
five herbaceous alliances, one dwarf<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong>-herbaceous alliance, two<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong>-herbaceous alliances, <strong>and</strong> one<br />
sparse vegetation alliance. Data from the<br />
2003 effort are included as part of the<br />
vegetation classification results listed in<br />
this report.<br />
12
2 Identification <strong>and</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> of Plant Communities<br />
2.1 Methods<br />
The classification team, consisting of<br />
ecologists M.L. McTeague <strong>and</strong> A. Cully,<br />
identified <strong>and</strong> classified plant communities<br />
of Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO)<br />
to the finest floristic level possible. They<br />
used three approaches:<br />
1. reanalysis of relevé data collected in<br />
1996<br />
2. new field data collection, analysis, <strong>and</strong><br />
quantitative classification<br />
3. direct field observation during photointerpretation<br />
for one-plant communities<br />
(see section 3 Base Map Class<br />
Development)<br />
All plant communities, whether identified<br />
through quantitative classification or<br />
direct observation, were reconciled with<br />
the current NatureServe Explorer registry<br />
of NVC alliances <strong>and</strong> associations, <strong>and</strong><br />
reviewed for compatibility by K. Schulz of<br />
NatureServe. New plant assemblages were<br />
classified as park specials if they were not<br />
supported by suffcient observation data<br />
to be identified to an existing alliance or<br />
association or to be identified as a new, or<br />
provisional, plant community.<br />
to the results of the quantitative analysis<br />
of newly collected data <strong>and</strong> were<br />
provisionally assigned plant communities<br />
at the same time (see “Quantitative data<br />
analysis” below).<br />
2.1.1.2 Newly Collected Data<br />
In 2003, a field team led by M. McTeague<br />
collected plant-community data in the<br />
form of cover/abundance values for<br />
individual plant species in 149 relevé<br />
plots (Mueller-Dombois <strong>and</strong> Ellenburg<br />
2002) (see sample datasheet in the project<br />
DVD). The sampling design stratified the<br />
park l<strong>and</strong>scape into unique biophysical<br />
types for relevé allocation. This approach<br />
assumed that environmental variables<br />
drive vegetation patterns at PEFO <strong>and</strong> that<br />
a stratification based on environmental<br />
variables would assure adequate sampling<br />
across the range of plant-community<br />
variability. The biophysical types were<br />
derived by layering spatial data for aspect,<br />
elevation, watercourse presence, <strong>and</strong><br />
geology in a GIS environment (table 3)<br />
<strong>and</strong> identifying each unique combination<br />
as one type. The number of polygons<br />
targeted for sampling within each<br />
biophysical type was proportional to the<br />
Table 3. Categories of environmental variables used to identify<br />
2.1.1 Relevé Data unique biophysical units to sample at Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
2.1.1.1 Existing Data<br />
The team used relevés 2 from a 1996<br />
vegetation sampling directed by Dr.<br />
Kathryn Thomas (Thomas et al. 2003).<br />
These relevés were collected throughout<br />
the park in an effort to classify the<br />
vegetation at PEFO. Previously, they had<br />
been quantitatively analyzed <strong>and</strong> assigned<br />
alliance-level classification. As the plant<br />
communities were not expected to change<br />
significantly in that time, the team was able<br />
to use 186 relevés from the 1996 effort.<br />
These data were compared qualitatively<br />
2<br />
A relevé is a vegetation sample using a quadrant that<br />
can be square, rectangular, or circular. Size varies according<br />
to the type of vegetation being sampled. Relevés are<br />
usually placed non-r<strong>and</strong>omly in a uniform <strong>and</strong> representative<br />
sample of the vegetation being sampled. They are<br />
distinguished from line-transects <strong>and</strong> completely r<strong>and</strong>om<br />
sampling (Kent an Coker 1992).<br />
Environmental variables<br />
Categories<br />
Aspect North facing (116-269°)<br />
South facing (270-115°)<br />
Elevation (Using 10 m DEM)<br />
High elevation(1756-1890m)<br />
Low elevation (1620-1755m)<br />
Stream (Including 5m Buffer)<br />
Streams<br />
No Streams<br />
Geology Map (Apache <strong>and</strong> Navajo<br />
County)<br />
Qal=alluvial/alluvium deposits<br />
Qc=alluvium <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> sheets<br />
Qd=eolian deposits<br />
Ql=colluvial deposits<br />
TR=Triassic<br />
Tb=volcanic<br />
bft=Black Forest Tuff<br />
ss=s<strong>and</strong>stone<br />
13
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
total area <strong>and</strong> frequency of occurrence of<br />
that type within the project area.<br />
The team had planned to sample at the<br />
centroid of each selected polygon. If<br />
the sample site was determined to not<br />
be representative of a homogeneous<br />
vegetation community, the relevé was<br />
moved to the closest representative<br />
vegetation community within the<br />
biophysical unit. A 500-m 2 relevé was<br />
established (1000-m 2 in sparsely vegetated<br />
communities with less than 10% cover),<br />
<strong>and</strong> plant species cover/abundance data, as<br />
well as environmental data, were collected<br />
(table 4). The classification team examined<br />
the field data during the collection period<br />
to determine if adequate numbers of<br />
relevés were sampled for each expected<br />
<strong>and</strong> observed community type. Plant<br />
communities under-represented in the<br />
stratified sampling design were sampled<br />
opportunistically at the end of the 2003<br />
field season.<br />
Table 4. Summary of data collected within 2003 classification relevés at<br />
Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Type of information<br />
Plot documentation<br />
Environmental description<br />
Surface cover<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> strata<br />
Plant species<br />
Other vegetation characteristics<br />
Items noted<br />
Plot location <strong>and</strong> identification, geographic<br />
references, plot size, picture documentation<br />
Elevation, slope, aspect, position, l<strong>and</strong>form,<br />
geology, soil texture<br />
Fine particles, gravel, cobble, stone, boulders,<br />
bedrock; litter, duff, moss, lichen,<br />
biotic crust; animal use; human/natural<br />
disturbance<br />
Leaf phenology, leaf type, physiognomic<br />
class<br />
Height, cover class <strong>and</strong> dominant species<br />
each stratum<br />
Observed plant species on survey site<br />
Mortality, nurse plant function, etc.<br />
2.1.1.3 Quantitative Data Analysis<br />
Data from the 2003 classification relevés<br />
were entered into a Microsoft® Access<br />
2000 database <strong>and</strong> quality checked. The<br />
cover values for species that occurred in<br />
multiple strata were combined into a single<br />
cover estimate for classification <strong>and</strong> for the<br />
plant community descriptions. However,<br />
total cover estimates for tree, shrub,<br />
<strong>and</strong> herbaceous cover were calculated<br />
based on cover estimates for lifeform<br />
<strong>and</strong> not strata height. The classification<br />
team imported the data into an Excel<br />
spreadsheet <strong>and</strong> formatted it for use in<br />
PC-Ord, a multivariate statistical analysis<br />
program (McCune <strong>and</strong> Mefford 1999).<br />
The classification team first identified<br />
descriptive statistics in the relevé dataset<br />
<strong>and</strong> examined whether statistical<br />
differences existed when comparing<br />
the compositional heterogeneity of the<br />
physiognomic groups represented in<br />
the relevé data. The team initially used<br />
non-metric multi-dimensional scaling<br />
(NMS) ordination (which provides<br />
a view of community organization in<br />
multi-dimensional space) to analyze the<br />
entire dataset of 149 relevé sites from the<br />
2003 field efforts (fig. 3). The resulting<br />
descriptive statistics showed high betadiversity<br />
(β=7.46), indicating a high degree<br />
of compositional heterogeneity. The<br />
team then attempted to minimize relevé<br />
heterogeneity by dividing the data into<br />
four groupings or classes, based on the<br />
apparent lifeform of the dominant species<br />
in each relevé: shrubl<strong>and</strong>, grassl<strong>and</strong>, steppe<br />
(a shrub-grassl<strong>and</strong> mixture), <strong>and</strong> sparse.<br />
All analyses were then rerun on each class<br />
(fig. 4). Species occurring only once within<br />
a class were usually removed from the<br />
dataset in order to reduce noise. However,<br />
if a species occurred only once but was<br />
the dominant species in a relevé, it was<br />
retained because of its influence within the<br />
plant community.<br />
The team also conducted an outlier<br />
analysis to identify any relevés that might<br />
skew the analysis. If it was determined that<br />
the outlier relevés were actually unique<br />
plant communities, we retained those<br />
relevés (despite their introducing noise to<br />
the dataset) due to their importance for<br />
the community analysis.<br />
The team then conducted a cluster<br />
analysis—a hierarchical clustering<br />
14
Identification <strong>and</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> of Plant Communities<br />
Figure 3. Location of 149 classification relevés at Petrified Forest<br />
National Park observed in 2003.<br />
classification of objects—for each of the<br />
four groupings. Cluster analysis produces<br />
a dendrogram with relevés clustered at<br />
different levels. To choose “stopping<br />
points” in the cluster analysis dendrogram,<br />
the team used indicator species analysis<br />
(ISA) scores, which can identify species<br />
that characterize a group of relevés<br />
(Dufrêne <strong>and</strong> Legendre 1997; McCune<br />
<strong>and</strong> Grace 2002). The team used a method<br />
described by McCune <strong>and</strong> Grace (2002) to<br />
maximize the effectiveness of ISA scores<br />
as a means of identifying natural relevé<br />
clusters within the dendrogram. Based<br />
on the assumption that indicator scores<br />
peak at an intermediate level of clustering,<br />
they used the change in the number of<br />
significant indicators as the criterion for<br />
identifying relevé clusters.<br />
The team calculated ISA scores <strong>and</strong><br />
p-values for each successive level of the<br />
cluster analysis, <strong>and</strong> plotted the number of<br />
significant indicators against the number<br />
of clusters at each level of the dendrogram<br />
(Decker <strong>and</strong> Coles 2003), as illustrated in<br />
Figure 5 for the shrubl<strong>and</strong> class. This was<br />
done for each class to generate a graphic<br />
that the team could use to evaluate <strong>and</strong><br />
choose the optimum levels indicating<br />
natural relevé clusters. The stopping point<br />
for each cluster was interpreted as the<br />
15
Axis 3<br />
Axis 2<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Steppe<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic Class<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Herbaceous<br />
Sparse<br />
Steppe<br />
Axis 1<br />
Herbaceous<br />
Sparse<br />
Herbaceous<br />
Physiognomic Class<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Herbaceous<br />
Sparse<br />
Steppe<br />
Steppe<br />
Axis 1<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Sparse<br />
Figure 4. Non-metric Multi-dimensional Scaling (NMS) ordination of 149 classification relevés collected<br />
in 2003 shows the relevés highly clustered by their physiognomic class on both axes 1 <strong>and</strong> 3,<br />
<strong>and</strong> axes 1 <strong>and</strong> 2.<br />
16
Identification <strong>and</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> of Plant Communities<br />
Signifi cant Indicators<br />
60<br />
50<br />
40<br />
30<br />
20<br />
10<br />
0<br />
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17<br />
Number of clusters<br />
Figure 5. The number of significant indicators<br />
(top) <strong>and</strong> the p-value (bottom) for Indicator<br />
Species. Analysis scores are calculated for<br />
each level of the cluster dendrogram (not<br />
shown) <strong>and</strong> plotted against the number of<br />
clusters in the dendrogram for that level. The<br />
peak score for the number of significant indicators<br />
<strong>and</strong> the minimum score for the average<br />
p-value are used to determine the number of<br />
clusters that represent the best classification<br />
of the relevés. The scores for the shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
class in Figure 4 are illustrated here.<br />
0.5<br />
0.45<br />
Average pvalue<br />
0.4<br />
0.35<br />
0.3<br />
0.25<br />
0.2<br />
0.15<br />
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17<br />
Number of clusters<br />
finest level of ecological meaning for of the<br />
relevés within that cluster.<br />
The team analyzed the optimal groupings<br />
by looking at the statistically significant<br />
indicator species, determined in the ISA,<br />
<strong>and</strong> identifying species with a p-value of<br />
30. Only<br />
dominant <strong>and</strong> common native species<br />
were considered indicator species. If<br />
the species was an exotic species or an<br />
infrequent, ephemeral species that was<br />
not likely to be a long-term community<br />
indicator, it was eliminated from<br />
the analysis. The classification team<br />
interpreted these groupings to represent<br />
provisional NVC vegetation associations.<br />
The classification team also cross-checked<br />
the clusters of relevés with established<br />
NVC associations. During this analysis,<br />
they assigned each relevé an initial<br />
association name using previously defined<br />
association nomenclature (when available)<br />
listed in NatureServe’s Explorer website<br />
(http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/).<br />
If needed, the team developed provisional<br />
association names. After each cluster was<br />
assigned a provisional association name,<br />
the team compared the results among the<br />
four classes <strong>and</strong> determined whether there<br />
was overlap in the provisional associations<br />
among them. If there was overlap, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
relevés represented an association with<br />
relevés in multiple lifeform classes, the<br />
relevés were reassigned to the lifeform<br />
class to which NatureServe had assigned<br />
the the association. For instance, if<br />
relevés representing an Atriplex obovata<br />
dominated plant community were<br />
provisionally identified as occurring in<br />
sparse, shrubl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> mixed grass-shrub<br />
communities, all relevés were re-assigned<br />
to the community representing the modal<br />
strata.<br />
The team also applied a Multiple Response<br />
Permutation Procedure (MRPP) (McCune<br />
17
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
<strong>and</strong> Grace 2002) to test if the allocated<br />
NVC associations were different enough<br />
between each other to be statistically<br />
significant. MRPP is a nonparametric<br />
test of the hypothesis that there is no<br />
difference between groups <strong>and</strong> provides a<br />
test statistic <strong>and</strong> a p-value.<br />
2.1.2 Photo-Interpreter<br />
Observations<br />
One plant community, Sarcobatus<br />
vermiculatus / Atriplex obovata Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
was identified from fieldwork associated<br />
with photointerpretation. It was described<br />
without quantitative analysis.<br />
2.1.3 NVC Nomenclature<br />
NatureServe reviewed the first iteration of<br />
plant community names <strong>and</strong> reconciled<br />
them with the NVC alliances <strong>and</strong><br />
associations in their Biotics (http://<br />
www.natureserve.org/prodServices/<br />
biotics.jsp) database. The SBSC <strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe teams consulted on the NVC<br />
nomenclature for each plant community<br />
before the naming was finalized.<br />
2.2 Results<br />
The team used the results of the<br />
reinterpretation of the 1996 classification<br />
relevés, quantitative classification of 2003<br />
relevés, <strong>and</strong> the one photointerpretation<br />
observation to identify 39 plant<br />
communities at PEFO (table 5). Appendix<br />
B lists the strength of documentation for<br />
all plant communities. Full descriptions<br />
of these communities can be found in<br />
Appendix C. Ancillary products related<br />
to accuracy assessment include all species<br />
on the classification relevés (as well as the<br />
species found on accuracy assessment<br />
sites) <strong>and</strong> are listed in Appendix D.<br />
2.2.1 Plant Community<br />
Characteristics<br />
Thirty-two of the plant communities at<br />
PEFO were associations. All but these<br />
three had been described previously in<br />
the NatureServe database <strong>and</strong>/or at other<br />
locations: Calamovilfa gigantea Desert<br />
Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong>,<br />
Eriogonum leptophyllum Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong>,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Purshia stansburiana – Eriogonum<br />
corymbosum Shrubl<strong>and</strong>. Achnatherum<br />
hymenoides Shrub Herbaceous Alliance,<br />
observed <strong>and</strong> classified in 1996, was not<br />
observed again in 2003. Since the 1996<br />
data were insuffcient to classify it to the<br />
association level, it was eliminated from<br />
the current listing of plant communities<br />
for the park. Persistent drought, especially<br />
in the sampling year 2003, caused many<br />
perennial grasses to remain dormant or<br />
to die. As a result, these grasses were not<br />
as abundant as they were during the 1996<br />
sampling.<br />
Seven plant communities were identified<br />
as park specials (table 5). These plant<br />
communities appear to be unique to the<br />
park. Their uniqueness does not imply<br />
rarity, but rather that they are assemblages<br />
of plant species for which not enough data<br />
exists to develop new NVC types.<br />
The plant communities identified<br />
represented four major physiognomic<br />
types: woodl<strong>and</strong>, shrubl<strong>and</strong>, herbaceous,<br />
<strong>and</strong> sparse. There were three woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
associations within three alliances. These<br />
three associations were reassigned to<br />
the shrub grouping of relevés used in<br />
quantitative classification, based on the<br />
NatureServe description of the plant<br />
community. Shrubl<strong>and</strong>s were represented<br />
by 14 associations within 12 alliances, one<br />
undifferentiated alliance, <strong>and</strong> four park<br />
specials.<br />
Relevés grouped as steppe in quantitative<br />
classification were reassigned to<br />
either shrubl<strong>and</strong> or herbaceous based<br />
on NatureServe description of the<br />
plant community. Herbaceous plant<br />
communities were represented by ten<br />
associations within eight alliances <strong>and</strong><br />
by three park specials. Lastly, sparse<br />
vegetation at the park was represented by<br />
four associations within three alliances.<br />
Some of the woodl<strong>and</strong>, shrubl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong><br />
herbaceous associations at PEFO were<br />
18
Table 5. Plant communities at Petrified Forest National Park <strong>and</strong> sources of supporting field documentation.<br />
Plant community<br />
NVCS Alliance<br />
NatureServe<br />
database code<br />
Type<br />
Number of supporting<br />
field observations<br />
19<br />
WOODLAND<br />
1<br />
Juniperus monosperma / Artemisia bigelovii Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Juniperus monosperma Woodl<strong>and</strong> Alliance<br />
CEGL000705<br />
Association<br />
2003 1 1996 2 2006 3<br />
2 Pinus edulis - (Juniperus osteosperma) / Bouteloua gracilis Pinus edulis - (Juniperus spp.) Woodl<strong>and</strong> Alliance CEGL000778 Association 1<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
3 Populus fremontii / Ericameria nauseosa Woodl<strong>and</strong> Populus fremontii Temporarily Flooded Woodl<strong>and</strong> CEGL002465 Association 2 3<br />
Alliance<br />
SHRUBLAND<br />
4 Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance CEGL000988 Association 1 8<br />
5 Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Artemisia filifolia Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance<br />
CEGL001077 Association 4<br />
6 Artemisia filifolia Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL002697 Association 7 6 28<br />
7 Atriplex canescens / Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Atriplex canescens Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance<br />
CEGL001288 Association 4 5 51<br />
8 Ericameria nauseosa Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Ericameria nauseosa Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance<br />
CEGL002261<br />
8 10 17<br />
9 Forestiera pubescens Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Forestiera pubescens Temporarily Flooded Shrubl<strong>and</strong> CEGL001168 Association 1<br />
Alliance<br />
10 Gutierrezia sarothrae - (Opuntia spp.) / Pleuraphis jamesii Gutierrezia sarothrae Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance CEGL002690 Association 2 13<br />
Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
11 Isocoma drummondii - Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Park Special 1 3 8<br />
12 Iva acerosa - Sporobolus airoides Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Park Special 1<br />
2<br />
13<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata / Bouteloua gracilis Dwarf-shrub<br />
Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Herbaceous<br />
Alliance<br />
CEGL001321<br />
Association<br />
14 Krascheninnikovia lanata Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> Krascheninnikovia lanata Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance CEGL001320 Association 1 1<br />
15 Purshia stansburiana - Eriogonum corymbosum Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Purshia (stansburiana, mexicana) Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance CEGL004011 Association 5 7<br />
16 Rhus trilobata - Ephedra (viridis, torreyana) Talus<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
17 Salix exigua / Barren Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Salix (exigua, interior) Temporarily Flooded Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance<br />
18 Salvia pachyphylla Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
19 Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Atriplex obovata Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
20 Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Sarcobatus vermiculatus Intermittently Flooded<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance<br />
Rhus trilobata Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance CEGL003776 Association 3 5<br />
CEGL001200 Association 2 1<br />
CEGL001370<br />
Park Special<br />
Park Special<br />
Association<br />
2<br />
1<br />
2<br />
1<br />
12<br />
6<br />
6<br />
15<br />
5<br />
Identification <strong>and</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> of Plant Communities
20<br />
Table 5. continued<br />
Plant community<br />
21 Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
22 Tamarix spp. Temporarily Flooded Semi-natural Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
HERBACEOUS<br />
23 Atriplex obovata / Sporobolus airoides - Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
24 Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
25 Bouteloua gracilis - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
26 Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
27 Calamovilfa gigantea Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
28 Ericameria nauseosa / Bouteloua gracilis Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
29 Opuntia whipplei - Sporobolus airoides Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
30 Pleuraphis jamesii - Sporobolus airoides Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
NVCS Alliance<br />
Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance<br />
Tamarix Spp. Semi-Natural Temporarily Flooded Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance<br />
NatureServe<br />
database code<br />
CEGL001991<br />
CEGL003114<br />
Type<br />
Association<br />
Association<br />
# of supporting field<br />
observations<br />
2003 1<br />
1<br />
1996 2 2006 3<br />
1<br />
2 1 6<br />
Sporobolus airoides - (Pleuraphis jamesii) Shrub Herbaceous<br />
CEGL001775 Association 12 17 62<br />
Alliance<br />
Bouteloua eriopoda Herbaceous Alliance CEGL001751 Association 4 1 1<br />
Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous Alliance CEGL001759 Association 3 13 16<br />
Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous Alliance<br />
Calamovilfa gigantea Shrub Herbaceous Alliance<br />
CEGL001760<br />
CEGL004012<br />
Association<br />
Association<br />
9<br />
3<br />
21 2<br />
Ericameria nauseosa Shrub Short Herbaceous Alliance CEGL003495 Association 2 6<br />
Park Special 1<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous Alliance CEGL001778 Association 4 29 45<br />
31 Salsola tragus S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> Park Special 2 13<br />
32 Sporobolus airoides - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Sporobolus airoides Sod Herbaceous Alliance CEGL001686 Association 7 6 41<br />
33 Sporobolus airoides Southern Plains Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> CEGL001685 Association 2 3 36<br />
34 Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> Park Special 1<br />
35 Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus Great Basin Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus Herbaceous Alliance CEGL002691 Association 1<br />
SPARSE<br />
36 Atriplex obovata Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> Painted Desert Sparsely Vegetated Alliance CEGL002928 Association 12 15 33<br />
37<br />
38<br />
Ephedra torreyana - Artemisia bigelovii Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Eriogonum leptophyllum Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Ephedra Torreyana Sparsely Vegetated Alliance CEGL002350<br />
CEGL004013<br />
Association<br />
Association<br />
12<br />
6<br />
12<br />
4<br />
38<br />
10<br />
39 Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparsely Vegetated Alliance CEGL002493 Association 17 12 12<br />
1<br />
2003 <strong>Classification</strong> Relevés<br />
2<br />
1996 Existing Relevés<br />
3<br />
2006 AA Relevés<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
Identification <strong>and</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> of Plant Communitiess<br />
sparse compared to descriptions of the<br />
plant community in the NatureServe<br />
database; however, they were not<br />
classified as sparse vegetation at PEFO<br />
<strong>and</strong> remained in the physiognomic level<br />
assigned by the NatureServe description<br />
of the plant community.<br />
21
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure 6. Index of aerial photographs for the northern half of Petrified Forest National Park. Background color<br />
scheme represents vegetation management classes for the park (see Figure 9. Base map classes at Petrified Forest<br />
National Park).<br />
22
3 Base Map Class Development<br />
3.1 Methods<br />
3.1.1 Overview<br />
To create the base map classes, the<br />
mapping team, consisting primarily of<br />
Monica McTeague (NAU) <strong>and</strong> Anne<br />
Cully (NPS), developed GIS polygons<br />
<strong>and</strong> labeled them to the finest floristic<br />
level possible using a traditional<br />
photointerpretation approach. The<br />
resulting base map polygons are the finest<br />
spatial data in the GIS database. Ideally,<br />
each polygon represents a map class<br />
that consists of one plant community<br />
that is an association, alliance, or park<br />
special; or one l<strong>and</strong>-use class. However,<br />
one-to-one correspondence of map<br />
class to a single plant community is<br />
sometimes not possible because mixed<br />
or indistinguishable photosignatures on<br />
the aerial photography make it diffcult<br />
for the photointerpreter to distinguish<br />
every plant community. In such cases, the<br />
map class assigned represents a group of<br />
associations, alliances, or park specials.<br />
The group, management, <strong>and</strong> macrogroup<br />
map classes described in Section 4 derive<br />
from the base map classes.<br />
3.1.2 Imagery<br />
The SCPN acquired new stereo aerial<br />
photography of PEFO through the U.S.<br />
Department of Agriculture’s Aerial<br />
Photography Field Offce (APFO). APFO<br />
subcontractor Photo Flight Geomatics,<br />
of Tucson, Arizona, acquired the imagery<br />
on September 13, 14, 17, <strong>and</strong> 19 of 2003;<br />
an additional flight was made on June 17,<br />
2004 to cover areas that were missed in<br />
2003. The imagery was taken in true color<br />
film at a scale of 1:6,000, with 20–40%<br />
sidelap <strong>and</strong> 50–60% overlap. The APFO<br />
provided two sets of 9 × 9-in contact prints<br />
to the SCPN. The NAU <strong>and</strong> NPS mapping<br />
team used the images for reference during<br />
polygon delineation <strong>and</strong> labeling. Upon<br />
project completion, one set of contact<br />
prints will reside at PEFO <strong>and</strong> one at the<br />
SCPN. Figures 6 <strong>and</strong> 7 show the flight lines<br />
<strong>and</strong> photo centers.<br />
3.1.3 Field Reconnaissance<br />
The photointerpreters, Cully <strong>and</strong><br />
McTeague, conducted field reconnaissance<br />
of plant communities <strong>and</strong> their<br />
corresponding photosignatures during<br />
March <strong>and</strong> October 2004; May, July,<br />
August, October, <strong>and</strong> November 2005; <strong>and</strong><br />
April 2006, prior to <strong>and</strong> simultaneous to<br />
delineating <strong>and</strong> labeling polygons. Cully<br />
<strong>and</strong> McTeague traveled together in the<br />
park for the first visits to ensure that they<br />
had a consistent underst<strong>and</strong>ing of the flora<br />
<strong>and</strong> plant communities. After the initial<br />
visits, they divided the park into northern<br />
<strong>and</strong> southern portions, <strong>and</strong> each took one<br />
portion for photointerpretation.<br />
Cully <strong>and</strong> McTeague visited 113 sites in<br />
areas represented by photosignatures<br />
that were not easily identifiable on<br />
the aerial photography, <strong>and</strong> in areas<br />
that were representative of vegetation<br />
associations (fig. 8). At each site they<br />
recorded (1) the geographic coordinates<br />
of the site, (2) the vegetation structure<br />
<strong>and</strong> composition (including dominant<br />
species cover estimates), <strong>and</strong> (3) a brief<br />
description of the site’s environmental<br />
characteristics. They took two or more<br />
digital photographs at each observation<br />
point. For many sites, they recorded<br />
additional field observations directly onto<br />
transparent polyester sheets overlain<br />
on the aerial photos (see section 3.1.4).<br />
These were used in the lab as a guide<br />
during photointerpretation. The data were<br />
entered into a Microsoft® Access database<br />
<strong>and</strong> each observation site was assigned a<br />
provisional plant community assignment.<br />
3.1.4 Base Map Class Polygons <strong>and</strong><br />
Labels<br />
The NAU <strong>and</strong> NPS mapping team<br />
delineated map polygons on a transparent<br />
polyester sheet overlain on the true-color<br />
aerial photographs. Adjoining photos<br />
were used to determine the central area<br />
on a particular photo frame with the least<br />
distortion, known as the ‘effective area’;<br />
this area was boxed in on the polyester<br />
23
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
24<br />
Figure 7. Index of aerial photographs for the southern half of Petrified Forest National Park. Background color<br />
scheme represents vegetation management classes for the park (see Figure 20. Management map classes at<br />
Petrified Forest National Park).
Base Map Class Development<br />
overlay as the work area for the photo.<br />
Fiducial marks (representing a fixed<br />
basis of reference) were transferred to<br />
each transparent polyester sheet, along<br />
with the park code <strong>and</strong> photo number. A<br />
stereoscope was used to help distinquish<br />
topographic features with elevational<br />
differences <strong>and</strong> details of photo signatures.<br />
Each photo of the northern section <strong>and</strong><br />
every other photo of the southern section<br />
was interpreted, <strong>and</strong> every other photo<br />
of the southern section. This decision<br />
was based on the preferences of each<br />
photointerpreter after ensuring that<br />
joining the northern <strong>and</strong> southern sets of<br />
transparent polyester sheets would not<br />
create problems in the final map.<br />
The ground reference data for<br />
photointerpretation was supplied by<br />
the field reconnaissance observations,<br />
classification relevés, <strong>and</strong> the 1996<br />
sampling data. Cully <strong>and</strong> McTeague<br />
developed a list of provisional base<br />
map classes that represented the plant<br />
communities as seen in the aerial<br />
photography. They labeled the polygons<br />
using known <strong>and</strong> interpreted relationships<br />
among the photo signatures, the ground<br />
reference data, <strong>and</strong> the provisional base<br />
map classes. Adjustments were made to<br />
the provisional base map classes <strong>and</strong> to<br />
the plant community classification during<br />
this phase of the project. Adjustments<br />
consisted of<br />
● adding map classes to the l<strong>and</strong> use<br />
classification, based on observations<br />
during field reconnaissance<br />
● including unique st<strong>and</strong>s of plant communities<br />
into existing map classes<br />
● exp<strong>and</strong>ing provisional map class concepts<br />
to include field observed plant<br />
communities<br />
Cully <strong>and</strong> McTeague identified each<br />
delineated map class with a numeric<br />
code referencing its provisional map class<br />
assignment <strong>and</strong> any modifiers applicable<br />
to the polygon. The modifiers, developed<br />
in coordination with the Northern<br />
Figure 8. Location of photointerpreters’ observation points at Petrified<br />
Forest National Park.<br />
Colorado Plateau Network (NCPN),<br />
indicated vegetation density (in percentage<br />
categories), pattern, <strong>and</strong> height (table<br />
6) <strong>and</strong> were applied to the uppermost<br />
stratum of each plant community. The<br />
height modifier described the average<br />
height of the plant community represented<br />
by the polygon. A modifier was also used<br />
to describe the environmental condition<br />
surrounding the vegetation. Cully<br />
25
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 6. Modifiers applied to map classes to further characterize the vegetation of each map unit..<br />
Modifier<br />
Modifier code Interpretation<br />
Density A Open <strong>Vegetation</strong>/Discontinuous (25-60% cover)<br />
B Dispersed <strong>Vegetation</strong> (10-25% cover)<br />
C Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> (2-10% cover)<br />
D Barren (
Base Map Class Development<br />
names being adjusted based on the input<br />
of park staff during that meeting.<br />
3.1.5. Base Map Automation<br />
The Geographic Information Systems<br />
Spatial Analysis Laboratory (GISSAL) in<br />
the Department of Geography at Kansas<br />
State University provided the technical<br />
expertise to automate the polygons<br />
<strong>and</strong> associated map class <strong>and</strong> modifier<br />
assignments, creating a spatial vegetation<br />
map database.<br />
3.1.5.1 Aerial Photograph Mosaic<br />
SCPN provided GISSAL with one<br />
complete set of the 1:6,000 true color<br />
aerial photographs. Each of the 9 in x 9 in<br />
contact prints was scanned at a resolution<br />
of 500 dpi <strong>and</strong> full color depth, then<br />
saved in TIF image format, resulting in<br />
an uncompressed file size of 74.5 MB<br />
per photo. Digital versions of the aerial<br />
photographs were cropped in Adobe<br />
Photoshop 6.0 (Adobe Systems Inc., San<br />
Jose, CA) to remove the black borders<br />
present on the original hardcopy photos.<br />
Orthorectification was performed with<br />
ER Mapper 7.0 (Leica Geosystems, San<br />
Diego, CA) using National Elevation<br />
Dataset (NED) digital elevation models<br />
(DEMs) as the height reference. Northing<br />
<strong>and</strong> easting for ground control points<br />
(GCPs) were determined from an existing<br />
low-resolution digital orthophotograph.<br />
Between four <strong>and</strong> six GCPs common<br />
to each scanned aerial photograph <strong>and</strong><br />
corresponding digital orthophotograph<br />
were defined within ER Mapper until a<br />
root mean square error (RMS ) of ≤ 1<br />
error<br />
pixel (equivalent to an error of less than<br />
0.3048 meters or 12 inches) was achieved.<br />
When necessary, additional GCPs were<br />
identified to meet this threshold. The<br />
output projection <strong>and</strong> datum for the final<br />
product were UTM Zone 12N <strong>and</strong> NAD<br />
83.<br />
Individual orthorectified photographs<br />
were compressed at a ratio of 1:35<br />
<strong>and</strong> saved in ECW format. Each of the<br />
individual orthorectified digital photos<br />
was combined in a mosaic operation<br />
<strong>and</strong> color-balanced in ER Mapper to<br />
produce the final seamless 1:6,000 scale<br />
digital photomosaic, at 0.3048 meter or 12<br />
inch pixel resolution, for the park <strong>and</strong> its<br />
environs.<br />
3.1.5.2 <strong>Vegetation</strong> Map Database<br />
Development<br />
The photointerpretation team provided<br />
more than 1000 transparent polyester<br />
sheet overlays with map polygon<br />
delineation to GISSAL. Each overlay<br />
included boundary information for<br />
delineated map polygons, along with codes<br />
representing the numeric reference for the<br />
base map class, including any applicable<br />
modifiers. Overlays were scanned <strong>and</strong><br />
converted into black <strong>and</strong> white digital<br />
raster files (TIF format) for processing <strong>and</strong><br />
archiving.<br />
Digital versions of the scanned overlays<br />
were orthorectified in ER Mapper 7.0<br />
using 1/3 arc second (10 meter) digital<br />
elevation models (DEMs) from the<br />
National Elevation Dataset (NED) as<br />
the height reference, <strong>and</strong> the previously<br />
created digital orthophotomosaic as the<br />
base map. As was performed previously<br />
with orthorectification, 4-6 GCPs common<br />
between the scanned overlays <strong>and</strong> the<br />
high-resolution orthophotomosaic<br />
were defined within ER Mapper until<br />
a horizontal root mean square error<br />
(RMS ) of ≤ 1pixel (equivalent to 0.3048<br />
error<br />
meters or 12 inches) was achieved. If<br />
necessary, additional GCPs were identified<br />
to meet this threshold.<br />
After orthorectification was completed,<br />
each overlay was subjected to a rasterto-vector<br />
conversion using the ArcScan<br />
extension available with the ArcGIS<br />
9.2 (ESRI, Redl<strong>and</strong>s, CA) software.<br />
Vector line features generated from the<br />
scanned vegetation boundaries were<br />
“edge-matched” with boundary lines<br />
generated from adjacent overlays <strong>and</strong> then<br />
converted into polygon features. Map<br />
unit attribute information, read directly<br />
from photointerpreter markings on the<br />
27
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure 9. Base map classes at Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
28
Base Map Class Development<br />
overlays, was then added to the attribute<br />
table of each base map polygon.<br />
Additional attributes, including vegetation<br />
associations <strong>and</strong> communities, were<br />
then incorporated using a tabular join in<br />
ArcGIS 9.2. The resulting vegetation map,<br />
in shapefile format, was then reviewed<br />
independently for attribute accuracy<br />
through a “heads-up” comparison of<br />
the vegetation map with the original<br />
orthorectified overlays in the ArcMap<br />
application of ArcGIS 9.2.<br />
3.2 Results<br />
The vegetation map database for PEFO<br />
(fig. 9, table 7) encompasses 46 base map<br />
classes:<br />
● 8 classes describing infrastructure<br />
● 5 describing l<strong>and</strong> cover <strong>and</strong> geology<br />
types<br />
● 4 describing sparse vegetation<br />
● 15 describing grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
● 15 describing shrubl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
● 2 describing woodl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> forests.<br />
The vegetation map database is<br />
georeferenced to Universal Transverse<br />
Mercator (UTM) projection North<br />
American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) zone<br />
12.<br />
The vegetation map database contains<br />
6,989 polygons, of which 1,956 (28%) are<br />
smaller than 0.5 ha (table 8). The majority<br />
of the vegetated polygons smaller than<br />
0.5 ha in size occur in nine base map<br />
classes. Map classes that occurred in the<br />
barren badl<strong>and</strong>s were relatively easy to<br />
distinquish from unvegetated areas on<br />
the aerial photography <strong>and</strong> were often<br />
mapped even when the patches were less<br />
than 0.5 ha in size.<br />
but were included within the surrounding<br />
mapped vegetatation: 1) Artemisia filifolia<br />
/ Bouteloua eriopoda Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, 2)<br />
Forestiera pubescens Temporarily Flooded<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Alliance, 3) Krascheninnikovia<br />
lanata Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>, 4) Suaeda<br />
moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, 5) Sporobolus<br />
corom<strong>and</strong>elianus Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong>,<br />
<strong>and</strong> 6) Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus Great<br />
Basin Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong>. These<br />
plant communities frequently occurred<br />
in patches smaller than the minimum<br />
map unit <strong>and</strong> are not characteristic of<br />
any of the base map units. Pinus edulis<br />
– (Juniperus osteosperma) / Bouteloua<br />
gracilis Woodl<strong>and</strong> was also not mapped as<br />
a unique map unit but was incorporated<br />
with One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s<br />
Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> as a base map class.<br />
A summary of the base-map class<br />
distribution, as well as the distribution of<br />
the management, group, <strong>and</strong> macrogroup<br />
map classes, is presented in section 4. A<br />
key to the base map classes, crosswalked<br />
to plant community, as well as the group,<br />
macrogroup, <strong>and</strong> management map<br />
classes, is presented in Appendix E.<br />
Appendix F lists the relationship of plant<br />
communities defined in section 2 to base<br />
map classes <strong>and</strong> to the other three map<br />
schemas. Photosignatures <strong>and</strong> summaries<br />
of the characteristics of each base map<br />
class are presented in Appendix G.<br />
All base map classes have a one-to-one<br />
representation with a plant community.<br />
Six plant communities were not<br />
specifically mapped, as they could not be<br />
distinquished on the aerial photography,<br />
29
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 7. Base map classes at Petrified Forest National Park <strong>and</strong> the plant communities or l<strong>and</strong> cover/l<strong>and</strong> use types they represent.<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base Map Class Plant Community Level<br />
B1 Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong> 3 Populus fremontii / Ericameria nauseosa Woodl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B2 One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shru- 1 Juniperus monosperma / Artemisia bigelovii Woodl<strong>and</strong>, Pinus Association<br />
bl<strong>and</strong><br />
edulis - (Juniperus osteosperma) / Bouteloua gracilis Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
B3 Blue Sage Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 18 Salvia pachyphylla Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Park Special<br />
B4 Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 15 Purshia stansburiana - Eriogonum corymbosum Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B5 Copperweed - Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 12 Iva acerosa- Sporobolus airoides Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Park Special<br />
B6 Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 17 Salix exigua / Barren Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B7 Drummond Goldenweed - Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 11 Isocoma drummondii - Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Park Special<br />
B8 Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 7 Atriplex canescens / Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B9 Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 19 Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Atriplex obovata Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Park Special<br />
B10 Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 20 Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B11 Iodine Bush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 4 Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B12 Rubber Rabbitbrush Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 8 Ericameria nauseosa Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B13 S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 6 Artemisia filifolia Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B14 Snakeweed - (Prickly Pear) / Galleta Dwarf- 10 Gutierrezia sarothrae - (Opuntia spp.) / Pleuraphis jamesii Association<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
B15 Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 22 Tamarix spp. Semi-Natural Temporarily Flooded Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
B16 Three-leafed Sumac - Mormon Tea Talus Shru- 16 Rhus trilobata - Ephedra (viridis, torreyana) Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Association<br />
bl<strong>and</strong><br />
B17 Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrub 13 Krascheninnikovia lanata / Bouteloua gracilis Dwarf-shrub Association<br />
Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Herbaceous<br />
B18 Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 33 Sporobolus airoides Southern Plains Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> Association<br />
B19<br />
Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
32 Sporobolus airoides - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B20 Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 25 Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Association<br />
Association<br />
B21 Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 26 Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> Association<br />
B22 Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 24 Bouteloua gracilis - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> Association<br />
B23 Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 30 Pleuraphis jamesii - Sporobolus airoides Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B24<br />
B25<br />
B26<br />
Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New Mexico Saltbush / Alkali Sacaton - Galleta<br />
Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
27 Calamovilfa gigantea Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
23 Atriplex obovata / Sporobolus airoides - Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
28 Ericameria nauseosa / Bouteloua gracilis Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Association<br />
Association<br />
Association<br />
Association<br />
B27 Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> 31 Salsola tragus S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> Park Special<br />
B28 Whipple Cholla - Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herba- 29 Opuntia whipplei -Sporobolus airoides Shrub Herbaceous Park Special<br />
ceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Sparse<br />
B29 Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> 39 Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> Association<br />
B30 New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse Vegeta- 36 Atriplex obovata Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> Association<br />
tion<br />
B31 Slender Buckwheat Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> 38 Eriogonum leptophyllum Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> Association<br />
30
Base Map Class Development<br />
Table 7. continued<br />
Base Map Class Plant Community Level<br />
B32 Torrey’s Jointfir - Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse 37 Ephedra torreyana - Artemisia bigelovii Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> Association<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
L<strong>and</strong> Use/L<strong>and</strong>forms<br />
B33 Airstrip Not applicable<br />
B34 Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s Not applicable<br />
B35 Barren Wash Not applicable<br />
B36 Park Facilities Not applicable<br />
B37 Park Sites Not applicable<br />
B38 Railroad Not applicable<br />
B39 Residences Not applicable<br />
B40 Roads Not applicable<br />
B41 Run-off Control Feature Not applicable<br />
B42 S<strong>and</strong> Not applicable<br />
B43 Stock Ponds Not applicable<br />
B44 Vegetated Rim Complex Not applicable<br />
B45 Vegetated Wash Complex Not applicable<br />
B46 Commercial Development Not applicable<br />
Table 8. Base map classes at Petrified Forest National Park occurring in polygons smaller than the MMU size.<br />
Base Map Class<br />
# map units Total<br />
less than # all map % Area area<br />
MMU 1 units
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 8 continued<br />
Base Map Class<br />
# map units # all map % Area Total<br />
less than units
4 Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
The Southwest Biological Science<br />
Center (SBSC) team completed the<br />
vegetation map database by coordinating<br />
field collection of accuracy assessment<br />
observations; developing the accuracy<br />
statistics for the base map classes;<br />
developing the group, macrogroup, <strong>and</strong><br />
management map classes; <strong>and</strong> developing<br />
accuracy assessment statistics for those<br />
map schemas. In this step, the team<br />
used the accuracy assessment guidelines<br />
<strong>and</strong> protocols developed by the <strong>USGS</strong>-<br />
NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />
(Environmental Systems Research<br />
Institute et al. 1994). They developed the<br />
accuracy assessment by comparing the<br />
performance of base map class polygons,<br />
as mapped, with field-collected data at<br />
the location of those polygons.<br />
4.1 Methods<br />
To conduct the accuracy assessment, the<br />
team: (1) developed a sampling design,<br />
(2) collected field data with on-theground<br />
field sampling (reference data),<br />
<strong>and</strong> (3) developed map performance<br />
statistics. As is common practice when<br />
measuring uncertainty in mapped<br />
classes, a sample of polygon locations<br />
representing each map class (the sample<br />
data) was compared to the reference data.<br />
The higher-level group, macrogroup, <strong>and</strong><br />
management map classes consisted of<br />
aggregations of base map classes. They<br />
were assessed using the same reference<br />
data as for the base map. Finally, the team<br />
developed summary statistics describing<br />
the characteristics of the base, group,<br />
macrogroup, <strong>and</strong> management map<br />
classes.<br />
4.1.1 Field Sampling Design<br />
The map database, with base map<br />
classes, was made available to the SBSC<br />
team for accuracy assessment in two<br />
separate shapefiles. The initial shapefile<br />
represented the northern half of the park,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the final shapefile consisted of the<br />
entire park, including the southern half.<br />
Although it is ideal to develop a sampling<br />
design using a complete map database,<br />
the full map database was not available<br />
until the late summer months. Prior to<br />
developing the sample design, the SBSC<br />
team checked the topology <strong>and</strong> data<br />
structure of each map section for node<br />
<strong>and</strong> label errors.<br />
The team generally limited accuracy<br />
assessment sampling to within the park<br />
boundaries. With the approval of park<br />
managers, the team did not field assess<br />
l<strong>and</strong> use <strong>and</strong> non-vegetated map classes.<br />
These map classes are well known <strong>and</strong><br />
often easier to identify on the aerial<br />
photography than the vegetated classes,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the field team had limited fieldseason<br />
time to sample the vegetated<br />
map classes. All vegetated map classes,<br />
including park specials <strong>and</strong> those based<br />
on photointerpretation alone, were<br />
included in the accuracy assessment<br />
sampling design.<br />
The SBSC team used the “scenario”<br />
table recommended by the <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Mapping</strong> Program (ESRI et al. 1994)<br />
to estimate the number of sample sites<br />
needed for each map class in order to<br />
achieve a statistical measure of class<br />
accuracy with a confidence level of 90%<br />
<strong>and</strong> an acceptable sample error of 10%.<br />
Each scenario was based on the number<br />
of polygons <strong>and</strong> total area of a map class.<br />
The team assigned each map class to one<br />
of five different scenarios to determine<br />
the target number of sampling sites<br />
needed (table 9). Depending upon its<br />
scenario assignment, a map class could<br />
include between 1 <strong>and</strong> 30 sampling sites.<br />
The team developed the sampling<br />
design for the park in two stages. To<br />
compensate for the northern half<br />
containing only a portion of all park<br />
polygons, the team reduced the initial<br />
number of sample sites for that section<br />
by multiplying the portion of the total<br />
map that the section represented by the<br />
target number of sample sites determined<br />
through the scenario table. This allowed<br />
33
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 9. Sampling design scenarios used to determine the target number of field accuracy assessment<br />
observation sites.<br />
Scenario Class Area Number of Polygons Sample Size<br />
A Abundant > 50 ha >= 30 30<br />
B Relatively Abundant > 50 ha < 30 20<br />
C Relatively Rare < 50 ha > 30 20<br />
D Rare < 50 ha > 5 but < 30 5<br />
E Very Rare < 50 ha
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
base. These fine-scale maps allowed each<br />
field team to locate specific polygons on<br />
the ground <strong>and</strong> to visualize the size <strong>and</strong><br />
shape of the polygon they were assessing.<br />
The field team navigated to each site <strong>and</strong><br />
then examined the polygon, using the field<br />
maps as a guide to the polygon’s shape.<br />
They recorded site data (table 10) <strong>and</strong><br />
generally took at least one photo from<br />
the site waypoint. They determined the<br />
plant community found on the ground<br />
<strong>and</strong> the corresponding base map class<br />
using the plant community/map class key<br />
in an area of at least 0.5 ha in size (e.g.<br />
a circle within a 40-m radius) from the<br />
geographic coordinates of the designated<br />
sampling site. The evaluator assigned<br />
confidence in the base map classes using<br />
a categorical scale: exact, good (some<br />
problems), poor, or none that fit; <strong>and</strong><br />
documented the reasons for a confidence<br />
level that was less than exact. If additional<br />
map classes or plant communities were<br />
present in the polygon, the evaluator listed<br />
alternate map classes. During the accuracy<br />
assessment fieldwork, the field crew <strong>and</strong><br />
the SBSC project leaders refined the plant<br />
community/map class key <strong>and</strong> some of the<br />
plant community descriptions.<br />
4.1.3 Field data processing <strong>and</strong> accuracy<br />
assessment statistics<br />
Data from 662 sampling locations were<br />
entered into a Microsoft Access database.<br />
The SBSC team rigorously quality checked<br />
the data including comparing the entered<br />
data with the original data sheet.<br />
The SBSC team developed accuracy<br />
assessment statistics by comparing<br />
the reference map class (the map class<br />
determined in the field during accuracy<br />
assessment) to the map class in the<br />
vegetation map database (the map class<br />
assigned by the photointerpreter) at the<br />
sampled waypoint (table 11). In some<br />
cases, if the field crew could not access a<br />
sample location, they made observations<br />
from a removed location. When this<br />
occurred, the geographic coordinates<br />
of the target sample site, as determined<br />
during development of the sampling<br />
design, were the geographic location for<br />
the reference data. The team listed all sites<br />
where there was a difference in the sample<br />
<strong>and</strong> reference comparison (an apparent<br />
error). The field data sheet for each<br />
apparent error was re-examined <strong>and</strong> the<br />
alternate map class accepted if it matched<br />
the reference data.<br />
The team developed a contingency<br />
table (also known as an error matrix)<br />
to summarize the reference <strong>and</strong> sample<br />
data comparisons for each map class. The<br />
SBSC team used methods described in the<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program guidelines<br />
(Environmental Systems Research Institute<br />
et al. 1994) to calculate user <strong>and</strong> producer<br />
accuracy (see Glossary) for individual<br />
map classes, as well as overall accuracy,<br />
<strong>and</strong> a kappa index, which accounts for<br />
correct classifications due to chance<br />
(Foody 1992; The Nature Conservancy<br />
<strong>and</strong> Environmental Systems Research<br />
Institute 1994a). The kappa index was<br />
calculated for map classes that were<br />
assigned target sites; map classes that<br />
were observed in the field, but were not<br />
Table 10. Summary of data collected within 2006 accuracy assessment observation sites.<br />
Type of information<br />
Site documentation<br />
Map class<br />
Confidence in map class<br />
Plant community<br />
Confidence in plant community<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description<br />
Items noted<br />
Site identification, georeferencing, photo, elevation<br />
Base map class of the site<br />
The evaluators confidence in base map class assignment<br />
Association, alliance, or park special at site<br />
The evaluators confidence in plant community assignment<br />
Cover class, dominant species by strata<br />
35
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 11. Terminology used for accuracy assessment data collection <strong>and</strong> analysis at Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Terminology<br />
Reference map class<br />
Sample map class<br />
Contingency table or<br />
error matrix<br />
Users accuracy<br />
Producers accuracy<br />
Overall accuracy<br />
Kappa Index<br />
Definition<br />
Map class observed in the field during accuracy assessment, considered to be the true map class.<br />
Map class assigned in the vegetation map database.<br />
A matrix where rows indicate the sample map classes <strong>and</strong> columns represent the reference map classes. At<br />
each row <strong>and</strong> column intersection, the number of observations for each sample/reference combination is<br />
noted. The vegetation map database is considered correct for all the cases where the sample map class <strong>and</strong><br />
the reference map class are the same. These observations usually occur on the diagonal on the matrix.<br />
The number of correct reference observations divided by the total number of reference observations for a<br />
map class.<br />
The number of sample map classes correctly mapped divided by the total number of reference observations<br />
made for that map class.<br />
The total number of correctly classified reference observations divided by the total number of reference<br />
observations regardless of map class.<br />
An alternate expression of overall accuracy with correction for chance correct classifications.<br />
targeted for accuracy assessment, such as<br />
a l<strong>and</strong>-cover class observed as a reference<br />
observation but not targeted as a sample,<br />
were not included in the calculation of<br />
the kappa index. Statistics were derived<br />
using the JMP v5.1 statistical application.<br />
The two-tailed, 90% confidence intervals<br />
for users, producers <strong>and</strong> overall accuracy<br />
were calculated using Score Confidence<br />
Interval Tables, which have better coverage<br />
probabilities with smaller sample, sizes<br />
(Agresti <strong>and</strong> Coull 1998).<br />
4.1.4 Group, Macrogroup, <strong>and</strong> Management<br />
Map Classes<br />
After assessment statistics were calculated<br />
for the base map classes, the SBSC team<br />
developed three aggregated map-class<br />
schemas: the group, macrogroup, <strong>and</strong><br />
management map schemas. The group<br />
map-class schema is an aggregation of<br />
base map classes based on the concept<br />
of the group level of the NVCS Version<br />
2 (Federal Geographic Data Committee<br />
2008) (see table 2). The SBSC team used<br />
the ecological-system assignments for<br />
associations developed by NatureServe<br />
as a substitute for assignment of group<br />
map class, which were not available<br />
in final form at the time this project<br />
was completed. The macrogroup is an<br />
additional midlevel grouping in the NVCS<br />
Version 2, one level of aggregation above<br />
the group.<br />
Management map classes reflect base<br />
map-class performance <strong>and</strong> resource<br />
management needs. User <strong>and</strong> producer<br />
accuracy statistics for each map class, as<br />
well as confusion among map classes as<br />
shown on the base map contingency table<br />
(see Appendix H1), were used to develop<br />
recommendations for aggregations of<br />
commonly confused <strong>and</strong> floristically or<br />
ecologically similar map classes. PEFO<br />
resource management staff reviewed these<br />
map-class recommendations at a meeting<br />
held at the park on May 17, 2007. They<br />
made recommendations for management<br />
class aggregations using management<br />
goals for particular plant communities<br />
of particular interest, regardless of their<br />
assessed accuracy performance.<br />
The SBSC team created a cross-walk<br />
between the base map classes <strong>and</strong> each<br />
aggregated map class (see Appendix F).<br />
The crosswalks were used to add the<br />
group, macrogroup, <strong>and</strong> management map<br />
classes to the map database. The team also<br />
created a crosswalk between the reference<br />
data for the accuracy assessment <strong>and</strong> the<br />
group, macrogroup, <strong>and</strong> management map<br />
classes to conduct an accuracy assessment<br />
of each aggregated map class. The number<br />
of polygons <strong>and</strong> the area of each map class<br />
within the base, group, macrogroup, <strong>and</strong><br />
management map-class schemas were<br />
calculated within a GIS.<br />
36
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
4.2 Results<br />
4.2.1 Accuracy Assessment Samples<br />
In 2006, 662 accuracy assessment locations<br />
were sampled (fig. 10 ). Data from 630 of<br />
these locations were used in the accuracy<br />
assessment analysis. The team eliminated<br />
32 accuracy assessment points from the<br />
accuracy assessment analysis in cases<br />
where the team did not fully underst<strong>and</strong><br />
the source of the error. This occurred in<br />
areas where the sampled point was closer<br />
to the polygon boundary than the error<br />
recorded by the GPS unit. The team was<br />
not sure if the thematic error was due to<br />
error in georeferencing or to error in the<br />
vegetation map database. Also, points<br />
were eliminated when the vegetation<br />
type recorded did not match the species<br />
information recorded.<br />
4.2.2 Base Map Class Accuracy <strong>and</strong><br />
Summary Statistics<br />
4.2.2.1 Accuracy<br />
The overall accuracy of the 46 base map<br />
classes was 40.6%; kappa index was<br />
42.2% +/- 0.22. As the kappa index <strong>and</strong><br />
its st<strong>and</strong>ard error use only map classes<br />
with both sample <strong>and</strong> corresponding<br />
reference data, it is slightly greater than the<br />
overall accuracy. The contingency table<br />
for base map class accuracy is presented in<br />
Appendix H1.<br />
The nine l<strong>and</strong>-use map classes were not<br />
assessed (table 12) but the five l<strong>and</strong>form<br />
defined map classes were. Two of the<br />
vegetated map classes were not assessed<br />
for accuracy; each consisted of only one<br />
polygon outside the park boundaries.<br />
Three base map classes, S<strong>and</strong>, Coyote<br />
Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Blue Sage Dwarfshrubl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
had both 100% user <strong>and</strong><br />
producer accuracy. Another six map<br />
classes (table 12) met the 80% accuracy<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard for either the user or producer<br />
accuracy but not both. Except for<br />
producer accuracy for Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
(87.5%), accuracy for the seven most<br />
abundant map classes was less than 80%.<br />
Figure 10. Location of 662 accuracy assessment points at Petrified Forest<br />
National Park observed in 2006.<br />
4.2.2.2 Summary Statistics<br />
Seven base map classes individually<br />
contributed 5% or more to the l<strong>and</strong> cover<br />
of the park (excluding environs); together<br />
they constitute just over 77% of the total<br />
park l<strong>and</strong> cover (table 13). The most<br />
abundant map classes were:<br />
● New Mexico Saltbush / Galleta – Alkali<br />
Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
(24.2%, fig. 11)<br />
37
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 12. Accuracy statistics for the base map classes.<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
90% CI Producer 90% CI<br />
Base Map Class User accuracy (range) accuracy (range)<br />
B1 Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong> 100.0 42.5 - 100.0 66.7 25.4 - 92.2<br />
B2 One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 81.8 57.3 - 93.8 100.0 NA 2<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
B3 Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> 100.0 68.9 - 100.0 100.0 68.9 - 100.0<br />
B4 Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 66.7 43.1 - 84.1 88.9 62.3 - 97.5<br />
B5 Copperweed / Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 0.0 NA 0.0 NA<br />
B6 Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 100.0 27.0 - 100.0 100.0 27.0 - 100.0<br />
B7 Drummond Goldenweed / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong> NS NS<br />
B8 Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 40.0 26.7 - 54.9 26.7 17.4 - 38.9<br />
B9 Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 41.9 28.6 - 56.6 81.3 61.2 - 92.2<br />
B10 Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 100.0 27.0 - 100.0 20.0 4.6 - 56.5<br />
B11 Iodine Bush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 21.1 9.8 - 39.5 66.7 34.7 - 88.3<br />
B12 Rubber Rabbitbrush Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 35.5 23.0 - 50.3 64.7 44.9 - 80.5<br />
B13 S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 58.6 43.5 - 72.3 63.0 47.2 - 76.4<br />
B14 Snakeweed - (Prickly Pear) / Galleta Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> 0.0 NA NS 3 NS<br />
B15 Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 31.6 17.3 - 50.4 85.7 54.8 - 96.7<br />
B16 Three-leafed Sumac - Mormon Tea Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 9.1 2.1 - 32.3 20.0 4.6 - 56.5<br />
B17 Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrub 0.0 NA 0.0 NA<br />
Herbaceous<br />
B19 Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 37.5 20.8 - 57.8 15.0 8.0 - 26.5<br />
B18 Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 20.0 10.1 - 35.8 13.5 6.7 - 25.3<br />
B20 Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 0.0 NA NS NS<br />
B22 Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 33.3 14.2 - 30.2 18.8 7.8 - 38.8<br />
B21 Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 0.0 NA 0.0 NA<br />
B23 Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 55.2 40.2 - 69.3 37.2 26.2 - 49.8<br />
B24 Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous 0.0 NA NS NS<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B25 New Mexico Saltbush / Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Shrub 40.0 27.7 - 54.9 19.4 12.5 - 28.8<br />
Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B26 Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama Shrub Herbaceous 6.9 2.3 - 18.8 40.0 14.3 - 72.8<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B27 Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
50.0 32.7 - 67.3 55.6 36.9 - 72.8<br />
B28<br />
Sparse<br />
B29<br />
Whipple Cholla / Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
NS<br />
13.3 6.1 - 26.6<br />
NS<br />
33.3 15.9 - 56.9<br />
B30 New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> 16.1 8.1 - 29.6 17.9 9.0 - 32.4<br />
B31<br />
B32<br />
Slender Buckwheat Sparse Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Torrey’s Jointfir – Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
38.9 22.7 - 58.0 50.0 30.0 - 70.1<br />
56.7 41.9 - 70.4 44.7 32.3 - 57.9<br />
38
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
Table 12 continued<br />
90% CI Producer 90% CI<br />
Base map class User accuracy (range) accuracy (range)<br />
B33 Airstrip Not sampled<br />
B34 Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s 87.5 74.9 - 94.3 53.8 42.6 - 64.7<br />
B35 Barren Wash 70.8 54.1 - 83.3 85.0 67.8 - 93.8<br />
B36 Park Facilities NS NS<br />
B37 Park Sites NS NS<br />
B38 Railroad NS NS<br />
B39 Residences NS NS<br />
B40 Roads NS NS<br />
B41 Run-off Control Feature NS NS<br />
B42 S<strong>and</strong> 100.0 42.5 - 100.0 100.0 42.5 - 100.0<br />
B43 Stock Ponds NS NS<br />
B44 Vegetated Rim Complex 42.9 28.8 - 58.2 52.2 35.7 - 68.2<br />
B45 Vegetated Wash Complex 67.9 52.3 - 80.2 50.0 37.1 - 62.9<br />
B46 Commercial Development NS NS<br />
3<br />
NA = not applicable, statistic could not be calculated.<br />
2<br />
NS =map class not sampled during accuracy assessment.<br />
● Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(14.4%, fig. 12)<br />
● New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> (14.4%, fig. 13)<br />
● Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s (12.3%, fig. 14)<br />
● S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(6.8%, fig. 15)<br />
● Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
(5.7%, fig.16)<br />
● Torrey’s Jointfir Shrubl<strong>and</strong> – Bigelow’s<br />
Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> (5.6%, fig.<br />
17).<br />
Thirty-one classes contributed less than<br />
1% cover each. Five map classes occurred<br />
only in the project environs. Nine of the<br />
small classes also had more than half of<br />
their distribution in the park environs.<br />
Additional information on the distribution<br />
of each map class occurs in Appendix G.<br />
4.2.3 Group map class accuracy <strong>and</strong><br />
summary statistics<br />
4.2.3.1 Accuracy<br />
Fifteen group map classes (fig. 18,<br />
Appendix F) were created by aggregating<br />
the base map classes (table 14). The overall<br />
accuracy of the group map classes was<br />
55.7%; Kappa index was 49.9%±0.02<br />
(table 15, Appendix H2). Colorado<br />
Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> met<br />
the 80% st<strong>and</strong>ard for both user <strong>and</strong><br />
producer accuracy. Inter-Mountain Basins<br />
Greasewood Flat <strong>and</strong> Inter-Mountain<br />
Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
meet the 80% st<strong>and</strong>ard for producer<br />
accuracy. The other map classes were<br />
below 80% accuracy for both the user <strong>and</strong><br />
producer accuracy.<br />
4.2.3.2 Summary Statistics<br />
The group map classes consist of five nonvegetated<br />
types <strong>and</strong> ten vegetated map<br />
classes (table 16). Within the park the three<br />
most abundant map classes are: 1) Inter-<br />
Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-<br />
Steppe (44.7%), 2) Southern Colorado<br />
Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (21.2%), <strong>and</strong> 3)<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Together they constitute 84.3% of the<br />
park’s vegetated cover.<br />
Continued on page 48<br />
39
40<br />
Table 13. Base map class summary statistics.<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base Map Class<br />
<strong>Project</strong> area<br />
# Polygons<br />
ha ac<br />
Park area<br />
% <strong>Project</strong><br />
l<strong>and</strong><br />
cover ha ac<br />
%Park<br />
l<strong>and</strong><br />
cover<br />
Occurrence<br />
outside park<br />
boundaries<br />
B1 Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong> 11 15.2 37.6 0.0% 1.7 4.3 0.0% 88.5%<br />
B2 One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 27 211.4 522.3 0.4% 70.8 174.9 0.2% 66.5%<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
B3 Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> 12 122.8 303.5 0.2% 69.2 171.0 0.2% 43.7%<br />
B4 Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 11 57.1 141.1 0.1% 57.1 141.1 0.2% 0.0%<br />
B5 Copperweed / Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 2 2.0 4.9 0.0% 2.0 4.9 0.0% 0.0%<br />
B6 Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 6 13.2 32.5 0.0% 2.2 5.4 0.0% 83.4%<br />
B7 Drummond Goldenweed / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 1 0.8 1.9 0.0% 0.0% 100.0%<br />
B8 Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 803 7339.8 18137.0 13.8% 5473.8 13526.2 14.4% 25.4%<br />
B9 Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 48 212.3 524.6 0.4% 186.5 460.8 0.5% 12.2%<br />
B10 Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 3 7.4 18.3 0.0% 6.3 15.6 0.0% 14.9%<br />
B11 Iodine Bush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 27 56.1 138.7 0.1% 49.6 122.6 0.1% 11.6%<br />
B12 Rubber Rabbitbrush Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 224 508.4 1256.4 1.0% 343.5 848.9 0.9% 32.4%<br />
B13 S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 1032 4492.3 11100.8 8.4% 2577.8 6369.8 6.8% 42.6%<br />
B14 Snakeweed - (Prickly Pear) / Galleta Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> 48 438.7 1084.1 0.8% 169.7 419.4 0.4% 61.3%<br />
B15 Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 59 154.6 382.1 0.3% 62.0 153.3 0.2% 59.9%<br />
B16 Three-leafed Sumac - Mormon Tea Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 24 98.3 242.8 0.2% 36.2 89.5 0.1% 63.2%<br />
B17 Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrub 1 3.0 7.4 0.0% 3.0 7.4 0.0% 0.0%<br />
Herbaceous<br />
B18 Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 59 125.3 309.6 0.2% 92.3 228.0 0.2% 26.3%<br />
B19 Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 42 377.1 931.8 0.7% 284.2 702.3 0.7% 24.6%<br />
B20 Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 5 23.6 58.3 0.0% 23.6 58.3 0.1% 0.0%<br />
B21 Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 28 261.1 645.1 0.5% 33.6 83.0 0.1% 87.1%<br />
B22 Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 31 544.1 1344.5 1.0% 145.0 358.3 0.4% 73.4%<br />
B23 Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 535 4143.3 10238.3 7.8% 1586.0 3919.2 4.2% 61.7%<br />
B24 Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 32 33.0 81.5 0.1% 17.7 43.7 0.0% 46.4%<br />
B25<br />
New Mexico Saltbush / Alkali Sacaton – Galleta Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
712 11046.0 27295.3 20.8% 9218.0 22778.2 24.2% 16.5%<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
Table 13. continued<br />
<strong>Project</strong> area<br />
Park area<br />
41<br />
Base Map Class<br />
# Polygons<br />
ha ac<br />
% <strong>Project</strong><br />
l<strong>and</strong><br />
cover ha ac<br />
%Park<br />
l<strong>and</strong><br />
cover<br />
Occurrence<br />
outside park<br />
boundaries<br />
B27 Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> 39 100.7 248.9 0.2% 95.9 236.9 0.3% 4.8%<br />
B28 Whipple Cholla / Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> 1 0.6 1.6 0.0% 0.0% 100.0%<br />
Sparse<br />
B29 Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> 213 2685.0 6634.9 5.0% 2165.3 5350.7 5.7% 19.4%<br />
B30 New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> 770 6815.6 16841.7 12.8% 5497.4 13584.5 14.4% 19.3%<br />
B31 Slender Buckwheat Sparse Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong> 21 114.0 281.8 0.2% 113.3 280.0 0.3% 0.6%<br />
B32 Torrey’s Jointfir – Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> 668 3227.3 7974.9 6.1% 2119.2 5236.8 5.6% 34.3%<br />
L<strong>and</strong> use/l<strong>and</strong>forms<br />
B33 Airstrip 1 2.6 6.5 0.0% 0.0% 100.0%<br />
B34 Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s 440 5587.5 13807.1 10.5% 4664.9 11527.3 12.3% 16.5%<br />
B35 Barren Wash 47 498.7 1232.4 0.9% 319.4 789.1 0.8% 36.0%<br />
B36 Park Facilities 21 16.0 39.5 0.0% 16.0 39.5 0.0% 0.0%<br />
B37 Park Sites 2 0.8 1.9 0.0% 0.8 1.9 0.0% 0.0%<br />
B38 Railroad 2 5.2 12.9 0.0% 2.3 5.7 0.0% 56.0%<br />
B39 Residences 23 2.4 6.0 0.0% 0.1 0.2 0.0% 96.9%<br />
B40 Roads 52 217.6 537.6 0.4% 143.6 354.9 0.4% 34.0%<br />
B41 Run-off Control Feature 2 0.5 1.3 0.0% 0.5 1.3 0.0% 0.0%<br />
B42 S<strong>and</strong> 2 2.8 6.9 0.0% 2.8 6.9 0.0% 0.0%<br />
B43 Stock Ponds 25 8.8 21.8 0.0% 0.0% 100.0%<br />
B44 Vegetated Rim Complex 55 223.2 551.5 0.4% 167.4 413.6 0.4% 25.0%<br />
B45 Vegetated Wash Complex 478 1873.2 4628.7 3.5% 1385.8 3424.5 3.6% 26.0%<br />
B46 Commercial Development 6 1.4 3.5 0.0% 0.0 0.0 0.0% 100.0%<br />
Total 1 6989 53,201.1 131,463.3 38,057.2 94,042.1<br />
1<br />
Area totals may vary by 0.1 to 0.2 units due to rounding.<br />
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 14. Cross-walk of group map classes <strong>and</strong> base map classes<br />
Group Map Class<br />
Base Map Class<br />
G1 Agriculture Run-off Control Feature<br />
Stock Ponds<br />
G2 Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Three-leafed Sumac - Mormon Tea Talus shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Vegetated Rim Complex<br />
G3 Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
G4 Development Commercial Development<br />
G5 Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
G6 Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Iodine Bush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
G7 Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shru- Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
bl<strong>and</strong><br />
Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
G8 Inter-Mountain Basins Wash Barren Wash<br />
Copperweed / Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Drummond Goldenweed / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Rubber Rabbitbrush Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Vegetated Wash Complex<br />
G9 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Whipple Cholla / Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
G10 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe Torrey’s Jointfir – Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New Mexico Saltbush / Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Snakeweed - (Prickly Pear) / Galleta Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrub<br />
G11 Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong> Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
S<strong>and</strong><br />
Slender Buckwheat Sparse Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
G12 Park Facilities Park Facilities<br />
Park Sites<br />
G13 Residential Residences<br />
42
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
Table 14 continued<br />
Group Map Class<br />
Base Map Class<br />
G14 Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
G15 Transportation Airstrip<br />
Railroads<br />
Roads<br />
Figure 11. An example of New Mexico Saltbush<br />
/ Galleta – Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> at Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Figure 12. An example of Four-wing Saltbush<br />
/ Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong> at Petrified Forest National<br />
Park.<br />
43
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure 13. An example of New Mexico<br />
Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> at<br />
Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Figure 14. An example of Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
at Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Figure 15. An example of S<strong>and</strong>sage<br />
Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> at Petrified<br />
Forest National Park.<br />
44
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
Figure 16. An example of Arizona Siltbush<br />
Sparse Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
at Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Figure 17. An example of the base map<br />
class Torrey’s Jointfir Shrubl<strong>and</strong> – Bigelow’s<br />
Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> at<br />
Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Table 15. Accuracy statistics for the group map classes.<br />
User 90% CI 1 Producer 90% CI<br />
Group Map Class accuracy (range) accuracy (range)<br />
G1 Agriculture Not sampled Not sampled<br />
G2 Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> 52.9 41.6 - 64.0 73.0 59.7 - 83.1<br />
G3 Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> 81.8 57.3 - 93.8 100.0 76.9 - 100.0<br />
G4 Development Not sampled Not sampled<br />
G5 Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune 36.7 26.4 - 48.5 78.3 61.6 - 89.0<br />
G6 Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat 47.1 36.0 - 58.4 85.7 71.7 - 93.4<br />
G7 Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 40.9 25.6 - 58.2 81.8 57.3 - 93.8<br />
G8 Inter-Mountain Basins Wash 66.3 57.7 - 73.9 69.4 60.7 - 76.9<br />
G9 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> 69.3 60.8 - 76.7 44.9 38.0 - 51.9<br />
G10 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe 41.8 34.7 - 49.2 38.1 31.5 - 45.1<br />
G11 Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong> 60.2 51.5 - 68.4 62.4 53.5 - 70.5<br />
G12 Park Facilities Not sampled Not sampled<br />
G13 Residential Not sampled Not sampled<br />
G14 Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 67.8 57.2 - 76.8 55.6 45.9 - 64.8<br />
G15 Transportation Not sampled NS<br />
1<br />
CI = confidence interval<br />
45
46<br />
Table 16. Summary statistics for group map classes.<br />
Group Map Class<br />
<strong>Project</strong> area<br />
# Polygons ha ac<br />
Park area<br />
% <strong>Project</strong><br />
l<strong>and</strong> cover ha ac<br />
% Park<br />
l<strong>and</strong> cover<br />
Occurrence<br />
outside park<br />
boundaries<br />
G1 Agriculture 27 9.3 23.1 0.0% 0.5 1.3 0.0% 94.3%<br />
G2 Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> 90 378.5 935.4 0.7% 260.7 644.1 0.7% 31.1%<br />
G3 Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> 27 211.4 522.3 0.4% 70.8 174.9 0.2% 66.5%<br />
G4 Development 6 1.4 3.5 0.0% 0.0 0.0 0.0% 100.0%<br />
G5<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized<br />
Dune<br />
377 1631.0 4030.4 3.1% 946.6 2339.1 2.5% 42.0%<br />
G6 Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat 78 275.8 681.6 0.5% 242.4 599.0 0.6% 12.1%<br />
G7<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
76 183.0 452.2 0.3% 66.0 163.0 0.2% 63.9%<br />
G8 Inter-Mountain Basins Wash 784 2916.1 7205.9 5.5% 2068.4 5111.1 5.4% 29.1%<br />
G9 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> 701 5475.0 13529.1 10.3% 2164.7 5349.0 5.7% 60.5%<br />
G10<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-<br />
Steppe<br />
2199 21530.6 53203.3 40.5% 17007.4 42026.2 44.7% 21.0%<br />
G11 Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong> 688 8512.2 21034.2 16.0% 7015.6 17335.9 18.4% 17.6%<br />
G12 Park Facilities 23 16.8 41.4 0.0% 16.8 41.4 0.0% 0.0%<br />
G13 Residential 23 2.4 6.0 0.0% 0.1 0.2 0.0% 96.9%<br />
G14 Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 1835 11832.1 29237.7 22.2% 8051.6 19895.9 21.2% 32.0%<br />
G15 Transportation 55 225.4 557.0 0.4% 145.9 360.5 0.4% 35.3%<br />
Total 1 6989 53,201.1 131,463.3 38,057.2 94,041.1<br />
1<br />
Area totals may vary by 0.1 to 0.2 units due to rounding.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
Figure 18. Group map classes for Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
47
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Continued from page 39<br />
4.2.4 Macrogroup Map Class Accuracy<br />
<strong>and</strong> Summary Statistics<br />
4.2.4.1 Accuracy<br />
Thirteen macrogroup map classes (fig.<br />
19; table 17, Appendix F) were created<br />
by aggregating the base map classes. The<br />
overall accuracy of the group map classes<br />
was 73.5%; the kappa index was 62.9%±<br />
0.02 (table 18, Appendix H3). Colorado<br />
Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> met<br />
the 80% st<strong>and</strong>ard for both user <strong>and</strong><br />
producer accuracy. Inter-Mountain Basins<br />
Greasewood Flat, Inter-Mountain Basins<br />
Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert<br />
Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Steppe met the 80%<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard for producer accuracy. Inter-<br />
Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> Steppe met the st<strong>and</strong>ard for user<br />
accuracy. Colorado Plateau Mixed<br />
Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong>, Inter-Mountain<br />
Basins Wash, <strong>and</strong> Southern Colorado<br />
Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> were below 80%<br />
accuracy for both the user <strong>and</strong> producer<br />
accuracy.<br />
4.2.4.2 Summary Statistics<br />
The macrogroup map classes consist<br />
of five non-vegetated types <strong>and</strong> eight<br />
vegetative map classes (table 19). Two<br />
map classes dominate macrogroup view<br />
of park vegetation: 1) Inter-Mountain<br />
Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Steppe<br />
(68.8%) <strong>and</strong> 2) Southern Colorado Plateau<br />
S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (21.2%).<br />
4.2.5 Management Map Class Accuracy<br />
<strong>and</strong> Summary Statistics<br />
4.2.5.1 Accuracy<br />
Twenty-four management map classes<br />
were created by aggregating the base map<br />
classes (fig. 20; table 20, Appendix F).<br />
The overall accuracy of the management<br />
map classes (table 21, Appendix H4) was<br />
68.6%, with a kappa index of 64.1% <strong>and</strong><br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard error of 0.02. Nine non-vegetated<br />
map classes were not assessed. Four of<br />
the management map classes met the<br />
80% st<strong>and</strong>ard for both user <strong>and</strong> producer<br />
accuracy, <strong>and</strong> four met the st<strong>and</strong>ard for<br />
producer accuracy.<br />
4.2.5.2 Summary Statistics<br />
The 24 management map classes consist<br />
of nine non-vegetated classes <strong>and</strong> 15<br />
vegetated classes (table 22). The three most<br />
abundant classes within the park constitute<br />
nearly 86% of the park vegetation:<br />
■ Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> (32.4%),<br />
■ Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed<br />
Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (32.1%)<br />
■ S<strong>and</strong>sage – Fourwing Saltbush Colorado<br />
Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (21.2%)<br />
4.3 Discussion<br />
4.3.1 Challenges<br />
Map class accuracy for PEFO was<br />
adversely influenced by several factors<br />
including extensive invasive species,<br />
vegetation cover <strong>and</strong> pattern, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
quality of the aerial photography.<br />
Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) is an<br />
invasive non-native annual forb, which<br />
responds rapidly to rain during the<br />
growing season forming ephemeral<br />
cover. The photointerpreters identified<br />
polygons dominated by Russian thistle as<br />
the Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
However, the invasive <strong>and</strong> annual<br />
characteristics of this species caused<br />
problems in consistent identification. For<br />
example, photointerpretation was often<br />
based on identification of the l<strong>and</strong>form<br />
type on which infestations of Russian<br />
thistle were most evident: s<strong>and</strong> dunes.<br />
These dunes may have a predominance<br />
of native vegetation or some infestation<br />
of Russian thistle, or may have complete<br />
type conversion to Russian thistle. Since<br />
Russian thistle is an annual, degraded<br />
dunes may appear as bare or with low<br />
cover of native vegetation during many<br />
months of the year.<br />
The Russian thistle dries into a brittle<br />
skeleton that may blow away or may<br />
remain for many seasons. The accuracy<br />
48
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
Table 17. Cross-walk of macrogroup map classes to base map classes.<br />
Macrogroup Map Class<br />
Base Map Class<br />
MG1 Agriculture Run-off Control Feature<br />
Stock Ponds<br />
MG2 Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Three-leafed Sumac - Mormon Tea Talus shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Vegetated Rim Complex<br />
MG3 Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MG4 Development Commercial Development<br />
MG5 Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
MG6 Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Iodine Bush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MG7 Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MG8 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Steppe Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Torrey’s Jointfir – Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New Mexico Saltbush / Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
S<strong>and</strong><br />
Slender Buckwheat Sparse Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Snakeweed - (Prickly Pear) / Galleta Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Whipple Cholla / Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrub<br />
MG9 Inter-Mountain Basins Wash Barren Wash<br />
Copperweed / Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Drummond Goldenweed / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Rubber Rabbitbrush Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Vegetated Wash Complex<br />
MG10 Park Facilities Park Facilities<br />
Park Sites<br />
MG11 Residential Residences<br />
MG12 Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
49
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 17 continued<br />
Macrogroup Map Class<br />
Base Map Class<br />
MG13 Transportation Airstrip<br />
Railroad<br />
Roads<br />
Table 18. Accuracy statistics for macrogroup map class.<br />
User 90% CI 1 Producer 90% CI<br />
Macrogroup Map Class accuracy (range) accuracy (range)<br />
MG1 Agriculture Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MG2 Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> 52.9 41.6 - 64.0 77.1 63.8 -<br />
86.6<br />
MG3 Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> 81.8 57.3 - 93.8 100.0 76.9 -<br />
100.0<br />
MG4 Development Not sampled Not sampled Not sampled Not<br />
sampled<br />
MG5 Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune 36.7 26.4 - 48.5 81.8 65.1 -<br />
92.6<br />
MG6 Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat 47.1 36.0 - 58.4 85.7 71.7 -<br />
93.4<br />
MG7 Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 40.9 25.6 - 58.2 81.8 57.3 -<br />
93.8<br />
MG8 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Steppe 93.0 90.1 - 95.0 77.2 73.3 -<br />
80.6<br />
MG9 Inter-Mountain Basins Wash 66.3 57.5 - 73.9 69.4 60.7 -<br />
76.9<br />
MG10 Park Facilities Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MG11 Residential Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MG12 Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 67.8 57.2 - 76.8 56.3 46.6 -<br />
65.6<br />
MG13 Transportation Not sampled Not sampled<br />
1<br />
CI = confidence interval<br />
50
51<br />
Table 19. Summary statistics for macrogroup map classes.<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
<strong>Project</strong> area Park area Occurrence<br />
outside<br />
% <strong>Project</strong><br />
l<strong>and</strong><br />
% Park<br />
park<br />
# Polygons<br />
Ha Ac cover Ha Ac l<strong>and</strong> cover<br />
boundaries<br />
MG1 Agriculture 27 9.3 23.1 0.0% 0.5 1.3 0.0% 94.3%<br />
MG2 Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> 90 378.5 935.4 0.7% 260.7 644.1 0.7% 31.1%<br />
MG3 Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> 27 211.4 522.3 0.4% 70.8 174.9 0.2% 66.5%<br />
MG4 Development 6 1.4 3.5 0.0% 0.0 0.0 0.0% 100.0%<br />
MG5 Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune 377 1631.0 4030.4 3.1% 946.6 2339.1 2.5% 42.0%<br />
MG6 Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat 78 275.8 681.6 0.5% 242.4 599.0 0.6% 12.1%<br />
MG7 Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 76 183.0 452.2 0.3% 66.0 163.0 0.2% 63.9%<br />
MG8 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Steppe 3588 35517.9 87766.6 66.8% 26187.7 64711.1 68.8% 26.3%<br />
MG9 Inter-Mountain Basins Wash 784 2916.1 7205.9 5.5% 2068.4 5111.1 5.4% 29.1%<br />
MG10 Park Facilities 23 16.8 41.4 0.0% 16.8 41.4 0.0% 0.0%<br />
MG11 Residential 23 2.4 6.0 0.0% 0.1 0.2 0.0% 96.9%<br />
MG12 Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 1835 11832.1 29237.7 22.2% 8051.6 19895.9 21.2% 32.0%<br />
MG13 Transportation 55 225.4 557.0 0.4% 145.9 360.5 0.4% 35.3%<br />
Total 1 6989 53,201.2 131,463.1 38,057.5 94,041.9<br />
1<br />
Area totals may vary by 0.1 to 0.2 units due to rounding.<br />
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure 19. Macrogroup map classes for Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
52
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
Table 20. Cross-walk of management to base map classes.<br />
Management Map class<br />
MN1 Airstrip Airstrip<br />
Base Map class<br />
MN2 Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New Mexico Saltbush / Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Snakeweed - (Prickly Pear) / Galleta Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Whipple Cholla / Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
MN3 Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
MN4 Barren Wash Barren Wash<br />
MN5 Blue Grama Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrub<br />
MN6 Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MN7 Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MN8 Commercial Development Commercial Development<br />
MN9 Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong> Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
MN10 Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MN11 Greasewood Flats Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Iodine Bush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MN12 One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MN13 Park Facilities Park Facilities<br />
MN14 Park Sites Park Sites<br />
MN15 Railroad Railroad<br />
MN16 Residences Residences<br />
MN17 Roads Roads<br />
MN18 Run-off Control Feature Run-off Control Feature<br />
MN19 Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
MN20 S<strong>and</strong> / Mudflat S<strong>and</strong><br />
MN21 S<strong>and</strong>sage - Fourwing Saltbush Colorado Plateau Shru- Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
bl<strong>and</strong><br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MN22 Stock Ponds Stock Ponds<br />
MN23 Vegetated Rim Complex Torrey’s Jointfir – Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Slender Buckwheat Sparse Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Three-leafed Sumac - Mormon Tea Talus shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Vegetated Rim Complex<br />
53
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table 20 continued<br />
Management Map Class<br />
Base Map Class<br />
MN24 Vegetated Wash Complex Copperweed / Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Drummond Goldenweed / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Rubber Rabbitbrush Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Vegetated Wash Complex<br />
Table 21. Accuracy assessment statistics for management map classes.<br />
User 90% CI 1 Producer 90% CI<br />
Management Map Class accuracy (range) accuracy (range)<br />
MN1 Airstrip Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MN2 Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s 73.0 66.9 - 78.3 64.0 58.0 - 69.5<br />
MN3 Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> 71.0 62.7 - 78.0 72.5 64.6 - 79.5<br />
MN4 Barren Wash 70.8 54.1 - 83.3 85.0 67.8 - 93.8<br />
MN5 Blue Grama Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s 40.0 22.3 - 60.7 27.3 14.8 - 44.7<br />
MN6 Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> 100.0 68.9 - 100.0 100.0 68.9 - 100.0<br />
MN7 Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 66.7 43.1 - 84.1 88.9 62.3 - 97.5<br />
MN8 Commercial Development Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MN9 Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong> 100.0 42.5 - 100.0 66.7 25.4 - 92.2<br />
MN10 Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 100.0 27.0 - 100.0 100.0 27.0 - 100.0<br />
MN11 Greasewood Flats 47.1 36.0 - 58.4 85.7 71.7 - 93.4<br />
MN12 One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 81.8 57.3 - 93.8 100.0 76.9 - 100.0<br />
MN13 Park Facilities Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MN14 Park Sites Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MN15 Railroad Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MN16 Residences Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MN17 Roads Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MN18 Run-off Control Feature Not sampled Not sampled<br />
MN19 Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> 50.0 32.7 - 67.3 55.6 36.9 - 72.8<br />
MN20 S<strong>and</strong> / Mudflat 100.0 42.5 - 100.0 100.0 42.5 - 100.0<br />
MN21 S<strong>and</strong>sage - Fourwing Saltbush Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 67.8 57.3 - 76.8 55.6 45.9 - 64.8<br />
MN22 Stock Ponds<br />
MN23 Vegetated Rim Complex 72.4 63.9 - 79.5 77.8 69.0 - 84.2<br />
MN24 <strong>Vegetation</strong> Wash Complex 70.2 61.5 - 77.7 80.8 72.2 - 87.2<br />
1<br />
CI = confidence interval<br />
54
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
Figure 20. Management map classes for Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
55
56<br />
Table 22. Summary statistics for management map classes.<br />
Management Map Class<br />
<strong>Project</strong> area<br />
# Polygons Ha Ac<br />
Park area<br />
% <strong>Project</strong><br />
l<strong>and</strong> cover Ha Ac<br />
% park<br />
l<strong>and</strong><br />
cover<br />
Outside<br />
park<br />
boundaries<br />
MN1 Airstrip 1 2.6 6.5 0.0% 0.0% 100.0%<br />
MN2 Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s 1740 17684.9 43700.3 33.2% 12224.6 30207.6 32.1% 30.9%<br />
MN3 Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> 1423 15088.2 37283.7 28.4% 12327.7 30462.5 32.4% 18.3%<br />
MN4 Barren Wash 47 498.7 1232.4 0.9% 319.4 789.1 0.8% 36.0%<br />
MN5 Blue Grama Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s 60 808.2 1997.0 1.5% 181.5 448.6 0.5% 77.5%<br />
MN6 Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> 12 122.8 303.5 0.2% 69.2 171.0 0.2% 43.7%<br />
MN7 Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 11 57.1 141.1 0.1% 57.1 141.1 0.2% 0.0%<br />
MN8 Commercial Development 6 1.4 3.5 0.0% 0.0 0.0 0.0% 100.0%<br />
MN9 Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong> 11 15.2 37.6 0.0% 1.7 4.3 0.0% 88.5%<br />
MN10 Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 6 13.2 32.5 0.0% 2.2 5.4 0.0% 83.4%<br />
MN11 Greasewood Flats 78 275.8 681.6 0.5% 242.4 599.0 0.6% 12.1%<br />
MN12 One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> 27 211.4 522.3 0.4% 70.8 174.9 0.2% 66.5%<br />
MN13 Park Facilities 21 16.0 39.5 0.0% 16.0 39.5 0.0% 0.0%<br />
MN14 Park Sites 2 0.8 1.9 0.0% 0.8 1.9 0.0% 0.0%<br />
MN15 Railroad 2 5.2 12.9 0.0% 2.3 5.7 0.0% 56.0%<br />
MN16 Residences 23 2.4 6.0 0.0% 0.1 0.2 0.0% 96.9%<br />
MN17 Roads 52 217.6 537.6 0.4% 143.6 354.9 0.4% 34.0%<br />
MN18 Run-off Control Feature 2 0.5 1.3 0.0% 0.5 1.3 0.0% 0.0%<br />
MN19 Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> 39 100.7 248.9 0.2% 95.9 236.9 0.3% 4.8%<br />
MN20 S<strong>and</strong> / Mudflat 2 2.8 6.9 0.0% 2.8 6.9 0.0% 0.0%<br />
MN21<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage - Fourwing Saltbush Colorado Plateau<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
1835 11832.1 29237.7 22.2% 8051.6 19895.9 21.2% 32.0%<br />
MN22 Stock Ponds 25 8.8 21.8 0.0% 0.0% 100.0%<br />
MN23 Vegetated Rim Complex 768 3662.8 9051.0 6.9% 2436.1 6019.8 6.4% 33.5%<br />
MN24 Vegetated Wash Complex 796 2572.0 6355.6 4.8% 1811.1 4475.3 4.8% 29.6%<br />
Total 1 6989 53,201.2 131,463.1 38,057.4 94,041.8<br />
1<br />
Area totals may vary by 0.1 to 0.2 units due to rounding.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
Accuracy Assessment <strong>and</strong> Additional Map Classes<br />
assessment crew, who sampled in the<br />
fall following a drier summer monsoon<br />
season, often found these skeletons on<br />
s<strong>and</strong> dunes <strong>and</strong> were instructed to assess<br />
the underlying vegetation. Summer<br />
monsoon rainfall in 2005, the year before<br />
accuracy assessment, had resulted in<br />
prolific growth of Russian thistle where it<br />
occurred in the seed bank. The skeletons<br />
that the accuracy assessment crew viewed<br />
probably remained from that infestation<br />
event. Half of the polygons mapped as<br />
Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
were assessed in the field as another<br />
map class; however, Russian thistle was<br />
commonly found at these sites. Conversely,<br />
polygons in the field identified as Russian<br />
Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> in the<br />
photointerpretation frequently supported<br />
native vegetation <strong>and</strong> were field identified<br />
as Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama<br />
Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> or Fourwing<br />
Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
The vegetation at PEFO has few distinct<br />
boundaries between types, particularly<br />
those types that are composed of grasses<br />
with shrubs. There is a gradient in grass<br />
cover as well as shrub cover. The grass<br />
species <strong>and</strong> the shrub species are not<br />
readily distinguishable using aerial<br />
photography; in fact, some species are not<br />
even readily distinguishable even when<br />
you are beside the species in the field.<br />
Compounding this is the mosaic pattern<br />
that often occurs with shrub distribution.<br />
The cover of shrubs can vary at a grain<br />
finer than the minimum-mapping unit<br />
(.5 ha). These mosaics of varying shrub<br />
density make the assignment of map<br />
classes diffcult between the field <strong>and</strong> a<br />
photo-interpretation assessment. This<br />
results in field assessments that may be<br />
based on dominant species cover whereas<br />
the photo-interpretation assessments<br />
might be based on diagnostic or indicator<br />
species as the only distinguishable<br />
community characteristic on the aerial<br />
photo.<br />
Sparse vegetation at PEFO is often so<br />
sparse that indicator species used to<br />
distinguish the community may not be<br />
apparent during accuracy assessment but<br />
may still be present in the map polygon.<br />
Frequently vegetation at PEFO, even<br />
in the more densely vegetated areas,<br />
has less than 25% cover. This makes it<br />
diffcult to determine on the ground as<br />
well as from the aerial photo when a<br />
species is co-dominant or dominant since<br />
the determination relies on assessing<br />
relative differences of less than 5%<br />
cover. Patchiness in vegetation cover, as<br />
discussed above, further confounds the<br />
determination. The accuracy-assessment<br />
field team assessed a minimum mapping<br />
unit within the polygon whereas the<br />
photointerpreter delineated the entire<br />
polygon.<br />
The vegetation at PEFO displays a<br />
surprising amount of variability in<br />
appearance, considering that it is largely<br />
composed of perennial shrubs <strong>and</strong> grasses.<br />
When dormant, grasses are brown <strong>and</strong><br />
diminished in volume compared to their<br />
non-dormant aspect. Shrubs also can lose<br />
leaves <strong>and</strong> fade in color during drought.<br />
Variation in annual rainfall <strong>and</strong> variation in<br />
the seasonal timing <strong>and</strong> amounts of winter,<br />
spring <strong>and</strong> summer monsoonal rains<br />
greatly influence the visual aspect of the<br />
PEFO vegetation. These climatic factors<br />
influenced the ground appearance of the<br />
plant communities during the fieldwork<br />
of 1996 <strong>and</strong> 2003, the photointerpretation<br />
data collection in 2004-2006, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
accuracy-assessment data collection in<br />
2006. Additionally, the photointerpretation<br />
team was mapping conditions present on<br />
aerial photography acquired earlier than<br />
the field observations, which introduces<br />
some potential of a mismatch between<br />
ground conditions <strong>and</strong> the imagery. These<br />
changes are diffcult to account for in the<br />
development of the map <strong>and</strong> in assessing<br />
the map accuracy.<br />
The photosignatures of some map<br />
classes, such as in the badl<strong>and</strong>s, were<br />
masked by the strong spectral signature<br />
of bare soil. Where this happened, the<br />
57
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
photointerpreters often used l<strong>and</strong>form<br />
signatures to map the vegetation rather<br />
than vegetation signatures. Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
with mixed grass species were also diffcult<br />
to interpret due to the similarity in the tone<br />
<strong>and</strong> texture of the different grass species.<br />
The communities with similar grass<br />
compositions were diffcult to pick out<br />
on the photography as unique vegetation<br />
communities.<br />
distribution, <strong>and</strong> mapping projects to<br />
conduct activities related to resource<br />
management, environmental compliance,<br />
planning (locating new features), fire<br />
management planning, habitat modeling,<br />
education <strong>and</strong> interpretation, inventory<br />
<strong>and</strong> monitoring (placement of sample<br />
sites), research, <strong>and</strong> cooperative work with<br />
adjacent l<strong>and</strong> owners.<br />
However, the accuracy assessment<br />
metrics presented here allow a user of the<br />
vegetation map database to evaluate the<br />
performance of each map-class schema.<br />
Additional information can be gained on<br />
the sources of confusion between the map<br />
classes using the contingency tables in<br />
Appendix H.<br />
Ancillary products related to accuracy<br />
assessment include Appendix D (all field<br />
species including those identified within<br />
accuracy-assessment observation sites)<br />
<strong>and</strong> Appendix E (field sheets used for<br />
observations).<br />
4.3.2 Uses <strong>and</strong> Limitations of the<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> Map Database <strong>and</strong> Affiliated<br />
Products<br />
The vegetation map database provides four<br />
representations of the PEFO vegetation.<br />
The finest thematic resolution, represented<br />
by the base map classes, offers the best<br />
spatial detail with the lowest accuracy. The<br />
group, macrogroup, <strong>and</strong> management map<br />
classes represent the vegetation at coarser<br />
thematic resolution but with greater<br />
accuracy. Each representation provides<br />
information, <strong>and</strong> the representation<br />
chosen for any particular objective<br />
should be evaluated using the accuracy<br />
assessment <strong>and</strong> summary statistics tables<br />
provided in this report.<br />
The vegetation map database <strong>and</strong> ancillary<br />
products produced during the project can<br />
provide both background <strong>and</strong> direct input<br />
to a number of park <strong>and</strong> SCPN activities.<br />
Other national park units have used<br />
products from vegetation classification,<br />
58
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Pyne, M. Reid, K. Schulz, K. Snow <strong>and</strong> J.<br />
Teague. 2003. Ecological systems of the<br />
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of U.S. Terrestrial Systems. NatureServe,<br />
Arlington, Virginia.<br />
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New Mexico. Great Basin Naturalist<br />
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Decker, K. <strong>and</strong> J. Coles. 2003. Preliminary vegetation<br />
classification for Arches National<br />
Park. Draft <strong>Report</strong> by Engineering-<br />
Environmental Management, Inc. <strong>and</strong><br />
Colorado Natural Heritage Program for<br />
the National Park Service.<br />
Driscoll, R. S., D. L. Merkel, D. L. Radloff, D.<br />
E. Synder, <strong>and</strong> J. S. Hagihara. 1984. An<br />
ecological l<strong>and</strong> classification framework<br />
for the United States. U.S. Forest Service<br />
Miscellaneous Publication 1439. U.S.<br />
Forest Service, Washington, D.C.<br />
Dufrêne, M. <strong>and</strong> P. Legendre. 1997. Species<br />
assemblages <strong>and</strong> indicator species: The<br />
need for a flexible asymmetrical approach.<br />
Ecological Monographs 67: 3:<br />
345-66.<br />
Environmental Systems Research Institute,<br />
National Center for Geographic Information<br />
<strong>and</strong> Analysis, <strong>and</strong> The Nature<br />
Conservancy. 1994. Accuracy assessment<br />
procedures. NBS/NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Mapping</strong> Program. <strong>Report</strong> to U.S.<br />
Department of Interior National Biological<br />
Survey <strong>and</strong> National Park Service.<br />
Available: http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/<br />
aa/index.html<br />
Federal Geographic Data Committee. 1997.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> classification st<strong>and</strong>ard. Available:<br />
http://www.fgdc.gov/st<strong>and</strong>ards/<br />
projects/FGDC-st<strong>and</strong>ards-projects/vegetation/vegclass.pdf<br />
Federal Geographic Data Committee 2008.<br />
National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard,<br />
Version 2. http://www.fgdc.gov/<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards/projects/FGDC-st<strong>and</strong>ards-<br />
projects/vegetation/NVCS_V2_FI-<br />
NAL_2008-02.pdf<br />
Foody, G. M. 1992. <strong>Classification</strong> accuracy assessment:<br />
some alternatives to the kappa<br />
coeffcient for nominal <strong>and</strong> ordinal level<br />
classifications. Remote Sensing from<br />
Research to Operation. Nottingham,<br />
Remote Sensing Society.<br />
Grossman, D. H., D. Faber-Langendoen, A.S.<br />
Weakley, M. Anderson, P. Bourgeron,<br />
R. Crawford, K. Goodin, S. L<strong>and</strong>aal, K.<br />
Metzler, K. D. Patterson, M. Pyne, M.<br />
Reid <strong>and</strong> L. Sneddon. 1998. International<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> of Ecological Communi-<br />
59
Literature Cited<br />
ties: Terrestrial <strong>Vegetation</strong> of the United<br />
States. Volume I: The National <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard. The Nature<br />
Conservancy. Arlington, Virginia.<br />
Hamilton, P. 1883. The resources of Arizona;<br />
its mineral, farming, grazing, <strong>and</strong> timberl<strong>and</strong>s;<br />
its history, climate <strong>and</strong> productions,<br />
civil <strong>and</strong> military government, prehistoric<br />
ruins, early missionaries, Indian<br />
tribes, pioneer days, etc. A. L. Bancroft<br />
<strong>and</strong> Company, San Francisco, California.<br />
Kartesz, J. <strong>and</strong> A. Farstad. 1999. Multi-scale<br />
analysis of endemism of vascular plant<br />
species. In Terrestrial ecoregions of<br />
North America: A conservation assessment.<br />
In: T.H. Ricketts, E. Dinerstein,<br />
D.M. Olson, <strong>and</strong> C. Loucks, pp. 51-55.<br />
Isl<strong>and</strong> Press, Washington, D.C .<br />
McCune, B., <strong>and</strong> M. J. Mefford. 1999. PC-<br />
ORD. Multivariate analysis of ecological<br />
data, ver. 4. MjM Software Design.<br />
Gleneden Beach, Oregon.<br />
McCune, B. <strong>and</strong> J. B. Grace. 2002. Analysis of<br />
ecological communities. MjM Software<br />
Design. Gleneden Beach, Oregon.<br />
Mueller-Dombois, D. <strong>and</strong> H. Ellenburg. 2002.<br />
Aims <strong>and</strong> methods of vegetation ecology.<br />
The Blackburn Press. New Jersey.<br />
National Park Service (NPS). 1999. Natural<br />
Resource Challenge: The National Park<br />
Service’s action plan for preserving natural<br />
resources. In-house publication. U.S.<br />
Department of Interior, National Park<br />
Service, Washington, D.C.<br />
National Park Service. 2004. Final General<br />
Management Plan Revision/Environmental<br />
Impact Statement. Petrified Forest<br />
National Park, Arizona.<br />
NatureServe Explorer. 2009. <strong>Classification</strong> of<br />
St<strong>and</strong>ard Ecological Units, V 7.1. Available<br />
at: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/<br />
classeco.htm#vegetationClass.<br />
Accessed April 30, 2009.<br />
The Nature Conservancy <strong>and</strong> Environmental<br />
Systems Research Institute. 1994a. St<strong>and</strong>ardized<br />
national vegetation classification<br />
system. <strong>Report</strong> to U.S. Department<br />
of Interior National Biological Survey<br />
<strong>and</strong> National Park Service. Available:<br />
http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/classification/index.html.<br />
The Nature Conservancy <strong>and</strong> Environmental<br />
Systems Research Institute, 1994b. Field<br />
methods for vegetation mapping: NBS/<br />
NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program (Final<br />
Draft). <strong>Report</strong> to U.S. Department of<br />
Interior National Biological Survey <strong>and</strong><br />
National Park Service. Available: http://<br />
biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/fieldmethods/<br />
index.html.<br />
The Nature Conservancy <strong>and</strong> Environmental<br />
Systems Research Institute. 1996.<br />
Methodology for assessing the utility of<br />
existing data for vegetation mapping.<br />
<strong>Report</strong> to U.S. Department of Interior<br />
national Biological Survey <strong>and</strong> National<br />
Park Service. Available: http://biology.<br />
usgs.gov/npsveg/existdata/index.html.<br />
Thomas, K. A., M. Hansen, <strong>and</strong> C. Seeger.<br />
2003. Part I. <strong>Vegetation</strong> of Petrified<br />
Forest National Park, Arizona. <strong>Report</strong><br />
on file, Petrified Forest National Park,<br />
Arizona.<br />
Thomas, L. P., M. N. Hendrie (editor), C. L.<br />
Lauver, , S. A. Monroe, N. J.Tancreto, S.<br />
L. Garmin, <strong>and</strong> M. E. Miller. 2006. Vital<br />
Signs Monitoring Plan for the Southern<br />
Colorado Plateau Network. Natural Resource<br />
<strong>Report</strong> NPS/SCPN/NRR-2006-<br />
002. National Park Service.<br />
UNESCO. 1973. International classification<br />
<strong>and</strong> mapping of vegetation. Paris,<br />
UNESCO.<br />
Young, R. W. 1968. The role of the Navajo in<br />
the Southwest drama. The Gallup Independent<br />
<strong>and</strong> Robert W. Young.<br />
Pyne, S. J. 1982. Fire in America :A cultural history<br />
of wildl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> rural fire. Princeton<br />
University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.<br />
Sheridan, T. E. 1995. Arizona: A history. University<br />
of Arizona Press. Tucson, Arizona.<br />
60
Glossary<br />
Glossary modified from <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program: http://<br />
biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/glossary.html.<br />
Accuracy: The closeness of results of<br />
observations, computations, or estimates<br />
to the true values or to values that are<br />
accepted as being true (Rabchevsky 1984).<br />
In the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
Program there are two aspects of accuracy:<br />
thematic <strong>and</strong> positional accuracy.<br />
Accuracy assessment: The process of<br />
determining the positional <strong>and</strong> thematic<br />
accuracy of the spatial vegetation<br />
community data. This is an independent<br />
process performed after the vegetation<br />
mapping <strong>and</strong> classification is complete.<br />
Accuracy assessment point: A location<br />
where accuracy assessment data are<br />
collected.<br />
Aerial photography: Analog imagery<br />
taken from an airplane. The optical axis<br />
is oriented perpendicular to the earth’s<br />
surface so that the film is parallel to the<br />
surface being photographed. (also Vertical<br />
Aerial Photography). A sequence of aerial<br />
photographs will overlap so the photos<br />
can be used in stereoscopic analysis<br />
(stereo pairs). The overlap is referred to as<br />
“endlap” (top-to-bottom area in common,<br />
same flightline) <strong>and</strong> “sidelap” (side-toside<br />
area in common, different flightlines)<br />
(portions from Rabchevsky 1984). Aerial<br />
photography used in the program is 9 ×<br />
9-inch vertical, stereoscopic, color or color<br />
infrared photography.<br />
Alliance: A physiognomically uniform<br />
group of associations sharing one or<br />
more diagnostic (dominant, differential,<br />
indicator, or character) species that, as a<br />
rule, are found in the uppermost stratum<br />
of the vegetation (FGDC 1997). This is<br />
the second-finest level in the National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
hierarchy. See the table under USNVC.<br />
Anderson <strong>Classification</strong> System: A<br />
l<strong>and</strong> cover/l<strong>and</strong> use classification system<br />
developed for use with remote sensing<br />
systems in the 1970s adopted for the<br />
<strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />
to map cultural l<strong>and</strong> cover (Anderson et al.<br />
1976); see below.<br />
Anderson <strong>Classification</strong> System.<br />
Level I<br />
Urban.or.Built-up.<br />
L<strong>and</strong><br />
Agricultural.L<strong>and</strong><br />
Water.(nonvegetated.portion)<br />
Barren.L<strong>and</strong><br />
Perennial.Snow.or.<br />
Ice<br />
Level II<br />
Residential<br />
Commercial <strong>and</strong> Services<br />
Industrial<br />
Transportation, Communications,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Utilities<br />
Industrial <strong>and</strong> Commercial<br />
Complexes<br />
Mixed Urban or Built-up<br />
L<strong>and</strong><br />
Other Urban or Built-up<br />
L<strong>and</strong><br />
Cropl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Pasture<br />
Orchard, Groves, Vineyards,<br />
Nurseries, <strong>and</strong><br />
Ornamental Horticultural<br />
Areas<br />
Confined Feeding Operations<br />
Other Agricultural L<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Streams <strong>and</strong> Canals<br />
Lakes<br />
Reservoirs<br />
Bays <strong>and</strong> Estuaries<br />
Dry Salt Flats<br />
Beaches<br />
S<strong>and</strong>y Areas other than<br />
Beaches<br />
Strip Mines, Quarries, <strong>and</strong><br />
Gravel Pits<br />
Transitional Areas<br />
Mixed Barren L<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Perennial Snowfields<br />
Glaciers<br />
Note: This is not the complete Anderson Level II <strong>Classification</strong>.<br />
Areas of natural vegetation are classified under the NVCS.<br />
Association: The finest level of the<br />
National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong><br />
St<strong>and</strong>ard. The association is a<br />
physiognomically uniform group of<br />
vegetation st<strong>and</strong>s that share one or<br />
more diagnostic (dominant, differential,<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
indicator, or character) overstory <strong>and</strong><br />
understory species. These elements occur<br />
as repeatable patterns of assemblages<br />
across the l<strong>and</strong>scape, <strong>and</strong> are generally<br />
found under similar habitat conditions<br />
(FGDC 1997). See table under USNVC an<br />
example. Within the program association<br />
is the preferred term, but it is also<br />
synonymous with community, community<br />
type, plant community, type, vegetation<br />
community, <strong>and</strong> vegetation type.<br />
Attribute: (digital data) A numeric, text,<br />
or image data field in a relational database<br />
table (such as a GIS) that describes a<br />
spatial feature (point, line, polygon, cell)<br />
(ESRI 1994).<br />
Automate: The process of entering<br />
data into a computer. Synonymous with<br />
digitize.<br />
Base map: The source or control from<br />
which all spatial data are developed <strong>and</strong><br />
geo-referenced to. Photo interpreted data<br />
are transferred to a base to rectify <strong>and</strong><br />
register the data. For this program, base<br />
maps consist of <strong>USGS</strong> DOQQs or specially<br />
made orthophotos.<br />
Class: The level in the National <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard hierarchy based<br />
on the structure of the vegetation <strong>and</strong><br />
determined by the relative percentage<br />
of cover <strong>and</strong> the height of the dominant,<br />
uppermost life forms (Grossman et al.<br />
1998). See the table under USNVC.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> accuracy: How closely<br />
the map classes match the vegetation<br />
communities found on the l<strong>and</strong>scape. This<br />
is determined by accuracy assessment<br />
protocols. See “Producing rigorous<br />
<strong>and</strong> consistent accuracy assessment<br />
procedures” at http://biology.usgs.<br />
gov/npsveg/aa/index.html for more<br />
information. Also see producer <strong>and</strong> user<br />
accuracy.<br />
Community: An assemblage of species<br />
that co-occur in defined areas at certain<br />
times <strong>and</strong> have the potential to interact<br />
with one anther (Grossman et al. 1998).<br />
May also refer to an association in the<br />
USNVC, but this is not preferred.<br />
Contingency table: A table that<br />
compares mapped data with ground data<br />
to determine accuracy. The “known”<br />
classes derived from accuracy assessment<br />
plots are compared to the classes<br />
derived from photo interpretation. The<br />
results are then tabulated in the form<br />
of a contingency table to determine<br />
the degree of misclassification that has<br />
occurred between classes. Also referred<br />
to as error matrix, confusion matrix, or<br />
misclassification matrix. For an example of<br />
a contingency table see http://biology.usgs.<br />
gov/npsveg/scbl/aa_matrix.html.<br />
Cover: The area of ground covered by<br />
the vertical projection of the aerial parts<br />
of plants of one or more species.(FGDC<br />
1997).<br />
Cover type: A designation based upon<br />
the plant species forming a plurality of<br />
composition within a given area (e.g.,<br />
Oak–Hickory) (FGDC 1977). Also refers<br />
to an alliance or group of alliances in the<br />
USNVC.<br />
Coverage: A file format used by Arc/Info<br />
software for vector spatial data.<br />
Crosswalk: Relationship between the<br />
elements of two classification systems.<br />
For example, there is a crosswalk between<br />
map classes <strong>and</strong> units of the NVCS. This<br />
relationship is often shown in a look up<br />
table.<br />
Datum: A mathematical model that<br />
describes the size <strong>and</strong> shape of the<br />
ellipsoid. The earth is not a sphere, but an<br />
ellipsoid distorted by rotation about its<br />
axis, with the globe bulging at the equator<br />
<strong>and</strong> flattened at the poles. The flattening<br />
is not uniform around the Earth due to<br />
the influence of the continents location<br />
(Snyder 1982). Using the wrong datum<br />
in relation to geographic coordinates can<br />
result in errors of hundreds of meters in<br />
position. This Program uses the North<br />
American Datum (NAD) of 1983 or<br />
NAD83.<br />
62
Glossary<br />
Density: The relationship between<br />
the area covered by the overstory of a<br />
vegetation community <strong>and</strong> the total area<br />
of a polygon in which the community is<br />
found. One of the physiognomic modifiers<br />
classified in the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Mapping</strong> Program. Density in map units<br />
is classified as Closed/Continuous >60<br />
%, Discontinuous 40–60%, Dispersed<br />
25–40%, Sparse 10–25%, Rare 2–10%.<br />
Compare with pattern <strong>and</strong> height.<br />
Dichotomous field key: A document<br />
that identifies vegetation communities<br />
on the basis of exclusive characteristics.<br />
An example of exclusive characteristics is<br />
forested versus non-forested. Also known<br />
as vegetation field key <strong>and</strong> vegetation<br />
key. This key is an important product of<br />
each vegetation-mapping project. For an<br />
example of a dichotomous field key visit<br />
http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/agfo/report.<br />
pdf#vegkey.<br />
Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangle<br />
(DOQQ): <strong>USGS</strong> digital product derived<br />
from high altitude aerial photography.<br />
These digital images are rectified <strong>and</strong><br />
registered to locations on the earth <strong>and</strong><br />
cover approximately one quarter of<br />
a 7.5-minute quadrangle. Also called<br />
3.75-minute DOQ. DOQs are often used as<br />
base maps to register the photo interpreted<br />
data in this program.<br />
Digitize: The process of entering data into<br />
a computer. There are several methods<br />
of entering spatial data into a computer<br />
including manual digitizing, scan digitizing,<br />
<strong>and</strong> soft copy photogrammetric methods.<br />
Synonymous with automate.<br />
Division: The highest level in the NVCS<br />
separating Earth cover into either<br />
vegetated or non-vegetated categories<br />
(FGDC 1997). See table under USNVC.<br />
Dominance: The extent to which a given<br />
species or life form predominates in a<br />
community because of its size, abundance<br />
or cover, <strong>and</strong> affects the fitness of<br />
associated species (FGDC 1997).<br />
Error: The distance of results of<br />
observations, computations, or estimates<br />
from the true values or to values that are<br />
accepted as being true. Also refers to the<br />
misclassification of thematic data. Contrast<br />
with accuracy.<br />
Error matrix: See contingency table.<br />
Federal Geographic Data Committee<br />
(FGDC): Coordinates the development of<br />
the National Spatial Data Infrastructure<br />
(NSDI). The NSDI encompasses<br />
policies, st<strong>and</strong>ards, <strong>and</strong> procedures for<br />
organizations to cooperatively produce<br />
<strong>and</strong> share geographic data. The 17 federal<br />
agencies that make up the FGDC are<br />
developing the NSDI in cooperation with<br />
organizations from state, local <strong>and</strong> tribal<br />
governments, the academic community,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the private sector. The program<br />
complies with FGDC st<strong>and</strong>ards for<br />
vegetation classification, metadata, spatial<br />
data transfer, <strong>and</strong> positional accuracy.<br />
Field reconnaissance: Preliminary<br />
field visits by photo interpreters <strong>and</strong><br />
vegetation classification experts to gain<br />
an overview of the vegetation of the<br />
project area <strong>and</strong> how it relates to the<br />
NVCS. Communication between photo<br />
interpreters <strong>and</strong> vegetation classification<br />
experts during this fieldwork is key to<br />
developing an accurate classification<br />
system. Observation point data are<br />
collected during this reconnaissance.<br />
Field verification: Field visits by photo<br />
interpreters after photo interpretation is<br />
complete to check for correctness of photo<br />
interpretation. At this point changes may<br />
be made to the photo interpretation. This<br />
occurs prior to accuracy assessment.<br />
Flight line: Refers to a line or strip of<br />
aerial photography. Usually designated<br />
on the film as “flightline number – photo<br />
number”. Technical: A line connecting<br />
the principal points of sequential vertical<br />
aerial photographs (portions from<br />
Rabchevsky 1984)<br />
Floristics: The kinds <strong>and</strong> number of<br />
plant species in particular areas <strong>and</strong> their<br />
distribution.<br />
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64<br />
Formation: A level in the National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
hierarchy below subgroup which<br />
represents vegetation types that share a<br />
definite physiognomy or structure within<br />
broadly defined environmental factors,<br />
relative l<strong>and</strong>scape positions, or hydrologic<br />
regimes (Grossman et al. 1998). See table<br />
under USNVC.<br />
Geographic Information System (GIS):<br />
An organized collection of geographically<br />
(spatially) referenced information<br />
(portions from ESRI 1994).<br />
Georeference: The process of converting a<br />
map or image into real-world coordinates.<br />
A non-georeferenced map or image is said<br />
to be in “digitizer-inches” or “scannerinches,”<br />
that is, it has no real-world<br />
coordinates.<br />
Global Positioning System (GPS): A<br />
system of satellites, ground receiving<br />
stations <strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>held receivers that<br />
allow accurate measurement of feature<br />
coordinates on the face of the earth. GPS<br />
receivers are used to measure the location<br />
of field plots, reconnaissance points, <strong>and</strong><br />
accuracy assessment points.<br />
Ground truth: The process of taking aerial<br />
photographs into the field to verify the<br />
ground condition compared to how that<br />
condition appears in the photograph.<br />
Group: The level in the National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
hierarchy below subclass based on<br />
leaf characteristics <strong>and</strong> identified <strong>and</strong><br />
named in conjunction with broadly<br />
defined macroclimatic types to provide<br />
a structural-geographic orientation<br />
(Grossman et al. 1998). See table under<br />
USNVC.<br />
Habitat: The combination of<br />
environmental or site conditions <strong>and</strong><br />
ecological processes influencing a plant<br />
community.<br />
Habitat type: (1) a collective term for all<br />
parts of the l<strong>and</strong> surface supporting, or<br />
capable of supporting, the same kind of<br />
climax plant association (Daubenmire<br />
1978); (2) an aggregation of l<strong>and</strong> areas<br />
having a narrow range of environmental<br />
variation <strong>and</strong> capable of supporting a<br />
given plant association (Gabriel <strong>and</strong> Talbot<br />
1984).<br />
Hectare: A metric unit of measure equal to<br />
10,000 m 2 , or approximately 2.471 acres.<br />
Height: Height of the overstory of<br />
a vegetation community. One of the<br />
physiognomic modifiers classified in the<br />
<strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program.<br />
Height in map units is classified as 50<br />
meters. Compare with density <strong>and</strong> pattern.<br />
Integrated Taxonomic Information<br />
System (ITIS): A comprehensive,<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ardized reference for the scientific<br />
names, <strong>and</strong> synonyms <strong>and</strong> common<br />
names, for all the plants <strong>and</strong> animals<br />
<strong>and</strong> other biological organisms of<br />
North America <strong>and</strong> the surrounding<br />
oceans developed <strong>and</strong> maintained by an<br />
international partnership among agencies,<br />
organizations, <strong>and</strong> taxonomic specialists.<br />
This database is accessible over the<br />
Internet <strong>and</strong> is used by scientists, resource<br />
managers, educators <strong>and</strong> students,<br />
museum curators, conservationists, <strong>and</strong><br />
the interested public. The USDA PLANTS<br />
database (http://plants.usda.gov/) is an<br />
important ITIS partner providing plant<br />
taxonomic information to ITIS (http://<br />
www.itis.gov/).<br />
L<strong>and</strong> cover classification: A classification<br />
of the cultural, physical, <strong>and</strong> vegetation<br />
features that cover the earth, commonly<br />
used with remote sensing technology.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> classification is a subset of l<strong>and</strong><br />
cover classification.<br />
L<strong>and</strong> use classification: A classification of<br />
the earth’s surface that defines the use that<br />
people are making of the l<strong>and</strong>, commonly<br />
used with remote sensing technology,<br />
<strong>and</strong> commonly combined with l<strong>and</strong> cover<br />
classification. Natural vegetation areas may<br />
be classified as “vacant” or “forest,” or<br />
“grazing”.
Glossary<br />
L<strong>and</strong> use/L<strong>and</strong> cover classification: A<br />
combination of a l<strong>and</strong> use classification<br />
<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> cover classification where the<br />
l<strong>and</strong> use classification is used to classify<br />
areas that are under a definite l<strong>and</strong> use,<br />
such as agriculture, residential, or mining.<br />
The l<strong>and</strong> cover classification is used to<br />
classify l<strong>and</strong>s that that do not have definite<br />
l<strong>and</strong> use, such as areas of bare rock, snow<br />
<strong>and</strong> ice, or open water. The Anderson<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> System is a l<strong>and</strong> cover <strong>and</strong><br />
l<strong>and</strong> use classification.<br />
Look-up table: A computer file that<br />
relates the elements of one classification<br />
to another in a crosswalk. The values<br />
of a map classification are related to the<br />
associations of the NVCS in a park project.<br />
Map accuracy: A measure of the<br />
maximum errors permitted in horizontal<br />
positions <strong>and</strong> elevations shown on maps.<br />
The National Map Accuracy St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
of the <strong>USGS</strong> at 1:24,000 scale is the map<br />
accuracy st<strong>and</strong>ard for the program. This<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard is that 90% of well-defined<br />
objects should appear within 40 feet (12.2<br />
meters) of their true location. See United<br />
States National Map Accuracy St<strong>and</strong>ards.<br />
Map attribute: Collectively the map class<br />
(or map unit) code, the physiognomic<br />
modifier codes, <strong>and</strong> special modifiers<br />
if they are used: map unit code is that<br />
portion of the map attribute code defining<br />
the map unit (e.g., AB) the physiognomic<br />
modifier code portion of map attribute<br />
code defining the vegetation community’s<br />
structure (e.g. -1A3). The map attribute<br />
code is thus AB-1A3.<br />
Map class: The vegetation units that can<br />
be discerned on an aerial photograph.<br />
Often associations in an alliance cannot<br />
be distinguished on an aerial photograph<br />
because the differences are found in<br />
the understory, so map classes must<br />
be developed. For example, at Devils<br />
Tower National Monument, there were<br />
five associations in the Ponderosa Pine<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong> Alliance, but it was necessary<br />
to create two ponderosa pine map classes<br />
because the associations could not be<br />
distinguished on the photography. Map<br />
classes may be complexes or mosaics of<br />
associations or map classes may also be<br />
the same as an association if that can be<br />
discerned on the photograph. Also known<br />
as map unit.<br />
Map unit: See map class.<br />
Map validation: The process of<br />
field checking <strong>and</strong> updating photo<br />
interpretation. This step is completed prior<br />
to accuracy assessment.<br />
Metadata: Data about data. Metadata<br />
describes the content, quality, condition,<br />
<strong>and</strong> other characteristics of data. Its<br />
purpose is to help organize <strong>and</strong> maintain<br />
a organization’s internal investment<br />
in spatial data, provide information<br />
about an organization’s data holdings<br />
to data catalogues, clearinghouses, <strong>and</strong><br />
brokerages, <strong>and</strong> provide information<br />
to process <strong>and</strong> interpret data received<br />
through a transfer from an external source<br />
(FGDC 1997). The FGDC sets st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />
for metadata content <strong>and</strong> structure.<br />
Minimum <strong>Mapping</strong> Unit (MMU): The<br />
smallest area that will be consistently<br />
delineated during photo interpretation.<br />
The MMU for the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Mapping</strong> Program is 0.5 hectares.<br />
National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong><br />
St<strong>and</strong>ard (NVCS): The Federal<br />
Geographic Data Committee’s vegetation<br />
classification st<strong>and</strong>ard. It has been adopted<br />
to the formation level (as of June 2001);<br />
adoption of the floristic levels is pending. It<br />
is based on the Association for Biodiversity<br />
Information’s United States National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> (USNVC) system.<br />
See table under USNVC for comparison<br />
<strong>and</strong> crosswalk.<br />
NatureServe Explorer: A website<br />
managed by NatureServe that provides<br />
authoritative conservation information<br />
in a searchable database for more than<br />
50,000 plants, animals, <strong>and</strong> ecological<br />
communities in the U.S. <strong>and</strong> Canada.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> community data developed<br />
by the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS Program is available<br />
65
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
66<br />
on NatureServe (URL is http://www.<br />
natureserveexplorer.org/).<br />
North American Datum (NAD):<br />
The datum for map projections <strong>and</strong><br />
coordinates throughout North America<br />
(see also datum). Usually associated with<br />
a version, such as 1927 or 1983. This<br />
program uses the 1983 datum (NAD83),<br />
which is consistent with satellite location<br />
systems. The 1983 datum uses the GRS 80<br />
spheroid whereas the 1927 datum uses the<br />
Clarke 1866 spheroid (portions from ESRI<br />
1994).<br />
Observation point: A field location point<br />
used to support map unit <strong>and</strong> vegetation<br />
classification development. These points<br />
are collected during reconnaissance <strong>and</strong><br />
the mappers’ subsequent fieldwork.<br />
Order: The second-highest level in the<br />
NVCS hierarchy under Division. The<br />
orders within the Vegetated Division are<br />
generally defined by dominant life form<br />
(tree, shrub, dwarf shrub, herbaceous, or<br />
non-vascular). (FGDC 1997). See table<br />
under USNVC.<br />
Ortho image: An aerial photograph that<br />
has had the distortions due to camera<br />
lens, topographic relief, tilt of the aircraft,<br />
<strong>and</strong> other factors common to aerial<br />
photography removed <strong>and</strong> has been<br />
registered to locations on the earth. A<br />
digital ortho image can be placed in a GIS<br />
<strong>and</strong> have other layers, such as vegetation,<br />
overlain on it. Aerial photo interpretation<br />
can also be registered to an ortho image in<br />
the process of registering <strong>and</strong> automating<br />
the data into a GIS. A DOQ is a digital<br />
ortho image covering 3.75 minutes by 3.75<br />
minutes of the earth’s surface.<br />
Pattern: Configuration of vegetation<br />
features or across a l<strong>and</strong>scape. One of<br />
the physiognomic modifiers classified<br />
in the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
Program. Pattern in map units is classified<br />
as Evenly Dispersed, Clumped/Bunched,<br />
Gradational/Transitional, Alternating.<br />
Compare with density <strong>and</strong> height.<br />
Photo interpretation: The art <strong>and</strong> science<br />
of identifying <strong>and</strong> delineating objects on<br />
an aerial photograph. Photo interpreters<br />
in the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong><br />
Program are knowledgeable about the<br />
vegetation in their project area <strong>and</strong> highly<br />
skilled in identifying vegetation map units<br />
accurately <strong>and</strong> consistently.<br />
Photo interpretation key: A description<br />
of the distinguishing features that make<br />
up the signature of each map class. This<br />
description may include written clues, as<br />
well as graphic examples of the signatures.<br />
Photosignature: Characteristics of an item<br />
on a photograph by which the item may be<br />
identified.<br />
Physiognomy: The structure <strong>and</strong> life form<br />
of a plant community (FGDC 1997).<br />
Plant community: A generic term that<br />
references any vegetation found in the<br />
mapping study <strong>and</strong> can be any level in<br />
the USNVC, association or alliance, or<br />
a unique community to the park, a park<br />
special.<br />
Positional accuracy: The nearness of<br />
a point in a spatial database to its actual<br />
location on the earth’s surface. The<br />
program st<strong>and</strong>ard for horizontal positional<br />
accuracy meets National Map Accuracy<br />
St<strong>and</strong>ards at the 1:24,000 scale. This means<br />
that each well-defined object in the spatial<br />
database will be within 1/50 of an inch of<br />
its actual location or 40 feet (12.2 meters).<br />
Producer accuracy: The probability that<br />
a reference sample (the ground data)<br />
has been classified correctly, also known<br />
as error of omission. This quantity is<br />
computed by dividing the number of<br />
samples that have been classified correctly<br />
by the total number of reference samples<br />
in that class (Story <strong>and</strong> Congalton 1986).<br />
Compare with user accuracy.<br />
<strong>Project</strong>ion: A map or a geospatial database<br />
is a flat representation of data located on a<br />
curved surface. A projection is a device for<br />
producing all or part of a round body on a<br />
flat sheet. This projection cannot be done<br />
without distortion, so the cartographer
Glossary<br />
must choose which characteristic<br />
(distance, direction, scale, area, or shape)<br />
that is to be emphasized at the expense of<br />
the other characteristics (Snyder, 1982). All<br />
spatial data in the program are represented<br />
in the Universal Transverse Mercator<br />
(UTM) coordinate system that is based on<br />
the transverse mercator projection applied<br />
between 84 degrees north <strong>and</strong> 80 degrees<br />
south latitude.<br />
Quadrangle: A <strong>USGS</strong> paper map.<br />
Typically, a 7.5-minute <strong>USGS</strong> map.<br />
Informally known as quad.<br />
Quarter quadrangle: A map or image<br />
that includes ¼ the area of a 7.5-minute<br />
quadrangle <strong>and</strong> is organized in quadrants<br />
of the original quadrangle as follows:<br />
Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, <strong>and</strong><br />
Southwest. <strong>USGS</strong> DOQQs cover ¼ of a<br />
7.5-minute quadrangle. Informally known<br />
as quarter quad.<br />
Rectify: Remove distortions common<br />
to aerial photographs in the process<br />
of automating the photo-interpreted<br />
information into a digital database.<br />
Distortions on aerial photographs are due<br />
to topographic relief on the ground, radial<br />
distortion in the geometry of the aerial<br />
photography, tip <strong>and</strong> tilt of the plane, <strong>and</strong><br />
differences in elevation of the airplane<br />
from its nominal scale. This process may<br />
be separate or included in the registration<br />
process depending on the technology<br />
used. See transfer.<br />
Register: The process of correlating<br />
objects on an aerial photograph with<br />
locations on the surface of the Earth<br />
using a defined coordinate system. This is<br />
necessary to be able to place the vegetation<br />
community data in a GIS with other<br />
appropriate data such as transportation,<br />
topography, soils, etc. This process may<br />
be separate or included in the rectification<br />
process depending on the technology<br />
used. See transfer.<br />
Scale: The relationship between a distance<br />
portrayed on a map <strong>and</strong> the same distance<br />
on the Earth (Dana 1999). A map scale<br />
can be defined by a representative fraction<br />
(e.g., 1 unit on map / 12,000 units on<br />
ground) or by a graphic scale bar.<br />
Spatial Data Transfer St<strong>and</strong>ard (SDTS):<br />
A comprehensive transfer st<strong>and</strong>ard for<br />
Earth-referenced data endorsed by the<br />
Federal Geographic Data Committee.<br />
Spatial data in SDTS format consists of a<br />
group of files each with specific content<br />
<strong>and</strong> format.<br />
Signature: The unique combination<br />
of color, texture, pattern, height,<br />
physiognomy, <strong>and</strong> position in the<br />
l<strong>and</strong>scape used by an photo interpreters<br />
to identify map classes on an aerial<br />
photograph.<br />
Stratum: A horizontal layer of vegetation.<br />
A stratum may be defined by the life form<br />
of the vegetation (tree, shrub, herbaceous),<br />
or its actual height.<br />
Structure (<strong>Vegetation</strong>): The spatial<br />
distribution pattern of life forms in a plant<br />
community, especially with regard to their<br />
height, abundance, or coverage within<br />
the individual layers. Synonymous with<br />
physiognomy.<br />
Subclass: The level in the National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
hierarchy under class based on growth<br />
form characteristics (Grossman et al.<br />
1998). See hierarchy under USNVS.<br />
Subgroup: The level in the National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
hierarchy below group which divides each<br />
group into either a “natural/semi-natural”<br />
or “cultural” (planted/cultivated) subgroup<br />
(Grossman et al. 1998). See hierarchy<br />
under USNVS.<br />
Transfer: The process of moving photo<br />
interpreted data from an aerial photo<br />
overlay to an ortho image to register<br />
<strong>and</strong> rectify the data. This process varies<br />
depending on the type of technology used.<br />
Transform(ation): The process of<br />
converting coordinates (map or image)<br />
from one coordinate system to another.<br />
This involves scaling, rotation, translation,<br />
<strong>and</strong> warping (images) (ESRI 1994).<br />
67
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Transition zone: An area where the<br />
vegetation composition <strong>and</strong> structure is<br />
intermediate between two associations.<br />
The transition zone may be small as the<br />
associations abruptly change due to a large<br />
shift in the l<strong>and</strong>scape, such as a cliff, or it<br />
may be large as the physical environment<br />
changes gradually. Transition zones often<br />
are challenges to properly classify <strong>and</strong>/or<br />
map vegetation.<br />
United States National Map Accuracy<br />
St<strong>and</strong>ards (NMAS): <strong>USGS</strong> accuracy<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ards for published maps, including<br />
horizontal <strong>and</strong> vertical accuracy, accuracy<br />
testing method, accuracy labeling on<br />
published maps, labeling when a map is<br />
an enlargement of another map, <strong>and</strong> basic<br />
information for map construction as to<br />
latitude <strong>and</strong> longitude boundaries. The<br />
table below shows the st<strong>and</strong>ard for some<br />
common map scales. To meet NMAS<br />
maps must have less than 10 percent of the<br />
points tested (well-defined points) exceed<br />
the st<strong>and</strong>ard. Note that the conversion of<br />
paper maps into digital data usually creates<br />
additional error.<br />
sample from the mapped data actually<br />
represents that category on the ground,<br />
also known as error of commission. This<br />
quantity is computed by dividing the<br />
number of correctly classified samples<br />
by the total number of samples that were<br />
classified as belonging to that category<br />
(Story <strong>and</strong> Congalton 1986). Compare with<br />
producer accuracy.<br />
Universal Transverse Mercator<br />
(UTM): Map coordinate system (not a<br />
map projection) that is defined by the<br />
Transverse Mercator projection, which has<br />
a set of zones defined by a central meridian<br />
as shown in the figure below for the United<br />
States (Portions from ESRI 1994). All<br />
spatial data products developed by the<br />
program (vegetation spatial data, plot <strong>and</strong><br />
accuracy assessment plot data locations<br />
are in this coordinate system.<br />
68<br />
Horizontal accuracy examples.<br />
Scale Engineering National Map<br />
Scale Accuracy<br />
St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
1:1,200 1”= 100’ +/- 3.33 feet<br />
1:2,400 1”= 200’ +/- 6.67 feet<br />
1:4,800 1”= 400’ +/- 13.33 feet<br />
1:9,600 1”= 800’ +/- 26.67 feet<br />
1:10,000 +/- 27.78 feet<br />
1:12,000 1” = 1000’ +/- 33.33 feet<br />
1:24,000 1” = 2000’ +/- 40.00 feet<br />
1:63,360 1” = one mile +/- 105.60 feet<br />
1:100,000 +/- 166.67 feet<br />
United States National <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Classification</strong> (USNVC): The Association<br />
for Biodiversity’s vegetation classification<br />
system. It is the basis for the FGDC<br />
National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong><br />
St<strong>and</strong>ard.<br />
User accuracy: The probability that a<br />
Universal Transverse Mercator projections for<br />
the U.S.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>: The collective plant cover over<br />
an area (FGDC 1997).<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> characterization: The detailed<br />
portrayal of a vegetation association<br />
using diagnostic <strong>and</strong> dominant species,<br />
structure, <strong>and</strong> ecological processes.<br />
The program has a formal structure for<br />
association description based on the<br />
ABI model. Also known as vegetation<br />
description. An example of an association<br />
characterization can be found at http://<br />
biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/agfo/mapclass/<br />
scbc.pdf.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> classification: The process<br />
of categorizing vegetation into repeatable
Glossary<br />
<strong>and</strong> consistent elements. Also a document<br />
the lists <strong>and</strong> organizes the vegetation<br />
communities in an area. An example of a<br />
vegetation classification can be found at<br />
http://biology.usgs.gov/npsveg/agfo/report.<br />
pdf#classification.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> community: See plant<br />
community.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description: See vegetation<br />
characterization.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> field key: See dichotomous<br />
field key<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> key: See dichotomous field key<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> mapping: The process<br />
of identifying, labeling, <strong>and</strong> placing<br />
in real world coordinates vegetation<br />
communities.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> structure: See structure<br />
(vegetation).<br />
Vertical aerial photography: See Aerial<br />
Photography.<br />
Wetl<strong>and</strong>: A location on the l<strong>and</strong>scape<br />
that is characterized by either hydric soils<br />
or hydrophytic plants or both. A wetl<strong>and</strong><br />
may be vegetated or non-vegetated. The<br />
vegetation description for each association<br />
includes it wetl<strong>and</strong> status.<br />
Literature Cited<br />
Anderson, J. R., E. E. Hardy, <strong>and</strong> J.<br />
T. Roach 1976. L<strong>and</strong> use <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong><br />
cover classification system for use with<br />
remote sensing data. Geological Survey<br />
Professional Paper 964. A revision of<br />
the l<strong>and</strong> use classification system as<br />
presented in US Geological Circular<br />
671. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government<br />
Printing Offce.<br />
Dana, P. H. 1999. Map projection<br />
overview. http://www.colorado.edu/<br />
geography/gcraft/notes/mapproj/<br />
mapproj_f.html.<br />
Daubenmire, R. F. 1978. Plant geography,<br />
with special reference to North America.<br />
New York: Academic Press.<br />
Environmental Systems Research Institute,<br />
Inc. (ESRI). 1994. Underst<strong>and</strong>ing GIS: The<br />
Arc/Info method. Redl<strong>and</strong>s, California.<br />
Federal Geographic Data Committee<br />
(FGDC). 1997. <strong>Vegetation</strong> classification<br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard. http://www.fgdc.gov/st<strong>and</strong>ards/<br />
projects/FGDC-st<strong>and</strong>ards-projects/<br />
vegetation/vegclass.pdf.<br />
Gabriel, H. W., <strong>and</strong> S. S. Talbot. 1984.<br />
Glossary of l<strong>and</strong>scape <strong>and</strong> vegetation<br />
ecology for Alaska. Alaska Technical<br />
<strong>Report</strong> 10. U.S. Bureau of L<strong>and</strong><br />
Management, U.S. Department of the<br />
Interior, Washington, D.C.<br />
Grossman, D. H., D. Faber-Langendoen,<br />
A. S. Weakley, M. Anderson, P. Bourgeron,<br />
R. Crawford, K. Goodin, S. L<strong>and</strong>al, K.<br />
Metzler, K. Pattterson, M. Pyne, M. Reid,<br />
<strong>and</strong> L. Sneddon. 1998. International<br />
classification of ecological communities:<br />
terrestrial vegetation of the United States.<br />
Volume I. The Nature Conservancy:<br />
Arlington, Virginia.<br />
Grossman, D. H., K. L. Goodin, X. Li, D.<br />
Faber-Langendoen, <strong>and</strong> M. Anderson.<br />
Developing <strong>and</strong> documenting a National<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard.<br />
1994. Prepared for the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program by The<br />
Nature Conservancy, Arlington Va., <strong>and</strong><br />
Environmental Science Research Institute,<br />
Redl<strong>and</strong>s, California.<br />
Grossman, D. H., K. L. Goodin, X. Li, D.<br />
Faber-Langendoen, M. Anderson, <strong>and</strong><br />
R. Vaughan, Establishing st<strong>and</strong>ards for<br />
field methods <strong>and</strong> mapping procedures.<br />
1994. Prepared for the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program by The<br />
Nature Conservancy, Arlington Va., <strong>and</strong><br />
Environmental Science Research Institute,<br />
Redl<strong>and</strong>s, California.<br />
Rabchevsky, G. A., ed. 1984. Multilingual<br />
dictionary of remote sensing <strong>and</strong><br />
photogrammetry. American Society of<br />
Photogrammetry: Falls Church, Virginia.<br />
Snyder, J. P. 1982. Map projections used by<br />
the U.S. Geological Survey. 2nd Edition.<br />
69
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government<br />
Printing Offce.<br />
Stadelmann, M., A. Curtis, R. Vaughan,<br />
<strong>and</strong> M. Goodchild. 1994. Producing<br />
rigorous <strong>and</strong> consistent accuracy<br />
assessment procedures. Prepared for the<br />
<strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program<br />
by The Nature Conservancy, Arlington<br />
Va., <strong>and</strong> Environmental Science Research<br />
Institute, Redl<strong>and</strong>s, California.<br />
Story, M., <strong>and</strong> R. G. Congalton. 1986.<br />
Accuracy assessment: A user’s perspective.<br />
Photogrammetric Engineering <strong>and</strong><br />
Remote Sensing 52(3):397–399.<br />
70
Appendix A<br />
List of Petrified Forest National Park vegetation mapping project products<br />
This appendix lists the products developed for the Petrified Forest National Park vegetation<br />
mapping project. The report <strong>and</strong> appendices are available in hard copy <strong>and</strong> on the project<br />
DVD. The vegetation map database, field data locations <strong>and</strong> plant data, graphics, images,<br />
<strong>and</strong> metadata are also available on the DVD. This appendix lists each product, its file name<br />
on the DVD, <strong>and</strong> the format in which the product is available. The DVD is available with the<br />
hard copy report <strong>and</strong> through the Southern Colorado Plateau Network. These products are<br />
also available on the <strong>USGS</strong>-NPS <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Mapping</strong> Program product pages (http://biology.<br />
usgs.gov/npsveg/products/pefo.html).<br />
Product/File Names<br />
<strong>Report</strong><br />
peforpt.pdf.<br />
pefoquantclass.doc<br />
pefoveg.pdf.<br />
pefoveg_large.pdf.<br />
pefoplotsclass.pdf<br />
pefoplotsaa.pdf<br />
pefoplotspi.pdf.<br />
Description<br />
Full.report<br />
Graphics.of.quantitative.classification<br />
Low.resolution.map.graphic<br />
High.resolution.map.graphic<br />
Aerial.photography.<br />
pefocirmosaic.exe<br />
metapefocirmosaic.txt<br />
pefodoqq.exe<br />
metapefophotosdoqq.txt<br />
Aerial.photo.mosaic<br />
Metadata.for.aerial.photo.mosaic.in.text.format<br />
All.Digital.Ortho.Quarter.Quads<br />
Metadata.for.DOQQs.in.text.format<br />
Field.data<br />
pefodata.mdb.<br />
metapefodata.txt.<br />
pefofieldphotos.exe<br />
pefoplotfieldform.pdf<br />
pefoaafieldform.pdf<br />
Map.graphics.of.classification,.accuracy.assessment,.<strong>and</strong>.photointerpretation.plots<br />
Access.database.that.includes.all.classification.<strong>and</strong>.accuracy.assessment.field.data<br />
Metadata.for.classification.<strong>and</strong>.accuracy.assessment.field.data.<br />
in.text.format<br />
Field.photos:.classification.<strong>and</strong>.accuracy.assessment<br />
<strong>Classification</strong>.plots.field.form<br />
Accuracy.assessment.plots.field.form.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong>.spatial.data<br />
pefoplot.exe<br />
metapefofield.txt<br />
<strong>Classification</strong>.plots.shapefile.<strong>and</strong>.metadata<br />
Metadata.for.classification.plots<br />
Thematic.AA.points.spatial.data<br />
pefoaa.exe.<br />
Accuracy.assessment.plots.shapefile.<strong>and</strong>.metadata<br />
A1
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Appendix A continued<br />
Product/File Names<br />
metapefoaa.txt.<br />
Description<br />
Metadata.for.accuracy.assessment.shapefile.in.text.format<br />
Park.boundary.spatial.data<br />
pefobdy.exe.<br />
metapefobdy.txt.<br />
Park.boundary.shapefile.<strong>and</strong>.metadata<br />
Metadata.for.park.boundary.in.text.format<br />
<strong>Project</strong>.boundary.spatial.data.<br />
pefoprjbdy.exe<br />
metapefoprjbdy.txt<br />
<strong>Project</strong>.boundary.shapefile.<strong>and</strong>.metadata<br />
Metadata.for.project.boundary.in.text.format<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.map.spatial.data<br />
pefo.exe.<br />
metapefospatial.txt.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.map.shapefile.<strong>and</strong>.metadata<br />
Metadata.for.vegetation.maps.in.text.format<br />
Photointerpretation.sites.spatial.data<br />
pefophotoplots.exe<br />
metapefophotoplots.txt<br />
Photointerpretation.observation.locations.shapefile.<strong>and</strong>.metadata<br />
Photointerpretation.sites.shapefile.metadata.in.text.format.<br />
A2
Appendix B<br />
Relevé numbers<br />
This appendix lists the relevé numbers of ground-based observations for each plant<br />
community in this project. Although the 1993 database is not available through this<br />
project, data for the 2003 classification relevés <strong>and</strong> 2006 accuracy assessment observations<br />
are available as an Access database <strong>and</strong> mapped as a GIS shapefile. Images of the 2004<br />
classification relevés <strong>and</strong> 2006 accuracy assessment observations are also available. The 2004<br />
classification relevé number refers to the field PlotCode, found in the table, tblPlotDetails, in<br />
pefodata.exe. It is cross-walked to the field PlotCode, which is used to reference the relevé<br />
in all other classification tables in the database. The 2006 accuracy-assessment observation<br />
numbers refers to the field, PlotAACode, found in all four accuracy assessment tables in<br />
pefodata.exe. The photointerpreter’s observation locations are also mapped as a shapefile.<br />
Locations on the DVD for these products, <strong>and</strong> their corresponding metadata, can be found<br />
in Appendix A. The number for the photointerpreter’s observation locations refers to the<br />
field, PlotCode, in the pefophotoplots shapefile.<br />
B1
B2<br />
Appendix B<br />
Plant Community 2003 1993 AA<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong> . . .<br />
1 Juniperus monosperma./.Artemisia<br />
bigelovii.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
2 Pinus edulis.-.(Juniperus osteosperma)./.Bouteloua<br />
gracilis.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
3 Populus fremontii./.Ericameria nauseosa.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
PE-110,.PE-145 . A1,.A11,.A1-A,.A2,.A2-A,.A3,.A4,.A8,.A9,.A5,.F10,.F9<br />
PE-114 . .<br />
PE-124,.PE-139. . A1-S,.A2-S,.I17-S<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong> . . .<br />
6 Artemisia filifolia.Colorado.Plateau.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
8 Ericameria nauseosa.Desert.Wash.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
4 Allenrolfea occidentalis.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>. PE-080 . B14,.B15,.B21,.B22,.B3,.BB3,.FF7,.FF8<br />
5 Artemisia filifolia./.Bouteloua eriopoda.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
PE-010,.PE-035,.PE-036,. . .<br />
PE-128<br />
PE-026,.PE-056,.PE-060,.PE-<br />
092,.PE-093,.PE-120,.PE-143,.<br />
PE-146<br />
PE-002,.PE-012,.PE-013,.<br />
PE-047<br />
7 Atriplex canescens./.Pleuraphis jamesii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
PE-008,.PE-024,.PE-109,.PE-<br />
111,.PE-126,.PE-129,.PE-037,.<br />
PE-140.<br />
6008,.6033,.6049,.6061,.6083,.<br />
7301<br />
B12-S,.B13-S,.B15-S,.B1-S,.B3-S,.B5-S,.B8-S,.B9-S,.C10,.<br />
C11,.C19,.C22,.C24,.C25,.C5-S,.C6-S,.E1,.H12,.I1-S,.J1,.<br />
K4,.N14,.N16,.N18,.N30,.N5,.T2,.U1<br />
6053,.6055,.6063,.6074,.6076 A6,.B11,.B12,.B17,.B2-S,.B4-S,.B7,.B8,.B9,.C12,.C12-S,.<br />
C13-S,.C14,.C17-S,.C18-S,.C19-S,.C20,.C22-S,.C28,.C6,.<br />
C8,.C8-S,.C9-S,.F12,.F2-S,.F3-S,.F7,.G21-S,.G7-S,.H10,.<br />
I11-S,.J1-S,.J2-S,.L1-S,.L5-S,.L9-S,.N21,.N22,.N24,.N25,.<br />
N26,.N29,.N3,.N4,.N6,.O4-S,.R12-S,.R13-S,.R5-S,.R8-S,.<br />
V3<br />
6037,.6040,.6043,.6058,.6078,.<br />
7148,.7170;.6080,.6082,.7159<br />
B25,.BB2,.BB24,.C1-S,.C20-S,.C21-S,.C23-S,.C24-S,.C27-<br />
S,.C2-S,.C3-S,.C4-S,.C7-S,.F12-S,.G4,.J5-S,.W9-S<br />
9 Forestiera pubescens.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> . 6011 .<br />
10 Gutierrezia sarothrae.-.(Opuntia. PE-038,.PE-107 6001,.6018,.6020,.6023,.6025,. .<br />
spp.)./.Pleuraphis jamesii.Dwarfshrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
6028,.6035,.6045,.6048,.6073,.<br />
7083,.7014,.7252.<br />
11 Isocoma drummondii.-.Pleuraphis PE-112 7054,.7175,.7154 BB4,.D1,.D3,.E4,.FF5,.K21,.X9-S,.K3<br />
jamesii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
12 Iva acerosa.-.Sporobolus airoides.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
PE-116 . G5,.G6<br />
13 Krascheninnikovia lanata./.Boutel- PE-086 . B31-S,.C2,.E2,.P5,.P6,.P7<br />
oua gracilis.Dwarf-shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
14 Krascheninnikovia lanata.Dwarf- PE-137 . C3<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
Appendix B.continued<br />
B3<br />
Plant Community 2003 1993 AA<br />
15 Purshia stansburiana.-.Eriogonum PE-123,.PE-133,.PE-138,.PE- . A13,.F11,.F2,.F3,.F4,.F5,.F6<br />
corymbosum.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
141,.PE-144<br />
16 Rhus trilobata.-.Ephedra.(viridis,.tor- PE-105,.PE-134,.PE-148 . H6-S,.Y1,.Y4-S,.Y7-S,.Y8-S<br />
reyana).Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
17 Salix exigua./.Barren.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> PE-006,.PE-127 . D1-S<br />
18 Salvia pachyphylla.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> PE-108,.PE-115 . J2,.J3,.J4,.J5,.J6,.J7<br />
19 Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.Atriplex . . B24,.FF1,.FF10,.FF11,.FF14,.FF19,.FF20,.FF26,.FF28,.<br />
obovata.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
FF3,.FF30,.FF6,.FF9,.G12,.L8-S<br />
20 Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.Suaeda PE-066 . BB1-S,.BB2-S,.E2-S,.P19-S,.P20-S<br />
moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
21 Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> PE-106 . E1-S<br />
22 Tamarix.spp..Temporarily.Flooded. PE-005,.PE-125 7128 BB25,.BB26,.F6-S,.F9-S,.G14,.F10-S<br />
Semi-natural.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Herbaceous . . .<br />
23 Atriplex obovata./.Sporobolus PE-014,.PE-022,.PE-033,.PE- 6012,.6047,.6057,.6060,.6070,. B1,.B2,.B6,.C14-S,.C16-S,.C17,.E5,.FF15,.FF16,.FF17,.<br />
airoides.-.Pleuraphis jamesii.Shrub. 040,.PE-048,.PE-050,.PE-070,. 6072,.7007,.7009,.7017,.7021,. FF18,.FF21,.FF23,.G1-S,.G2-S,.G8-S,.HH1,.I16-S,.K1,.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong> PE-081,.PE-094,.PE-117,.PE- 7023,.7076,.7111,.7115,.7138,. K11-S,.K15,.L1,.L11,.L15,.L17,.L26,.L30,.L5,.M3-S,.M4-<br />
131,.PE-149 7173,.7281 S,.N2-S,.N3-S,.N6-S,.N7-S,.N8-S,.P11-S,.P12-S,.P13-S,.<br />
P14-S,.P15-S,.P16-S,.P17-S,.P18-S,.R14-S,.R6,.S10-S,.<br />
T10-S,.T15-S,.T17-S,.T18-S,.T19-S,.T21-S,.T2-S,.U12-S,.<br />
U13-S,.U15-S,.U4-S,.W8,.X19,.X21,.X4-S,.Y2-S<br />
24 Bouteloua eriopoda.-.Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
25 Bouteloua gracilis.-.Pleuraphis jamesii.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
27 Calamovilfa gigantea.Desert.Wash.<br />
Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
29 Opuntia.whipplei.-.Sporobolus airoides.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
PE-023,.PE-041,.PE-042,.<br />
PE-087<br />
7124 K6-S<br />
PE-004,.PE-068,.PE-099 6013,.6016,.6017,.6052,.7307,. C15-S,.C27,.E13,.G3-S,.I6-S,.N10-S,.N11-S,.N4-S,.P1,.P2,.<br />
7029,.7032,.7090,.7096,.7098,. P4,.P4-S,.R1-S,.R6-S,.T4-S,.T9-S<br />
7119,.7123,.7314.<br />
26 Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
PE-046,.PE-057,.PE-058,.PE-<br />
059,.PE-061,.PE-071,.PE-088,.<br />
PE-096,.PE-136<br />
6002,.6007,.6010,.6021,.6024,.<br />
6027,.6029,.6030,.6032,.6034,.<br />
7024,.7028,.7030,.7062,.7089,.<br />
7100,.7102,.7113,.7243,.7261,.<br />
7280<br />
PE-104,.PE-121,.PE-135 . .<br />
PE-097 . .<br />
B7-S,.P3<br />
Appendix B: Relevé numbers
B4<br />
Appendix B .continued<br />
Plant Community 2003 1993 AA<br />
30 Pleuraphis jamesii.-.Sporobolus airoides.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
PE-015,.PE-043,.PE-085,.<br />
PE-103<br />
6003,.6019,.6038,.6039,.6041,.<br />
6044,.6045,.6054,.6068,.6079,.<br />
7004,.7008,.7015,.7033,.7037,.<br />
7050,.7053,.7058,.7091,.7099,.<br />
7101,.7105,.7108,.7116,.7120,.<br />
7130,.7145,.7153,.7155<br />
E10,.E15,.E16,.E17,.E21,.E22,.E24,.E28,.E6,.E7,.E9,.<br />
FF22,.K3-S,.L21,.O10-S,.O2,.O3,.O8-S,.P10,.P7-S,.P9,.<br />
Q1,.R11,.R12,.R13,.R14,.R16-S,.R17,.R18,.R19,.R20,.<br />
R28,.R3,.R30,.R34,.R35,.R36,.R37,.R8,.S1,.S3,.S5,.S6,.<br />
T9,.X22<br />
31 Salsola tragus.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong> PE-016,.PE-130. . T10,.K12,.K17,.K18,.K20,.K26,.K30,.N1,.N11,.N12,.R2-<br />
S,.R3-S,.R9-S<br />
32 Sporobolus airoides.-.Bouteloua<br />
gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
PE-018,.PE-019,.PE-020,.PE-<br />
025,.PE-034,.PE-073,.PE-150.<br />
6015,.7002,.7039,.7087,.7131,.<br />
7293.<br />
B4,.B6-S,.C11-S,.CC1-A,.E12,.E25,.E3,.E8,.G10-S,.I14-S,.<br />
I15-S,.I3-S,.I4-S,.I8-S,.K12-S,.K13-S,.K14-S,.K16-S,.K1-<br />
S,.K4-S,.K9,.L10-S,.L2-S,.O2-S,.O3-S,.P21-S,.P2-S,.P8,.<br />
P8-S,.Q2-S,.R11-S,.R7-S,.S10,.S2,.S4,.T11,.T16-S,.T4,.<br />
U14-S,.U5-S,.U6-S<br />
33 Sporobolus airoides.Southern.Plains. PE-053,.PE-076 6022,.6046,.7003,. C18,.D2,.E11,.E14,.E18,.E19,.E20,.E23,.E31,.E32,.E33,.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
E34,.E35,.FF12,.FF27,.FF36,.FF4,.L20,.L4-S,.L7-S,.M1-S,.<br />
M2-S,.O1-S,.O4,.O5,.O5-S,.O6-S,.O7-S,.O9-S,.P10-S,.<br />
P1-S,.P9-S,.R18-S,.R9,.T1,.T3<br />
34 Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus.Herba- PE-067 . .<br />
ceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
35 Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus.Great.Basin. PE-065 . .<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Sparse . . .<br />
36 Atriplex obovata.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse. PE-021,.PE-028,.PE-039,.PE- 6036,.6059,.6067,.6071,.6077,. AA6,.BB12,.K2-S,.L10,.L13,.L14,.L6,.N5-S,.R25,.T11-S,.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> 051,.PE-064,.PE-069,.PE-075,. 7010,.7012,.7036,.7042,.7047,. T12-S,.T13-S,.T14-S,.T20-S,.T22-S,.T7-S,.T8-S,.U3-S,.U7-<br />
PE-082,.PE-089,.PE-095,. 7084,.7132,.7137,.7147,.7156. S,.U9-S,.V11-S,.V12-S,.V2-S,.W1,.W10,.W10-S,.W12,.<br />
PE-119<br />
W12-S,.W15,.W19,.X11,.X17,.X6-S<br />
37 Ephedra.torreyana.-.Artemisia big- PE-009,.PE-011,.PE-030,.PE- 6004,.6005,.6031,.6042,.6050,. C15,.F1,.F8,.G5-S,.G6-S,.H18,.H19,.H23,.H25,.H27,.<br />
elovii.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong> 031,.PE-052,.PE-062,.PE-077,. 6051,.6056,.6062,.6064,.6065,. H28,.H3,.H4,.H5,.H6,.H8,.H9,.I2-S,.I5-S,.I7-S,.K16,.L16,.<br />
PE-083,.PE-090,.PE-122,.PE- 6075,.7178. M1,.N2,.N8,.Q1-S,.S11-S,.S12-S,.S1-S,.S3-S,.S6-S,.S8-S,.<br />
132,.PE-142<br />
Y11-S,.Y12-S,.Y15-S,.Y29-S,.Y3-S,.Y6-S<br />
38 Eriogonum leptophyllum.Sparse. PE-001,.PE-003,.PE-007,.PE- 7056,.7060,.7164,.7066 V4,.H1-S,.H2-S,.S2-S,.S5-S,.T5-S,.W4,.W6,.Y13-S,.Y9-S<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
045,.PE-084,.PE-100<br />
39 Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong> PE-017,.PE-027,.PE-029,.PE- 7038,.7044,.7057,.7059,.7065,. H11,.H7,.L19,.L3,.S4-S,.T6-S,.U1-S,.V9-S,.W17,.W7-S,.<br />
032,.PE-044,.PE-049,.PE-054,. 7078,.7082,.7086,.7125,.7162,. I1,.T1-S<br />
PE-055,.PE-063,.PE-078,.PE- 7294,.7313.<br />
079,.PE-091,.PE-098,.PE-101,.<br />
PE-113,.PE-118,.PE-147<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
Appendix C<br />
Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.1 Introduction<br />
The plant community descriptions present information on each association, alliance, <strong>and</strong><br />
park special as it occurs in Petrified Forest NP (local) <strong>and</strong> as it has been found elsewhere<br />
(global) (NatureServe 2007). The plant communities are organized by life form–woodl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong>, herbaceous, <strong>and</strong> finally sparse.<br />
Following is a summary of the information provided by each description, in the order in<br />
which it occurs within each description:<br />
1. Scientific name for plant community<br />
o. Translated name for plant community assigned by NatureServe<br />
o. NatureServe Code: Community Element Global code (CEGL) assigned by<br />
NatureServe<br />
2. Summary: Global concept of plant community<br />
3. <strong>Classification</strong><br />
o. <strong>Classification</strong> Confidence: The level of confidence in the classification, based<br />
on the quality <strong>and</strong> type of data used in the analysis, as well as the extent to<br />
which the entire (or potential) range of the element was considered. Values<br />
include: 1 = Strong, 2 = Moderate, <strong>and</strong> 3 = Weak.<br />
o. <strong>Classification</strong> Comments: Globally <strong>and</strong> locally<br />
o. <strong>Vegetation</strong> Hierarchy<br />
- Physiognomic Class: NVCS version 1 class<br />
- Physiognomic Subclass: NVCS version 1 subclass<br />
- Physiognomic Group: NVSC version 1 group<br />
- Physiognomic Subgroup: NVCS version 1 subgroup<br />
- Formation Name: NVCS version 1 formation name<br />
- Alliance Name: NVCS version 1 alliance name<br />
4. Ecological Systems Placement: Nature Serve-assigned ecological system<br />
5. NatureServe Conservation Status: NatureServe-assigned conservation status rank<br />
(G5 Secure/G4 Apparently secure/G3 Vulnerable/G2 Imperiled/GNR Not yet<br />
ranked)<br />
6. Distribution: Global <strong>and</strong> local distribution<br />
7. Environmental Setting<br />
o. USFWS Wetl<strong>and</strong> System (Cowardin et al. 1979)<br />
o. Global <strong>and</strong> local environments of occurrence<br />
8. <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
o. Global <strong>and</strong> local descriptions<br />
o. Most Abundant Species: Global <strong>and</strong> local<br />
o. Other Noteworthy Species: Global <strong>and</strong> local<br />
9. Element Sources<br />
o. Authors of global <strong>and</strong> local descriptions<br />
o. References<br />
C1
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Appendix C. Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.2.1. Juniperus monosperma / Artemisia bigelovii.Woodl<strong>and</strong>............................................... C4<br />
C.2.2...Pinus edulis - (Juniperus osteosperma) / Bouteloua gracilis.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.........................C7<br />
C.2.3...Populus fremontii / Ericameria nauseosa.Woodl<strong>and</strong>....................................................C10<br />
C.3.1...Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong>................................................................................ C13<br />
C.3.2...Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>......................................................C16<br />
C.3.3...Artemisia filifolia.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.............................................................C19<br />
C.3.4...Atriplex canescens / Pleuraphis jamesii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>........................................................C22<br />
C.3.5...Ericameria nauseosa.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>................................................................ C25<br />
C.3.6...Forestiera pubescens Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..................................................................................... C28<br />
C.3.7...Gutierrezia sarothrae.-.(Opuntia.spp.)./.Pleuraphis jamesii Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.............C31<br />
C.3.8...Isocoma drummondii - Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special]............................C34<br />
C.3.9...Iva acerosa - Sporobolus airoides.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special]..........................................C36<br />
C.3.10...Krascheninnikovia lanata / Bouteloua gracilis.Dwarf-shrub.Herbaceous.......<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>............................................................................................................................... .. C38<br />
C.3.11...Krascheninnikovia lanata.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>................................................................ C41<br />
C.3.12...Purshia stansburiana - Eriogonum corymbosum.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.......................................C44<br />
C.3.13...Rhus trilobata - Ephedra (viridis, torreyana).Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>....................................C46<br />
C.3.14...Salix exigua./.Barren.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.................................................................................... C49<br />
C.3.15...Salvia pachyphylla.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special].....................................................C52<br />
C.3.16...Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Atriplex obovata.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special].......................C54<br />
C.3.17...Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..............................................C56<br />
C.3.18...Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.......................................................................................... C58<br />
C.3.19...Tamarix.spp..Temporarily.Flooded.Semi-natural.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.......................................C60<br />
C.4.1...Atriplex obovata / Sporobolus airoides - Pleuraphis jamesii.Shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>............................................................................................................................... .. C63<br />
C.4.2...Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>...............................C66<br />
C.4.3.. Bouteloua gracilis - Pleuraphis jamesii.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>..................................C69<br />
C.4.4...Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.................................................................... C72<br />
C.4.5...Calamovilfa gigantea.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.............................C75<br />
C.4.6...Ericameria nauseosa / Bouteloua gracilis.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>....................C77<br />
C.4.7...Opuntia whipplei - Sporobolus airoides.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.....................<br />
[Park.Special].............................................................................................................................. C80<br />
C.4.8...Pleuraphis jamesii - Sporobolus airoides.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>...............................C82<br />
C2
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.4.9...Salsola tragus S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.[Park.Special].................................................... C85<br />
C.4.10...Sporobolus airoides - Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>............................ C87<br />
C.4.11...Sporobolus airoides.Southern.Plains.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>................................... C90<br />
C.4.12.. Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.[Park.Special]....................... C93<br />
C.4.13...Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus.Great.Basin.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>................................... C95<br />
C.5.1...Atriplex obovata.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.............................................................. C98<br />
C.5.2...Ephedra torreyana -.Artemisia.bigelovii.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>..................................... C101<br />
C.5.3.. Eriogonum leptophyllum Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>............................................................. C104<br />
C.5.4...Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>........................................................................ C106<br />
Literature.Cited........................................................................................................................ C109<br />
C3
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.2 Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.2.1. Juniperus monosperma / Artemisia bigelovii Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
One-seed.Juniper./.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
One-seed.Juniper./.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL000705<br />
Summary:<br />
This woodl<strong>and</strong> association ranges from southern Colorado to northern New Mexico <strong>and</strong> Arizona,<br />
<strong>and</strong> possibly extreme southern Utah. St<strong>and</strong>s occur in the mesas <strong>and</strong> hillslopes, piedmonts, canyons,<br />
escarpments, <strong>and</strong> other geographic breaks in the southern Colorado Plateau to foothills of<br />
the southern Rocky Mountains <strong>and</strong> breaks in the southwestern Great Plains. Elevation ranges from<br />
1520-2130 m (5000-7000 ft). Sites are on nearly level surfaces to steep, rocky slopes in canyons <strong>and</strong><br />
on hillsides. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on all aspects except in elevational extremes where low-elevation st<strong>and</strong>s<br />
are restricted to the more mesic north slopes; whereas high-elevation st<strong>and</strong>s occur on southern<br />
aspects. Sites are typically dry with shallow, rocky, calcareous, alkaline soils. Soil textures range<br />
from s<strong>and</strong>y loam to clay soils typically derived from limestone, s<strong>and</strong>stone, or shale. The vegetation<br />
is characterized by a typically open (5-15% cover) to occasionally moderately dense evergreen,<br />
scale-leaved tree canopy 2-7 m tall composed of Juniperus monosperma. Sparse canopy st<strong>and</strong>s<br />
have trees distributed in patches, resembling a savanna; whereas, in the moderately dense st<strong>and</strong>s,<br />
the tree crowns touch. Occasional Pinus edulis trees may also be present. At higher elevations,<br />
Juniperus scopulorum may be present, <strong>and</strong> in the southern extent, Madrean evergreen woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
elements such as Juniperus deppeana <strong>and</strong> Juniperus coahuilensis (= Juniperus erythrocarpa) may<br />
be present but not codominant. The understory is typically a sparse <strong>and</strong> patchy dwarf-shrub layer<br />
dominated by Artemisia bigelovii. Other shrubs <strong>and</strong> dwarf-shrubs may be present, such as Atriplex<br />
canescens, Ephedra spp., Gutierrezia sarothrae, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Opuntia spp., Parryella<br />
filifolia, Purshia stansburiana, Yucca spp., <strong>and</strong> Mahonia fremontii, depending on geography. A<br />
sparse to moderately dense herbaceous layer dominated by perennial grasses may be present. The<br />
most abundant species are Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua gracilis, Aristida spp., Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
(= Hilaria jamesii), Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides), Piptatherum micranthum<br />
(= Oryzopsis micrantha), Sporobolus spp., Hesperostipa comata, Hesperostipa neomexicana, <strong>and</strong><br />
introduced annual grass Bromus tectorum. Many forb species can occur, but few have much cover.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2-Moderate<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Stuever <strong>and</strong> Hayden (1997a) suggest that this association may occur in southern<br />
Utah; however, Welsh et al. (1993) states that all identifications of Juniperus monosperma in<br />
Utah are tentative.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. The sparse total vegetation cover of these two relevés <strong>and</strong><br />
the existence of a tree layer makes it diffcult to classify this association as a woodl<strong>and</strong> community.<br />
However, the dominant species in both relevés was Juniperus monosperma, which<br />
had a distinct structural component not present in the adjacent vegetation communities.<br />
C5
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class I Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass I.A Evergreen.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group I.A.8 Temperate.or.subpolar.needle-leaved.evergreen.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup I.A.8.N Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.needle-leaved.<br />
evergreen.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name I.A.8.N.c Rounded-crowned.temperate.or.subpolar.needle-leaved.<br />
evergreen.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Juniperus monosperma Woodl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.504),.Oneseed.Juniper.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.767<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Colorado.Plateau.Pinyon-Juniper.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G5 (23-Feb-1994).<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This juniper woodl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in the southern Colorado Plateau,<br />
foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains, <strong>and</strong> it extends out on limestone <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone<br />
breaks in the southwestern Great Plains ranging from northeastern Arizona <strong>and</strong> northern New<br />
Mexico into southeastern Colorado <strong>and</strong> possibly extreme southern Utah.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Juniperus monosperma - Artemisia bigelovii Woodl<strong>and</strong> was<br />
identified from two relevés on terrace l<strong>and</strong>forms at Petrified Forest National Park. This<br />
association was sampled on top of Chinde Mesa <strong>and</strong> west of Dry Wash <strong>and</strong> southwest of<br />
Crystal Forest.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. St<strong>and</strong>s occur in the mesas <strong>and</strong> hillslopes, piedmonts, canyons, escarpments, <strong>and</strong><br />
other geographic breaks in the southern Colorado Plateau to the foothills of the southern<br />
Rocky Mountains <strong>and</strong> breaks in the southwestern Great Plains. Elevation ranges from 1520-<br />
2130 m (5000-7000 ft). Sites are on nearly level surfaces to steep, rocky slopes in canyons <strong>and</strong><br />
on hillsides. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on all aspects except in elevational extremes where low-elevation<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s are restricted to the more mesic north slopes; whereas high-elevation st<strong>and</strong>s occur on<br />
southern aspects. Sites are typically dry with shallow, rocky, calcareous, alkaline soils. Soil textures<br />
range from s<strong>and</strong>y loam to clay soils typically derived from limestone, s<strong>and</strong>stone, or shale.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association was sampled at 1732 <strong>and</strong> 1838 m (5680-6030<br />
ft) elevation. Slope is none to minimal (0-3%). S<strong>and</strong>stone surface rocks were identified at one<br />
of the relevés.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. The vegetation is characterized by a typically open (5-15% cover) to occasionally<br />
moderately dense evergreen, scale-leaved tree canopy 2-7 m tall composed of Juniperus<br />
monosperma. Sparse canopy st<strong>and</strong>s have trees distributed in patches, resembling a savanna;<br />
whereas, in the moderately dense st<strong>and</strong>s, the tree crowns touch. Occasional Pinus edulis<br />
trees may also be present. At higher elevations, Juniperus scopulorum may be present, <strong>and</strong><br />
in the southern extent, Madrean evergreen woodl<strong>and</strong> elements such as Juniperus deppeana<br />
<strong>and</strong> Juniperus coahuilensis (= Juniperus erythrocarpa) may be present but not codominant.<br />
C6
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
The understory is typically a sparse <strong>and</strong> patchy dwarf-shrub layer dominated by Artemisia<br />
bigelovii. Other shrubs <strong>and</strong> dwarf-shrubs may be present, such as Atriplex canescens, Ephedra<br />
spp., Gutierrezia sarothrae, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Opuntia spp., Parryella filifolia,<br />
Purshia stansburiana, Yucca spp., <strong>and</strong> Mahonia fremontii, depending on geography. A sparse<br />
to moderately dense herbaceous layer dominated by perennial grasses may be present. The<br />
most abundant species are Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua gracilis, Aristida spp., Dasyochloa<br />
pulchella, Pleuraphis jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii), Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides),<br />
Piptatherum micranthum (= Oryzopsis micrantha), Sporobolus spp., Hesperostipa<br />
comata, Hesperostipa neomexicana, <strong>and</strong> introduced annual grass Bromus tectorum. Many<br />
forb species can occur, but few have much cover. Common forbs include Chaetopappa<br />
ericoides, Chamaesyce fendleri, Cryptantha sp., Chaetopappa ericoides, Eriogonum corymbosum,<br />
Eriogonum jamesii, Lesquerella fendleri, <strong>and</strong> Zinnia gr<strong>and</strong>iflora.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Two relevés were classified as Juniperus monosperma - Artemisia<br />
bigelovii Woodl<strong>and</strong> with a total vegetation cover of 15 <strong>and</strong> 18%. The vegetation cover<br />
consisted of a tree stratum with 4 <strong>and</strong> 5% cover, a shrub stratum with 10 <strong>and</strong> 12% cover,<br />
<strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum with 0.5 <strong>and</strong> 2% cover. The species diversity for the relevés was<br />
22 <strong>and</strong> 24 species. The vegetation was dominated by Juniperus monosperma in the tree layer<br />
with 4 <strong>and</strong> 5% cover. Artemisia bigelovii has significant cover in the shrub layer with each<br />
relevé having 2% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Tree.canopy Juniperus monosperma Juniperus monosperma<br />
Tall/short.shrub/ Artemisia bigelovii, Gutierrezia Artemisia bigelovii<br />
sapling<br />
sarothrae<br />
Herb.(field) Achnatherum hymenoides, Aristida N/A<br />
purpurea, Bouteloua eriopoda,<br />
Bouteloua gracilis, Bromus tectorum,<br />
Hesperostipa comata, Hesperostipa<br />
neomexicana<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994; Dick-Peddie 1993; Driscoll et al. 1984; Larson <strong>and</strong> Moir 1987; Shaw<br />
et al. 1989; Stuever <strong>and</strong> Hayden 1997a; Welsh et al. 1993; Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C7
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.2 Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.2.2. Pinus edulis - (Juniperus osteosperma) / Bouteloua gracilis Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Pinus edulis.-.(Juniperus osteosperma)./.Bouteloua gracilis.<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong>.was.only.located.at.one.small.area..This.association.<br />
was.mapped.with.the.One-seed.Juniper./.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.base.map.class.<br />
Two-needle.Pinyon.-.(Utah.Juniper)./.Blue.Grama.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL000778<br />
Summary:<br />
This woodl<strong>and</strong> association is known from mountains <strong>and</strong> mesas in the southern Colorado Plateau,<br />
from the Mogollon Rim, extending north into southern Utah <strong>and</strong> probably western Colorado.<br />
Elevations normally range from 1700-2400 m (5575-7875 ft). Sites are variable but generally are<br />
relatively dry <strong>and</strong> rocky. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on flat to moderate slopes along drainages <strong>and</strong> on mesatops,<br />
on gentle to moderate (10-40%) rocky slopes of foothills, <strong>and</strong> at the bases of cinder cones. The<br />
substrates are variable <strong>and</strong> range from deep, coarse-textured soils derived from cinder to finertextured<br />
soils derived from s<strong>and</strong>stone, shale <strong>and</strong> limestone. The vegetation is characterized by an<br />
open to moderately dense tree canopy (10-65% cover) codominated by Pinus edulis <strong>and</strong> Juniperus<br />
osteosperma trees that are between 1 <strong>and</strong> 5 m tall. Pinus edulis may be present with relatively<br />
small cover in some st<strong>and</strong>s. Juniperus deppeana may replace Juniperus osteosperma in southern<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s. Other species of Juniperus, such as Juniperus scopulorum, may be present in higher elevation<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s. Shrub cover is sparse (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. The one relevé classified as Pinus edulis - (Juniperus osteosperma)<br />
/ Bouteloua gracilis Woodl<strong>and</strong> may need to be reassessed with additional data<br />
collected at Petrified Forest National Park <strong>and</strong> the Navajo Nation. This relevé was separated<br />
from Juniperus monosperma / Artemisia bigelovii Woodl<strong>and</strong> (CEGL000705) based on codominance<br />
of Pinus edulis in the tree layer. However, the Juniperus monosperma / Artemisia<br />
bigelovii Woodl<strong>and</strong> association does have similar characteristics to the relevé described<br />
here: it lacks cover of Bouteloua gracilis in the herbaceous layer <strong>and</strong> has a dominance of<br />
Artemisia bigelovii in the shrub layer.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class I Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass I.A Evergreen.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group I.A.4 Temperate.or.subpolar.needle-leaved.evergreen.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup I.A.8.N Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.needle-leaved.<br />
evergreen.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name I.A.4.N.a Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.needle-leaved.<br />
evergreen.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Pinus edulis - (Juniperus spp.) Woodl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.516),.<br />
Two-needle.Pinyon.-.(Juniper.species).Woodl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.767<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Colorado.Plateau.Pinyon-Juniper.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G5 (23-Feb-1994).<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This woodl<strong>and</strong> association is known from mountains <strong>and</strong> mesas in the southern<br />
Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> Mogollon Rim of northern Arizona <strong>and</strong> extends into southern Utah<br />
<strong>and</strong> probably into western Colorado <strong>and</strong> possibly into western New Mexico.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Pinus edulis - (Juniperus osteosperma) / Bouteloua gracilis<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong> occurred on one relevé. It was located on a terrace north of Petrified National Forest<br />
on the Navajo Nation.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This woodl<strong>and</strong> association is known from mountains <strong>and</strong> mesas in the southern<br />
Colorado Plateau, from the Mogollon Rim, extending north into southern Utah <strong>and</strong><br />
probably western Colorado. Elevations normally range from 1700-2400 m (5575-7875 ft).<br />
Sites are variable but generally are relatively dry <strong>and</strong> rocky. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on flat to moderate<br />
slopes along drainages <strong>and</strong> on mesatops, on gentle to moderate (10-40%) rocky slopes<br />
of foothills, <strong>and</strong> at the bases of cinder cones. The substrates are variable <strong>and</strong> range from to<br />
deep, coarse-textured soils derived from cinder, to s<strong>and</strong>y loams derived from s<strong>and</strong>stone or<br />
fine-textured soils derived from limestone or shale.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurs at an elevation of 1840 m (6030 ft)<br />
with a moderate slope of 7%. The relevé has mudstone surface rocks.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
C9
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This plant association is characterized by an open to moderately dense tree<br />
canopy (10-65% cover) codominated by Pinus edulis <strong>and</strong> Juniperus osteosperma trees that<br />
are between 1 <strong>and</strong> 5 m tall. Pinus edulis may be present with relatively small cover in some<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s. Juniperus deppeana may replace Juniperus osteosperma in southern st<strong>and</strong>s. Other<br />
species of Juniperus, such as Juniperus scopulorum, may be present in higher elevation<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s. Shrub cover is sparse (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.2 Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.2.3. Populus fremontii / Ericameria nauseosa Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base Map Class<br />
NatureServe Common Name<br />
NatureServe Code<br />
Cottonwood./.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Fremont.Cottonwood./.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL002465<br />
Summary:<br />
This common woodl<strong>and</strong> association occurs on the high terraces of perennial streams <strong>and</strong> on the<br />
banks of intermittent washes throughout the Colorado Plateau on sites that are rarely subject to flooding.<br />
Sites are level to gently sloping <strong>and</strong> are located between 1165 <strong>and</strong> 2165 m (3825-7100 ft) elevation.<br />
Soils are poorly developed, well-drained s<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> loamy s<strong>and</strong>s derived from alluvium. Total<br />
vegetation cover ranges from 34 to 170%. The 10- to 15-m tall canopy is dominated by mature Populus<br />
fremontii trees that range in cover from 5 to 50%. Other trees, both riparian <strong>and</strong> upl<strong>and</strong>, may be<br />
present with low cover in the canopy <strong>and</strong> subcanopy, including Populus angustifolia, Salix gooddingii,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Juniperus osteosperma. Young Populus <strong>and</strong> Salix are rare, because these st<strong>and</strong>s are often at least<br />
2 m above the water table. The shrub layer is low to moderate in terms of species composition <strong>and</strong><br />
cover. Ericameria nauseosa dominates or codominates the stratum, often with Artemisia tridentata<br />
ssp. tridentata. Other shrubs may be scattered through the st<strong>and</strong>, including Rhus trilobata, Sarcobatus<br />
vermiculatus, Opuntia spp., Forestiera pubescens, Atriplex canescens, <strong>and</strong> Fraxinus anomala. The exotic<br />
Tamarix chinensis may also be present. The herbaceous layer is diverse in terms of species composition,<br />
although many species are exotic <strong>and</strong> most reflect upl<strong>and</strong> conditions. Common graminoids<br />
include Achnatherum hymenoides, Agrostis stolonifera, Bromus tectorum, Bromus japonicus, Elymus<br />
canadensis, Sporobolus spp., <strong>and</strong> Juncus balticus. Forbs commonly present include Ambrosia acanthicarpa,<br />
Artemisia campestris, Castilleja linariifolia, Equisetum hyemale, Lepidium montanum, Sphaeralcea<br />
spp., <strong>and</strong> Heterotheca villosa.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2-Moderate<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This plant community was restricted to a few small areas in<br />
the park <strong>and</strong> the park environs. In the riparian corridor, scattered cottonwood trees did occur,<br />
but these patches were not large enough <strong>and</strong> did not contain a high enough abundance of<br />
cottonwoods to be mapped as this association. The few cottonwoods remaining in the riparian<br />
corridor appearred to mostly be larger, older trees with little regeneration of seedlings.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class I Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass I.B Deciduous.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group I.B.2 Cold-deciduous.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup I.B.2.N Natural/Semi-natural.cold-deciduous.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name I.B.2.N.b Temporarily.flooded.cold-deciduous.woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Populus fremontii.Temporarily.Flooded.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.<br />
(A.644),.Fremont.Cottonwood.Temporarily.Flooded.<br />
Woodl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES306.821<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Rocky.Mountain.Lower.Montane-Foothill.Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C11
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Distribution:<br />
Global rank. GNR (24-Mar-2005).<br />
Globally. This association has been described from southeastern Utah. It is likely to be widespread<br />
throughout the Colorado Plateau.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Populus fremontii / Ericameria nauseosa Woodl<strong>and</strong> was identified<br />
on two relevés in Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred on a bajada,<br />
a drainage channel, a playa, <strong>and</strong> a talus slope. Relevés were sampled about 0.5 km west of the<br />
park road <strong>and</strong> north of the Puerco River, as well as in the northwestern corner of the park<br />
along the banks of Digger Wash.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This common woodl<strong>and</strong> association occurs on the high terraces of perennial<br />
streams <strong>and</strong> on the banks of intermittent washes throughout the Colorado Plateau. These<br />
habitats are rarely subject to flooding. Sites are level to gently sloping <strong>and</strong> are located between<br />
1165 <strong>and</strong> 2165 m (3825-7100 ft) elevation. Aspect is not important in determining the distribution<br />
of this association. Bare soil <strong>and</strong> litter cover most of the unvegetated surface. Soils are<br />
poorly developed, well-drained s<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> loamy s<strong>and</strong>s derived from alluvium.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at elevations of 1630 <strong>and</strong> 1720 m<br />
(5340-5640 ft). The slope was low (1-4%). Substrates found within this association included<br />
various types of gravel. This association was restricted to wetl<strong>and</strong> areas with intermittent or<br />
seasonal flooding.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Palustrine.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This woodl<strong>and</strong> association is common throughout the Colorado Plateau, where it<br />
occupies dry terraces along intermittent <strong>and</strong> perennial stream courses. Total vegetation cover<br />
ranges from 27 to 170%. The 10- to 15-m tall canopy is dominated by mature Populus fremontii<br />
trees that range in cover from 5 to 50%. Other trees, both riparian <strong>and</strong> upl<strong>and</strong>, may be present<br />
with low cover in the canopy <strong>and</strong> subcanopy, including Populus angustifolia, Salix gooddingii,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Juniperus osteosperma. Young Populus <strong>and</strong> Salix are rare, because these st<strong>and</strong>s are<br />
often at least 2 m above the water table. The shrub layer is low to moderate in terms of species<br />
composition <strong>and</strong> cover. Ericameria nauseosa dominates or codominates the stratum, often<br />
with Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata. Other shrubs may be scattered through the st<strong>and</strong>,<br />
including Rhus trilobata, Sarcobatus vermiculatus, Opuntia spp., Forestiera pubescens, Atriplex<br />
canescens, Fraxinus anomala, <strong>and</strong> in the southern extent Parryella filifolia <strong>and</strong> Isocoma drummondii.<br />
The exotic Tamarix chinensis may also be present. The herbaceous layer is diverse in<br />
terms of species composition, although many species are exotic, <strong>and</strong> most reflect upl<strong>and</strong> conditions.<br />
Common graminoids include Achnatherum hymenoides, Agrostis stolonifera, Bromus<br />
tectorum, Bromus japonicus, Elymus canadensis, Sporobolus airoides, <strong>and</strong> Juncus balticus. Forbs<br />
commonly present include Ambrosia acanthicarpa, Artemisia campestris, Castilleja linariifolia,<br />
Equisetum hyemale, Lepidium montanum, Sphaeralcea spp., <strong>and</strong> Heterotheca villosa.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Two relevés were classified as Populus fremontii / Ericameria<br />
nauseosa Woodl<strong>and</strong> with total vegetation cover of 27 <strong>and</strong> 61%. The vegetation cover consisted<br />
of a tree stratum with 10 <strong>and</strong> 50% cover, a shrub stratum with 3 <strong>and</strong> 10% cover, <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous<br />
stratum with 7 <strong>and</strong> 8% cover. The species diversity for this association was 13 <strong>and</strong> 34<br />
species. The vegetation was dominated by Populus fremontii in the tree layer with 10 <strong>and</strong> 50%<br />
cover. Ericameria nauseosa dominated the shrub layer with 0.5 <strong>and</strong> 2% cover. One relevé had<br />
a high cover of the non-native grass Bromus tectorum with 3% cover.<br />
C12
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Tree.canopy Populus fremontii Populus fremontii<br />
Tall/short.shrub/ Atriplex canescens, Ericameria Ericameria nauseosa<br />
sapling<br />
nauseosa, Artemisia tridentata ssp.<br />
tridentata<br />
Herb.(field) Artemisia campestris, Achnatherum N/A<br />
hymenoides<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum, Tamarix chinensis<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C13
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.1. Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Iodine.Bush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Iodinebush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL000988<br />
Summary:<br />
This is a sparsely vegetated shrubl<strong>and</strong> found on seasonally wet, alkaline playas, intermittent floodplains,<br />
or along washes in saline overflow areas below 1680 m (5500 ft) elevation. The dominant<br />
species, <strong>and</strong> playa communities in general, are widely distributed throughout the Intermountain West,<br />
ranging from southeastern Oregon south to Texas. These shrubl<strong>and</strong>s or barrens are flat to extremely<br />
low-gradient, almost always in desert ecosystems with less than 18 cm (7 inches) of rain per year, <strong>and</strong><br />
usually in areas with very poor drainage that flood during rare rainstorms. Playas <strong>and</strong> washes dominated<br />
by Allenrolfea occidentalis generally appear to be small, rare, <strong>and</strong> poorly understood throughout<br />
their range. Allenrolfea occidentalis dominates the shrub layer, but cover is often quite low, ranging<br />
from 20% to less than 1%. Most st<strong>and</strong>s have barren playa forb understories, but grasses, including<br />
Leymus cinereus, Distichlis spicata (= ssp. stricta), Sporobolus airoides, <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus wrightii, <strong>and</strong><br />
succulent forbs, such as Suaeda suffrutescens var. detonsa, Salicornia spp., <strong>and</strong> Nitrophila spp., are<br />
occasionally found. Most st<strong>and</strong>s occur in a matrix of Sarcobatus vermiculatus- or Atriplex canescensdominated<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> in small st<strong>and</strong>s, either Sarcobatus vermiculatus or Atriplex canescens can<br />
occur throughout the community.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2-Moderate<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. This appears to be a distinct, widespread type. With additional studies throughout<br />
the range of this habitat, it is possible that the type may be split into a number of geographic<br />
communities based on associated forbs. However, current data indicate the type is very similar<br />
throughout at least the northern half of its range, where it occurs in a matrix composed largely<br />
of Sarcobatus vermiculatus salt desert scrub. In the southern part of its range, where it is<br />
slightly more common, it occurs in a matrix of Larrea tridentata or Ambrosia dumosa. This is a<br />
broadly defined type that may need to be subdivided by characteristics of the understory. Muldavin<br />
et al. (2000b) classified five different plant associations in the Tulerosa Basin in southern<br />
New Mexico.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association had higher herbaceous cover than shrub<br />
cover. However, since only one relevé of this vegetation community was sampled, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
existing Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong> already occurred in the NatureServe database, the<br />
relevé was retained under this association classification. If additional data are collected <strong>and</strong><br />
the continual high herbaceous cover is sampled, than this association may need to be reclassified<br />
as a shrub herbaceous vegetation community.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III. Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.A Evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.A.5 Extremely.xeromorphic.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.A.5.N Natural/Semi-natural.extremely.xeromorphic.evergreen.<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.A.5.N.b Facultatively.deciduous.extremely.xeromorphic.subdesert.<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.866),.<br />
Iodinebush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
C14
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.781<br />
CES304.786<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Playa<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G3 (23-Oct-2002). This is a very widespread, but limited <strong>and</strong> somewhat rare,<br />
alkaline playa vegetation type. It is not well studied, <strong>and</strong> it is poorly protected, but generally<br />
most st<strong>and</strong>s are not very threatened. Where water is available from adjacent mountains, these<br />
areas are often converted to agriculture. However, their limited threats require a G3 rank. If<br />
many additional sites are discovered in Nevada, it could become a G4, <strong>and</strong> if the types associated<br />
with Sarcobatus turn out to be distinct from those with Atriplex canescens, it could be<br />
ranked higher. Protection of some sites in Nevada is important to assure that it remains secure<br />
throughout its range.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This playa community is widely distributed throughout the Intermountain West,<br />
ranging from southeastern Oregon south to Texas.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was identified from one<br />
relevé on the upper slope of a bajada in the northern wilderness, west of Black Forest, <strong>and</strong><br />
also on an observation point on a saline overflow area along an intermittent wash flowing into<br />
Lithodendron Wash. Substrates were marine shales such as Chinle.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This shrubl<strong>and</strong> association occurs across arid <strong>and</strong> semi-arid portions of the western<br />
U.S. at elevations ranging from near sea level to 1680 m. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on the outer margins of<br />
broad intermittent floodplains <strong>and</strong> playas, or can form l<strong>and</strong>scape mosaics with other saline<br />
communities in saline marshes or gypsum-influenced habitats. Bare soil covers most of the<br />
unvegetated surface, <strong>and</strong> there is very little litter. Soils are fine-textured <strong>and</strong> derived from alluvium.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at 1680 m (5500 ft) elevation. The<br />
slope was minimal (1%).<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. Allenrolfea occidentalis dominates the shrub layer, but the cover is often quite low,<br />
ranging from 20% to less than 1%. Most st<strong>and</strong>s have barren playa forb understories, but<br />
grasses, including Leymus cinereus, Distichlis spicata (= ssp. stricta), Sporobolus airoides, <strong>and</strong><br />
Sporobolus wrightii, <strong>and</strong> succulent forbs, such as Suaeda suffrutescens var. detonsa, Salicornia<br />
spp., <strong>and</strong> Nitrophila spp., are occasionally found. Most st<strong>and</strong>s occur either in a shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
matrix dominated by Sarcobatus vermiculatus or Atriplex canescens, or in small st<strong>and</strong>s; either<br />
Sarcobatus vermiculatus or Atriplex canescens can occur throughout these small st<strong>and</strong> communities.<br />
In the southern extent of its range, scattered Isocoma drummondii, Iva acerosa, or<br />
Prosopis gl<strong>and</strong>ulosa may be present. Exotic species, such as occasional Tamarix spp., Bromus<br />
tectorum, or Salsola tragus, may occur in this community.<br />
C15
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Allenrolfea occidentalis<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, with total vegetation cover of 19%. The vegetation cover consisted of a shrub<br />
stratum with 14% cover <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum with 5% cover. This relevé had a species<br />
diversity of 16 species. The vegetation in the shrub layer was dominated by Allenrolfea occidentalis,<br />
with 6% cover, <strong>and</strong> the herbaceous layer was dominated by Sporobolus airoides, with 5%<br />
cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ Allenrolfea occidentalis Allenrolfea occidentalis<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) N/A Sporobolus airoides<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, Driscoll et al. 1984, Griffths 1902, Kagan et al. 2000, Muldavin et al.<br />
2000b, NVNHP 2003, ORNHP unpubl. data, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C16
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.2. Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
This.association.was.not.mapped.as.a.separate.unit..The.<br />
photointerpreters.were.not.able.to.distinguish.the.understory.<br />
grasses,.<strong>and</strong>.these.representive.relevés.were.combined.into.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>.Torrey’s.Jointfir.–.<br />
Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.map.classes.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sagebrush./.Black.Grama.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL001077<br />
Summary:<br />
This s<strong>and</strong> sagebrush shrubl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in the northern Jornada del Muerto <strong>and</strong> Tulerosa<br />
basins in south-central New Mexico <strong>and</strong> at Petrified Forest National Park in the southern Colorado<br />
Plateau at 1416-1748 m (4646-5735 ft) elevation. St<strong>and</strong>s frequently occur on flat to rolling s<strong>and</strong>sheets<br />
or s<strong>and</strong>y plains, mesatops, lower hillslopes <strong>and</strong> dunes. Slopes range from 0-27%. Soils are often s<strong>and</strong>y,<br />
but range from fine s<strong>and</strong>y loams to silty-clay loams with an abrupt clay or caliche layer within 100<br />
cm of the surface. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense (10-30 % cover)<br />
short-shrub layer (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.A. Evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.A.4. Microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.A.4.N. Natural/Semi-natural.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.A.4.N.a. Lowl<strong>and</strong>.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Artemisia filifolia.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.816),.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.793<br />
CES304.775<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Southern.Colorado.Plateau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G4 (17-Jul-2000).<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association is described from the south-central New Mexico <strong>and</strong> northeastern<br />
Arizona.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was<br />
sampled from four relevés located mostly on low slopes <strong>and</strong> sideslopes <strong>and</strong> on s<strong>and</strong> dunes <strong>and</strong><br />
s<strong>and</strong>sheets within Petrified Forest National Park. These relevés were all located in the central<br />
neck area of Petrified Forest National Park—specifically, west of the park road, south of Interstate<br />
40 <strong>and</strong> south of the northern headquarters, <strong>and</strong> southeast of the northern headquarters<br />
<strong>and</strong> west of the NPS boundary.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This s<strong>and</strong> sagebrush shrubl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in the northern Jornada <strong>and</strong> Tulerosa<br />
basins in south-central New Mexico <strong>and</strong> at Petrified Forest National Park in the southern<br />
Colorado Plateau at 1416-1748 m (4646-5735 ft) elevation. St<strong>and</strong>s frequently occur on flat<br />
to rolling s<strong>and</strong>sheets or s<strong>and</strong>y plains, mesatops, lower hillslopes, <strong>and</strong> dunes. Northern Chihuahuan<br />
Desert st<strong>and</strong>s are often found near the periphery of s<strong>and</strong>sheets or on deflated plains<br />
where s<strong>and</strong> deposits are thinner <strong>and</strong> soils more developed (Muldavin et al. 2000b). Slopes<br />
range from 2-11% in New Mexico <strong>and</strong> 0-27% in Arizona. Soils are often s<strong>and</strong>y, but range from<br />
fine s<strong>and</strong>y loams to silty-clay loams with an abrupt clay or caliche layer within 100 cm of the<br />
surface (Muldavin et al. 2000b).<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between the elevations of 1709<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1743 m (5615-5720 ft). Slopes ranged from none to moderate (0-27%, average 11%).<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense short-shrub layer<br />
(
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Achnatherum hymenoides, Chamaesyce fendleri, Cryptantha crassisepala, Ephedra torreyana,<br />
Eriogonum leptocladon, Ipomopsis longiflora, Machaeranthera canescens, Phacelia crenulata,<br />
Plantago patagonica, Senecio spartioides, Stephanomeria exigua, <strong>and</strong> Yucca angustissima. The<br />
introduced annual grass Bromus tectorum is common in some st<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Four relevés were classified as Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua<br />
eriopoda Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, with total vegetation cover ranging from 28-37% (average 34%). The vegetation<br />
cover consisted of a shrub stratum with 9-18% cover (average 13%) <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous<br />
stratum with 16-28% cover (average 22%). The species diversity ranged from 26 <strong>and</strong> 45 species<br />
(average 34 species). The shrub layer was dominated by Artemisia filifolia <strong>and</strong> ranged from<br />
2 <strong>and</strong> 6% cover (average 4%). The herbaceous layer was dominated by Bouteloua eriopoda,<br />
ranging between 0.5 <strong>and</strong> 5% cover (average 4%) <strong>and</strong> Bouteloua gracilis, ranging between 2 <strong>and</strong><br />
5% cover (average 4%).<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ Artemisia filifolia Artemisia filifolia<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua<br />
gracilis<br />
gracilis<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, Dick-Peddie 1993, Driscoll et al. 1984, Muldavin <strong>and</strong> Mehlhop 1992,<br />
Muldavin et al. 2000b, Sims et al. 1976, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C19
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.3. Artemisia filifolia Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
S<strong>and</strong>.Sagebrush.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL002697<br />
Summary:<br />
This s<strong>and</strong> sagebrush shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is widespread in the Colorado Plateau of Utah, Arizona,<br />
<strong>and</strong> probably New Mexico. It occurs on s<strong>and</strong>y, often somewhat disturbed sites on valley floors, stream<br />
terraces, stabilized dunes <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>sheets, benches, floodplains, <strong>and</strong> alluvial fans. Most sites are level<br />
to gently sloping, with a few on moderate slopes (up to 21%), <strong>and</strong> may be oriented to any aspect,<br />
although there is a slight tendency toward warmer southerly aspects. Elevations range from 1122 to<br />
1769 m (3680-5803 ft). S<strong>and</strong> or bare soil cover most of the unvegetated ground surface, although<br />
biological soil crusts may have up to 40% cover. Soils are s<strong>and</strong>y <strong>and</strong> derived from local s<strong>and</strong>stones,<br />
alluvium, or eolian deposits. Total vegetation cover ranges broadly, from sparsely vegetated disturbed<br />
sites with less than 5% total cover to stable, well-developed communities with more than 50% cover.<br />
Regardless of cover, the vegetation is characterized by an open shrub canopy dominated by Artemisia<br />
filifolia that is usually mixed with other shrubs, especially Atriplex canescens, Ericameria nauseosa, <strong>and</strong><br />
Opuntia spp. Less commonly, the shrub layer will include Vanclevea stylosa, Eriogonum leptocladon,<br />
or Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Coleogyne ramosissima, Ephedra viridis, <strong>and</strong> Ephedra torreyana are generally<br />
absent or have only trace cover. The herbaceous layer is moderate in terms of species composition<br />
<strong>and</strong> provides sparse to moderate cover. Graminoids that are consistently present include Achnatherum<br />
hymenoides <strong>and</strong> Bromus tectorum; some sites may also have Hesperostipa comata, Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii, Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus, <strong>and</strong> Vulpia octoflora. Forbs vary among sites but are typical of s<strong>and</strong>y<br />
habitats, including Abronia fragrans, Lepidium montanum, Oenothera pallida, Salsola tragus, <strong>and</strong><br />
Sphaeralcea parvifolia. Cryptogams may be absent or may provide up to 40% cover.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 1 - Strong.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. This association is distinguished from other Artemisia filifolia shrubl<strong>and</strong> associations<br />
by its restriction to the Colorado Plateau, the somewhat mixed shrub canopy that usually<br />
includes Atriplex canescens, a poorly-developed herbaceous layer <strong>and</strong> often a number of species<br />
that indicate disturbance or somewhat alkaline conditions. This association also occurs<br />
in a broader range of habitats than other Artemisia filifolia types. However, Artemisia filifolia -<br />
Ephedra (torreyana, viridis) Shrubl<strong>and</strong> is poorly defined, <strong>and</strong> many st<strong>and</strong>s of Artemisia filifolia<br />
Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> contain one or the other species of Ephedra; it is possible that<br />
these two associations should be combined.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Artemisia filifolia Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was distinguished<br />
from Artemisia filifolia / Bouteloua eriopoda Shrubl<strong>and</strong> by a higher shrub cover <strong>and</strong><br />
a diverse herbaceous layer that is not dominated by either Bouteloua eriopoda or Bouteloua<br />
gracilis.<br />
C20
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.A. Evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.A.4. Microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.A.4.N. Natural/Semi-natural.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.A.4.N.a. Lowl<strong>and</strong>.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Artemisia filifolia.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.816),.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.775<br />
CES304.793<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
Southern.Colorado.Plateau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. GNR (14-Aug-2001).<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This s<strong>and</strong> sagebrush shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is widespread on s<strong>and</strong>y sites in the Colorado<br />
Plateau of Utah, Colorado, Arizona <strong>and</strong> New Mexico.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Artemisia filifolia Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was identified<br />
from seven relevés within Petrified Forest National Park. All of these relevés occurred on<br />
s<strong>and</strong>y surfaces or s<strong>and</strong> dunes. They were sampled throughout the monument <strong>and</strong> included the<br />
northern wilderness area southeast of Pintado Point <strong>and</strong> west of Lithodendron Wash, west of<br />
Dry Wash <strong>and</strong> west of Crystal Forest, near The Flattops extending to the southern wilderness<br />
area, <strong>and</strong> south of Jim Camp Wash.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This s<strong>and</strong> sagebrush shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is widespread on s<strong>and</strong>y sites in the<br />
Colorado Plateau of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, <strong>and</strong> New Mexico. This common shrubl<strong>and</strong> association<br />
occurs on s<strong>and</strong>y sites on valley floors, valley sides, stream terraces, stabilized dunes<br />
<strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>sheets, benches, floodplains, <strong>and</strong> alluvial fans. Most sites are level to gently sloping,<br />
with a few on moderate slopes (up to 21%), <strong>and</strong> may be oriented to any aspect, although there<br />
is a slight tendency to occur on warmer southerly aspects. Elevations range from 1122 to 1769<br />
m (3680-5803 ft). S<strong>and</strong> or bare soil covers most of the unvegetated ground surface, although<br />
cryptobiological soil crusts may have up to 40% cover. Soils are s<strong>and</strong>y <strong>and</strong> derived from local<br />
s<strong>and</strong>stones, alluvium, or eolian deposits.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between 1622 <strong>and</strong> 1730 m (5525-<br />
5700 ft) elevation. Slope ranged from none to moderate (0-18%, average 7%). Only one relevé<br />
had any surface rocks—a mixture of basalt <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. Total vegetation cover ranges broadly, from sparsely vegetated disturbed <strong>and</strong> alluvial<br />
terrace sites with less than 5% total cover to stable, well-developed communities with more<br />
than 50% cover. Regardless of cover, the vegetation is characterized by an open shrub canopy<br />
of Artemisia filifolia, usually mixed with other shrubs, especially Atriplex canescens, Ericameria<br />
nauseosa, <strong>and</strong> Opuntia spp. Less commonly, the shrub layer will include Vanclevea stylosa,<br />
Eriogonum leptocladon, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Coleogyne ramosissima, Ephedra viridis,<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
<strong>and</strong> Ephedra torreyana are generally absent or have relatively low cover (usually
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.4. Atriplex canescens / Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Four-wing.Saltbush./.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Fourwing.Saltbush./.James’.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL001288<br />
Summary:<br />
This broadly defined shrubl<strong>and</strong> association has been reported from the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> Uinta<br />
Basin <strong>and</strong> may occur in the Chihuahuan Desert <strong>and</strong> eastern California. As defined, this association<br />
occurs on two distinct types of l<strong>and</strong>forms: alluvial flats <strong>and</strong> stream terraces with fine-textured, alkaline,<br />
or saline silty clay loam soils, or on upl<strong>and</strong> flats covered by eolian s<strong>and</strong> deposits. The vegetation<br />
is characterized by a sparse to moderately dense shrub layer (10-40% cover) dominated by Atriplex<br />
canescens with Pleuraphis jamesii dominating the herbaceous layer. Associated shrubs include Ericameria<br />
nauseosa, Ephedra torreyana, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Gutierrezia<br />
sarothrae, Artemisia bigelovii, or Opuntia polyacantha, depending on topographic position <strong>and</strong><br />
substrate. Other graminoids include Achnatherum hymenoides <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus on s<strong>and</strong>y<br />
sites, <strong>and</strong> Bouteloua gracilis <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus airoides on fine-textured soil. Forbs generally have low<br />
cover <strong>and</strong> may include Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia <strong>and</strong> Chenopodium spp. Introduced or weedy species,<br />
such as Bromus tectorum, Descurainia pinnata, <strong>and</strong> Salsola kali, are common on some sites.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2 - Moderate.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. As this association is currently defined, it is characterized only by the codominance<br />
of Atriplex canescens <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii. Its relation to several similar associations is also<br />
unclear. Most of the information available suggests that the sparse shrub canopy is more typical<br />
<strong>and</strong> that this association should not be classified as a shrubl<strong>and</strong> (Miller et al. 1977, Francis<br />
1986, Von Loh 2000). Because it has a wide distribution (from southern Great Plains to the<br />
Mojave Desert), st<strong>and</strong>s occur in diverse habitats (clayey bottoml<strong>and</strong> to s<strong>and</strong> dunes) <strong>and</strong> vary<br />
from a sparse to moderate shrub canopy. It is likely that, when more information becomes<br />
available <strong>and</strong> the needed classification work is completed, this association will be subdivided.<br />
The diagnostic species require warm sites with somewhat alkaline soils, so this association<br />
should be relatively widespread throughout the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> western Great Plains.<br />
That it is not may reflect spotty sampling of the region, or it may indicate that this association<br />
has been mostly altered by grazing. This association may represent a form of Atriplex canescens<br />
/ Sporobolus airoides Shrubl<strong>and</strong> that has been degraded by domestic livestock grazing. The<br />
concept of Atriplex canescens / Sporobolus airoides Shrubl<strong>and</strong> includes Pleuraphis jamesii in<br />
the herbaceous layer. In addition, the species lists for related <strong>and</strong> equivalent communities cited<br />
in the References section include both Pleuraphis jamesii <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus airoides in the herbaceous<br />
layer. It is possible that these associations should be combined, as it appears they are<br />
distinguished primarily by which of the two grasses is dominant. It is possible that summerlong<br />
grazing has reduced or eliminated Sporobolus airoides from many st<strong>and</strong>s in the Colorado<br />
Plateau, leaving Pleuraphis jamesii <strong>and</strong> Bouteloua gracilis as more grazing-resistant species.<br />
Distinguishing these two associations because of different intensities of historic grazing may<br />
not be ecologically valid.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Since Atriplex canescens / Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> can be<br />
a degraded vegetation community with many dead annuals <strong>and</strong> a low cover of shrubs, this map<br />
class served as a catch-all in some cases to map many of the flat areas with a mixed herbaceous<br />
community <strong>and</strong> low shrub cover that includes a low cover of Atriplex canescens.<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.A. Evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.A.5. Extremely.xeromorphic.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.A.5.N. Natural/Semi-natural.extremely.xeromorphic.evergreen.<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.A.5.N.b. Facultatively.deciduous.extremely.xeromorphic.subdesert.<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Atriplex canescens Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.869),.Fourwing.<br />
Saltbush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.793<br />
CES304.775<br />
CES304.784<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Southern.Colorado.Plateau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Mixed.Salt.Desert.Scrub<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G3G4 (1-Feb-1996).<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has been documented from the Colorado Plateau (Four Corners<br />
region) of southeastern Utah <strong>and</strong> southwestern Colorado. It is to be expected in adjacent<br />
northern Arizona <strong>and</strong> New Mexico, <strong>and</strong> probably occurs in the Chihuahuan Desert <strong>and</strong><br />
eastern California. Because the habitat <strong>and</strong> the diagnostic species are relatively common in this<br />
region, the association should be widespread; grazing by sheep <strong>and</strong> cattle may have eliminated<br />
most st<strong>and</strong>s. The sites used in this description have also been grazed heavily <strong>and</strong> show high<br />
cover by disturbance-tolerant herbaceous species.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Atriplex canescens / Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was identified<br />
from four relevés at Petrified Forest National Park. Two relevés occurred on rolling plains;<br />
the others on a s<strong>and</strong> dune <strong>and</strong> a low slope. The relevés were mainly located in the northern<br />
section of the park on Headquarters Mesa near Kachina Point, near the northern Visitor Center,<br />
<strong>and</strong> north of Interstate 40 west of the park road. The association was also located in the<br />
central neck section of the park north of the Puerco River.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This shrubl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> Uinta Basin of eastern<br />
Utah <strong>and</strong> western Colorado <strong>and</strong> may occur in the Chihuahuan Desert <strong>and</strong> eastern California.<br />
Elevation ranges from 300-1900 m. It occurs on two distinct types of l<strong>and</strong>forms: upl<strong>and</strong><br />
sites such as s<strong>and</strong>sheets with coarse-textured soils, or lowl<strong>and</strong> sites such as alluvial flats <strong>and</strong><br />
stream terraces with fine-textured soils. Water tends to pond temporarily in both kinds of sites<br />
following heavy rainstorms or spring floods; thus salts tend to accumulate in the soils. Sites<br />
are generally level to gently sloping or may be in nearly undetectable shallow depressions. The<br />
upl<strong>and</strong> soils are somewhat shallow eolian s<strong>and</strong>s or s<strong>and</strong>y loams. Lowl<strong>and</strong> sites typically have<br />
deep, alkaline, saline silty clay loams derived from alluvium. These substrates are generally<br />
less saline <strong>and</strong> occur higher in the floodplain than Atriplex canescens / Sporobolus airoides- or<br />
Atriplex confertifolia-dominated shrubl<strong>and</strong>s that prefer saline bottoml<strong>and</strong> sites.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between the elevations of 1663<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1785 m (5456-5856 ft). Slope was minimal <strong>and</strong> ranged from none to 3% (average 1%).<br />
C24
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This broadly defined shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is characterized by a sparse to moderately<br />
dense canopy (10-40% cover) of shrubs dominated by Atriplex canescens, with a sparse<br />
to moderate graminoid layer that is dominated by Pleuraphis jamesii. Many st<strong>and</strong>s have the<br />
appearance of a shrubby grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> may form a mosaic with rabbitbrush, greasewood or<br />
shadscale shrubl<strong>and</strong>s. Associated shrubs may include Ericameria nauseosa, Ephedra torreyana,<br />
Ericameria nauseosa, Grayia spinosa, several species of Opuntia, Chrysothamnus<br />
viscidiflorus, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Gutierrezia sarothrae, <strong>and</strong> Artemisia bigelovii. Other<br />
graminoids include Achnatherum hymenoides <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus on s<strong>and</strong>y sites, <strong>and</strong><br />
Bouteloua gracilis <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus airoides on fine-textured soils of lowl<strong>and</strong> sites. Forbs generally<br />
have low cover <strong>and</strong> may include Astragalus nuttallianus, Cryptantha crassisepala, Descurainia<br />
pinnata, Mentzelia albicaulis, Phacelia crenulata, Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia, <strong>and</strong> Chenopodium<br />
spp. Introduced species such as Bromus tectorum, Erodium cicutarium, <strong>and</strong> Salsola kali<br />
are common on some sites. In many sites, the herbaceous layer is sparse because of a history of<br />
grazing or other disturbance.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Four relevés were classified as Atriplex canescens / Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong>. The total vegetation cover of these relevés varied between 25 <strong>and</strong> 30%<br />
(average 28%) with a shrub stratum of 4-8% cover (average 6%) <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum<br />
of 18-26% cover (average 22%). Each relevé varied in species diversity between 21 <strong>and</strong> 30<br />
species (average 26 species). The shrub layer was relatively patchy, was dominated or codominated<br />
by Atriplex canescens, <strong>and</strong> varied between 1 <strong>and</strong> 6% cover (average 3%). In some of the<br />
relevés, other shrubs may codominate the association. Pleuraphis jamesii either dominated<br />
the herbaceous layer or occurred as an indicator species for this association, ranging from 1to<br />
12% cover (average 6%). Two of these relevés had a high cover of annuals <strong>and</strong> notable drought<br />
impacts. Phacelia crenulata covered 9% of one relevé, <strong>and</strong> Phacelia sp. had a high cover in two<br />
of the relevés (6 <strong>and</strong> 10%).<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Atriplex canescens<br />
sapling<br />
Ericameria nauseosa, Atriplex<br />
canescens, Gutierrezia sarothrae,<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata<br />
Herb.(field) Achnatherum hymenoides, Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii,<br />
Sporobolus airoides, Sporobolus<br />
crypt<strong>and</strong>rus<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum, Salsola kali<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
BLM 1979a, BLM 1979b, Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, CONHP unpubl. data 2003, Diamond 1993,<br />
Driscoll et al. 1984, Francis 1986, Miller et al. 1977, Shute <strong>and</strong> West 1978, Soil Conservation Service<br />
1978, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 1976, Von Loh 2000, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.5. Ericameria nauseosa Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL002261<br />
Summary:<br />
This association is found in or near temporary watercourses on point bars, basin floors, <strong>and</strong> low<br />
stream terraces in western Colorado <strong>and</strong> eastern Utah. St<strong>and</strong>s have been found between 1189 <strong>and</strong><br />
2104 m (3900-6900 ft) elevation. Sites are flat to gently sloping (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has been found in western Colorado <strong>and</strong> eastern Utah. It is likely<br />
found in other places of the arid western U.S.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Ericameria nauseosa Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was identified<br />
from eight relevés in Petrified Forest National Park. All of these relevés were associated with<br />
washes <strong>and</strong> occurred on bajadas, playas, <strong>and</strong> talus l<strong>and</strong>forms. They were mostly located in the<br />
northern half of the project area, including east of Chinde Point in the northern wilderness<br />
area, southwest of Pintado Point near the Lithodendron Wash, the northwestern corner of the<br />
park near Digger Wash, <strong>and</strong> on the northern <strong>and</strong> eastern slopes of Chinde Mesa. The association<br />
also occurred in the central neck area of the park north of the Puerco River <strong>and</strong> south of<br />
Interstate 40 near the northern headquarters offce.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association is found in or adjacent to temporary watercourses on point bars,<br />
basin floors, <strong>and</strong> low stream terraces. St<strong>and</strong>s have been found between 1189 <strong>and</strong> 2104 m<br />
(3900-6900 ft) elevation. Sites are flat to gently sloping (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Tall/short.shrub/ Ericameria nauseosa Ericameria nauseosa<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) Achnatherum hymenoides, Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii,<br />
Sporobolus airoides, Sporobolus<br />
crypt<strong>and</strong>rus<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C28
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.6. Forestiera pubescens Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Not.mapped<br />
Wild.Privet.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL001168<br />
Summary:<br />
This shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is reported from canyon bottoms, floodplains, s<strong>and</strong>y terraces along major<br />
rivers, <strong>and</strong> washes in southwestern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, <strong>and</strong> southeastern Utah. Elevation<br />
ranges from 1340 to 1680 m (4400-5500 ft). St<strong>and</strong>s typically form a narrow, but continuous, b<strong>and</strong><br />
about 3 m above the channel on streambanks <strong>and</strong> natural levees at the interface between the riparian<br />
zone <strong>and</strong> drier upl<strong>and</strong>s. They occur on the outer edge of the active floodplain. Soils range from silty<br />
clays over clay loam to s<strong>and</strong>y loam derived from alluvium. This shrubl<strong>and</strong> consists of a dense to open<br />
canopy of Forestiera pubescens, often with Atriplex canescens, Ericameria nauseosa, or Rhus trilobata,<br />
on the flat benches <strong>and</strong> floodplains adjacent to <strong>and</strong> above the river channel. There is often a mix of<br />
riparian <strong>and</strong> upl<strong>and</strong> vegetation in these areas, with Salix exigua forming a dense b<strong>and</strong> along the stream<br />
edge. This dense riparian shrubl<strong>and</strong> can form a narrow, unfragmented, continuous cover that may<br />
alternate creekside to creekside, as part of the natural mosaic of the floodplain for one-tenth of a mile<br />
to several miles. Phragmites australis, a tall erect grass, or Sporobolus airoides often occur among the<br />
shrubs, with Artemisia tridentata, Ericameria nauseosa (= Chrysothamnus nauseosus), or pinyon-juniper<br />
dominating the adjacent upl<strong>and</strong> vegetation. The dominance or codominance Forestiera pubescens<br />
in the shrub layer characterizes this association.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2 - Moderate.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. More survey <strong>and</strong> classification work is needed to clarify the concept of this association<br />
throughout its range. It may be possible to split into more associations based on understory<br />
dominants.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Data are not available.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.B. Deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.B.2. Cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.B.2.N. Natural/Semi-natural.cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.B.2.N.d. Temporarily.flooded.cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Forestiera pubescens.Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Alliance.(A.969),.Wild.Privet.Temporarily.Flooded.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES306.821<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Rocky.Mountain.Lower.Montane-Foothill.Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C29
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G1G2 (30-Nov-1998). The Forestiera pubescens riparian shrubl<strong>and</strong> has not been<br />
documented outside of a few locations in Colorado. It probably occurs in Utah, Arizona, <strong>and</strong><br />
New Mexico, although not in any great abundance. Indications of its possible presence are<br />
inferred from (1) the Flora of Utah, which lists fourteen collections of Forestiera pubescens<br />
from s<strong>and</strong>y terraces along the Colorado <strong>and</strong> San Juan rivers, <strong>and</strong> smaller tributaries in Emery,<br />
Garfield, Gr<strong>and</strong>, Kane, San Juan, <strong>and</strong> Wayne counties (Welsh et al. 1987), <strong>and</strong> (2) Arizona<br />
floras that list Forestiera pubescens as Forestiera neomexicana (a synonym), but do not record<br />
the number or location of the collections. Livestock grazing is limited in this plant association<br />
due to the dense shrub cover, <strong>and</strong> Forestiera pubescens is not very palatable to livestock.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association is known from Colorado in the San Miguel/Dolores River Basin.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred adjacent to the Puerco River west<br />
of U.S. Highway 191.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is reported from canyon bottoms, floodplains, s<strong>and</strong>y<br />
terraces along major rivers, <strong>and</strong> washes in southwestern Colorado, northeastern Arizona, <strong>and</strong><br />
southeastern Utah. Elevation ranges from 1340 to 1680 m (4400-5500 ft). St<strong>and</strong>s typically<br />
form a narrow, but continuous, b<strong>and</strong> about 3 m above the channel on streambanks <strong>and</strong> natural<br />
levees at the interface between the riparian zone <strong>and</strong> drier upl<strong>and</strong>s. They occur on the outer<br />
edge of the active floodplain. Soils range from silty clays over clay loam to s<strong>and</strong>y loam derived<br />
from alluvium..<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred in a valley bottom at 1503 m (4930<br />
ft) elevation. The site was a level, intermittently flooded area adjacent to the Puerco River. The<br />
substrate was a s<strong>and</strong>y loam soil.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Palustrine.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This shrubl<strong>and</strong> consists of a dense to open canopy of Forestiera pubescens, often<br />
with Atriplex canescens, Ericameria nauseosa, or Rhus trilobata, on the flat benches <strong>and</strong> floodplains<br />
adjacent to <strong>and</strong> above the river channel. There is often a mix of riparian <strong>and</strong> upl<strong>and</strong><br />
vegetation in these areas, with Salix exigua mixing or forming a dense b<strong>and</strong> along the stream<br />
edge. This dense riparian shrubl<strong>and</strong> can form a narrow, unfragmented, continuous cover that<br />
may alternate creekside to creekside, as part of the natural mosaic of the floodplain for onetenth<br />
of a mile to several miles. Phragmites australis, a tall erect grass, or Sporobolus airoides<br />
often occur among the shrubs. Common forbs include Descurainia pinnata, Chenopodium<br />
album, <strong>and</strong> Stanleya pinnata. The invasive, exotic shrub Tamarix chinensis may be present to<br />
codominant in some st<strong>and</strong>s. Artemisia tridentata, Ericameria nauseosa, or pinyon-juniper<br />
often dominate the adjacent upl<strong>and</strong> vegetation. This appears to be a flood-tolerant association<br />
which may be excluded from grazing due to the density of shrub cover.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Forestiera pubescens Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
with total vegetation cover of 56%. The vegetation cover consisted of 37% cover in the<br />
shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 19% cover in the herbaceous stratum. The species diversity was low, with<br />
only six species. The shrub layer was characterized by Forestiera pubescens with 12% cover <strong>and</strong><br />
with common associates Atriplex canescens (7% cover) <strong>and</strong> Ericameria nauseosa (14% cover).<br />
The herbaceous layer was dominated by Sporobolus airoides with 18% cover.<br />
C30
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum<br />
Tall.shrub/sapling<br />
Short.shrub/<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field)<br />
Global species<br />
Forestiera pubescens<br />
N/A<br />
N/A<br />
PEFO species<br />
Forestiera pubescens<br />
Ericameria nauseosa<br />
Sporobolus airoides<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, CONHP unpubl. data 2003, Carsey et al. 2003a, Driscoll et al. 1984,<br />
Kittel <strong>and</strong> Lederer 1993, Kittel et al. 1999b, Welsh et al. 1987, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.7. Gutierrezia sarothrae - (Opuntia spp.) / Pleuraphis jamesii Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Snakeweed.–.(Prickly.Pear)./.Galleta.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Snakeweed.-.(Prickly-pear.species)./.James’.Galleta.Dwarfshrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL002690<br />
Summary:<br />
This dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> was described from Utah <strong>and</strong> northern Arizona where it occurs on level to<br />
gently sloping hillslopes, plateaus <strong>and</strong> bluffs. Aspects are reported from the southeast, south, <strong>and</strong><br />
southwest. Soils are variable, but tend to be fine-textured <strong>and</strong> may occur over gravel <strong>and</strong> cobbles.<br />
Disturbance may be important in maintaining the vegetation community as some st<strong>and</strong>s have been<br />
created by chaining of trees <strong>and</strong> improper grazing by livestock. This broadly defined association<br />
is characterized by an open dwarf-shrub canopy (10-30% cover) that is dominated by Gutierrezia<br />
sarothrae, frequently with Opuntia spp. <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous layer with Pleuraphis jamesii present to<br />
abundant (1-30% cover). Some st<strong>and</strong>s have a diverse woody layer that includes low cover of several<br />
shrub species <strong>and</strong> occasional Pinus edulis or Juniperus osteosperma trees. The herbaceous layer is typically<br />
dominated by graminoids with several species present including Pleuraphis jamesii, Achnatherum<br />
hymenoides, Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua gracilis, Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, or Pascopyrum<br />
smithii. There is usually only sparse cover of native forbs like Chamaesyce spp. or Sphaeralcea<br />
coccinea. Introduced species such as Bromus tectorum or Salsola kali may dominate the herbaceous<br />
layer of some disturbed st<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. This broadly defined dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> includes st<strong>and</strong>s that could also be classified<br />
as a dwarf-shrub herbaceous association.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Gutierrezia sarothrae tended to be a rather ubiquitous species<br />
that occurred with notable cover in many associations. These two relevés were classified<br />
as this specific association due to their high cover of Gutierrezia sarothrae without any other<br />
dominant or diagnostic shrubs in the shrub layer.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class IV Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass IV.B. Deciduous.dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group IV.B.2. Cold-deciduous.dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup IV.B.2.N. Natural/Semi-natural.cold-deciduous.dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name IV.B.2.N.a. Cespitose.cold-deciduous.dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Gutierrezia sarothrae.Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.2528),.<br />
Snakeweed.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.788<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Shrub-Steppe<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Distribution:<br />
Global rank. GNR (26-Jul-2001).<br />
Globally. This association is described from Utah <strong>and</strong> northern Arizona, but is likely more<br />
widespread throughout the semi-arid western U.S.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Gutierrezia sarothrae - (Opuntia spp.) / Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> was identified from two relevés in Petrified Forest National Park. One relevé<br />
was sampled on a s<strong>and</strong> dune/s<strong>and</strong>sheet <strong>and</strong> the other on a midslope with talus. One of the<br />
relevés was sampled south of Interstate 40 <strong>and</strong> south of the northern headquarters offce <strong>and</strong><br />
the other was sampled in the southwestern corner of the northern wilderness area, west of<br />
Wildhorse Wash.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association is described from Utah <strong>and</strong> northern Arizona where it occurs on<br />
level to gently sloping hillslopes, plateaus, <strong>and</strong> bluffs. Elevations range from 1350 to 2000 m.<br />
Aspects are reported from the southeast, south, <strong>and</strong> southwest. Soils are variable, but tend to<br />
be fine-textured <strong>and</strong> may occur over gravel <strong>and</strong> cobbles. Disturbance may be important in<br />
maintaining this vegetation community as some st<strong>and</strong>s may have been created by chaining of<br />
trees <strong>and</strong> improper grazing by livestock.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at elevations of 1700 <strong>and</strong> 1720 m<br />
(5650 <strong>and</strong> 5590 ft). The slopes of these relevés were moderate at 3 <strong>and</strong> 13%.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This broadly defined association is characterized by an open dwarf-shrub canopy<br />
(10-30% cover) dominated by Gutierrezia sarothrae, frequently with Opuntia spp. <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous<br />
layer with Pleuraphis jamesii present to abundant (0-30% cover). Some st<strong>and</strong>s have<br />
a diverse woody layer that includes low cover of Artemisia nova, Atriplex canescens, Atriplex<br />
confertifolia, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Coleogyne ramosissima, Ephedra spp., Eriogonum<br />
spp., Grayia spinosa, Lycium pallidum, Purshia tridentata, or occasional Pinus edulis or Juniperus<br />
osteosperma trees. The herbaceous layer is typically dominated by graminoids with several<br />
species present including Pleuraphis jamesii, Achnatherum hymenoides, Aristida purpurea,<br />
Bouteloua gracilis, Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, or Pascopyrum smithii. There is usually<br />
only sparse cover of native forbs like Chamaesyce spp. or Sphaeralcea coccinea; however,<br />
introduced species such as Bromus tectorum, Erodium cicutarium, Sisymbrium altissimum, or<br />
Salsola kali may dominate the herbaceous layer of some disturbed st<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Two relevés were classified Gutierrezia sarothrae - (Opuntia<br />
spp.) / Pleuraphis jamesii Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> with total vegetation cover of 16 <strong>and</strong> 28%. The<br />
vegetation cover consisted of the shrub stratum with 11 <strong>and</strong> 16% cover <strong>and</strong> the herbaceous<br />
stratum with 5 <strong>and</strong> 12% cover. Species diversity was 26 <strong>and</strong> 34 species. The vegetation in the<br />
shrub layer was dominated by Gutierrezia sarothrae with 3 <strong>and</strong> 14% cover. The Opuntia sp.<br />
shrubs covered just 0.5% in both relevés. Pleuraphis jamesii was a significant species in the<br />
herbaceous layer with 3% cover in both relevés.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ Gutierrezia sarothrae Gutierrezia sarothrae<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) Pleuraphis jamesii Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
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Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Cogan et al. 2004, Stubbendieck et al. 1992, USFS 1937, Von Loh et al. 2002, Western Ecology Working<br />
Group n.d.<br />
C34
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.8. Isocoma drummondii - Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> [Park Special]<br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Drummond.Goldenweed.-.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Drummond’s.Jimmyweed.-.James’.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.<br />
Special]<br />
Park.Special<br />
Summary:<br />
This Isocoma drummondii dominated s<strong>and</strong> deposit association has only been described from Petrified<br />
Forest National Park. Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This community type was newly described during the community<br />
classification process of this project. One relevé was sampled; however, the unique<br />
species composition did not allow this relevé to be placed into any of the existing NVCS communities.<br />
Since we only had one relevé of this unique community type <strong>and</strong> three relevés in a<br />
similar community type during an earlier classification effort (Thomas et al. 2003), we did not<br />
have enough data to develop a new NVCS association. Therefore, this community type was<br />
described as a unique local community type or a park special until further data are collected.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subclass N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic group N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subgroup N/A N/A<br />
Formation name N/A N/A<br />
Alliance name<br />
N/A<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.775<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. Data are not available.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was sampled of Isocoma drummondii -<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (Park Special). It was located on a s<strong>and</strong> dune/s<strong>and</strong>sheet north of<br />
Petrified Forest National Park on the eastern slopes of Chinde Mesa.<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This community type occurred at 1761 m (5776 ft) elevation.<br />
There was not a significant slope (1%). Surface rocks consisted of mudstone.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. One relevé was classified as Isocoma drummondii - Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (Park Special), with total vegetation cover of 13%. The vegetation cover<br />
consisted of 8% cover in the shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 5% cover in the herbaceous stratum. The species<br />
diversity was 15 species for this relevé. The vegetation in the shrub layer was dominated by<br />
Isocoma drummondii with 3% cover, <strong>and</strong> the vegetation in the herbaceous layer was dominated<br />
by Pleuraphis jamesii with 1% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ N/A Isocoma drummondii<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) N/A Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Atriplex confertifolia, Sporobolus<br />
crypt<strong>and</strong>rus<br />
References:<br />
Thomas et al. 2003.<br />
C36
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.9. Iva acerosa - Sporobolus airoides Shrubl<strong>and</strong> [Park Special]<br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Copperweed.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Copperweed.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
Park.Special<br />
Summary:<br />
This Iva acerosa dominated wash association has only been described from Petrified Forest National<br />
Park. Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This community type was newly described during the<br />
community classification process of this project. Only one relevé was sampled; however, the<br />
unique species composition did not allow this relevé to be placed into any of the existing<br />
NVCS communities. Since we only had one relevé of this unique community type <strong>and</strong> three<br />
relevés in a similar community type during an earlier classification effort (Thomas et al. 2003),<br />
we did not have enough data to develop a new NVCS association. Therefore, this community<br />
type was described as a unique local community type or a park special until further data are<br />
collected.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subclass N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic group N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subgroup N/A N/A<br />
Formation name N/A N/A<br />
Alliance name<br />
N/A<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.781<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. Data are not available.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Iva acerosa - Sporobolus airoides Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (Park Special)<br />
was sampled at one relevé within Petrified Forest National Park. This relevé was located in a<br />
wash that has periodic streamflow on a bajada-like l<strong>and</strong>form on the southwestern slopes of<br />
Chinde Mesa.<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at 1790 m (5860 ft) elevation with<br />
little slope (5%). This relevé had a presence of mudstone surface rocks.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Iva acerosa - Sporobolus<br />
airoides Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (Park Special), with total vegetation cover of 30%. This vegetation cover<br />
consisted of 20% cover in the shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 10% cover in the herbaceous stratum. The<br />
species diversity for this relevé was 26 species. The vegetation in the shrub layer was dominated<br />
by Iva acerosa with 8% cover. Parryella filifolia also had a fairly high cover in the shrub<br />
layer with 4% cover. Sporobolus airoides dominated the herbaceous cover (7% cover).<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ N/A Iva acerosa, Parryella filifolia<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) N/A Sporobolus airoides<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Atriplex confertifolia, Hymenoxys<br />
richardsonii<br />
References:<br />
Data are not available.<br />
C38
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.10. Krascheninnikovia lanata / Bouteloua gracilis Dwarf-shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Winter-fat./.Blue.Grama.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Winter-fat./.Blue.Grama.Dwarf-shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL001321<br />
Summary:<br />
This widespread, open dwarf-shrub type is found in the western Great Plains from eastern Wyoming,<br />
western Kansas, Colorado, <strong>and</strong> New Mexico to the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> semi-desert mountains in<br />
the northern Chihuahuan Desert. This shrub herbaceous association occurs on alluvial flats, plains,<br />
mesas, <strong>and</strong> desert mountains. St<strong>and</strong>s occupy flat to gentle slopes between 1630 <strong>and</strong> 2080 m (5360-<br />
6820 ft) elevation. Ground cover is largely bare soil. In Colorado Plateau st<strong>and</strong>s, there is often significant<br />
cover of biotic crusts (to 30% cover). The sometimes rocky soils are typically shallow, alkaline,<br />
calcareous <strong>and</strong> loamy or clayey in soil texture <strong>and</strong> are derived from shale or alluvium. The vegetation<br />
is characterized by an open dwarf-shrub canopy of Krascheninnikovia lanata <strong>and</strong> an understory<br />
dominated by Bouteloua gracilis. Other shrubs may be present with very low cover, including Artemisia<br />
nova, Atriplex spp., Ephedra viridis, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Opuntia imbricata, <strong>and</strong> Opuntia polyacantha.<br />
Associated graminoids present may include Achnatherum hymenoides, Aristida purpurea,<br />
Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, Muhlenbergia torreyi, Pascopyrum smithii, Pleuraphis jamesii,<br />
Sporobolus airoides, <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus. Forb cover is typically low but may be diverse.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 1 - Strong.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Although Gutierrezia sarothrae had higher cover than Krascheninnikovia<br />
lanata, it was not chosen as the species determined to drive the community<br />
description since it tends to be a ubiquitous species throughout the park.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group V.A.8. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong>.with.a.sparse.dwarfshrub.layer<br />
Physiognomic subgroup V.A.8.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
with.a.sparse.dwarf-shrub.layer<br />
Formation name V.A.8.N.a. Short.temperate.or.subpolar.lowl<strong>and</strong>.grassl<strong>and</strong>.with.a.<br />
sparse.needle-leaved.or.microphyllous.dwarf-shrub.layer<br />
Alliance name<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata Dwarf-Shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
Alliance.(A.1565),.Winter-fat.Dwarf-shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.788<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Shrub-Steppe<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G4 (1-Feb-1996).<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This widespread, open dwarf-shrub type is found in the western Great Plains from<br />
western Kansas <strong>and</strong> eastern Colorado, to semi-desert mountains (Oscura <strong>and</strong> San Andres<br />
mountains) in south-central New Mexico <strong>and</strong> Colorado Plateau (northern Arizona <strong>and</strong> southern<br />
Utah). This association is likely more widespread since its dominant/diagnostic species are<br />
common in the western U.S.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Krascheninnikovia lanata - Bouteloua gracilis Dwarf-shrub<br />
was identified from one relevé at Petrified Forest National Park. This one relevé occurred on a<br />
s<strong>and</strong> dune/s<strong>and</strong>sheet <strong>and</strong> was located in the central neck of the park in the open plains.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This widespread, open dwarf-shrub type is found in the western Great Plains<br />
from eastern Wyoming, western Kansas, Colorado, <strong>and</strong> New Mexico semi-desert mountains<br />
(Oscura <strong>and</strong> San Andres mountains in south-central New Mexico) <strong>and</strong> Colorado Plateau. This<br />
shrub herbaceous association occurs on alluvial flats, plains, mesas, <strong>and</strong> desert mountains.<br />
St<strong>and</strong>s occupy flat to gentle slopes between 1630 <strong>and</strong> 2080 m (5360-6820 ft) elevation. Ground<br />
cover is largely bare soil. In Colorado Plateau st<strong>and</strong>s, there is often significant cover of biotic<br />
crusts (to 30% cover). The sometimes rocky soils are typically shallow, alkaline, calcareous<br />
<strong>and</strong> loamy or clayey in soil texture <strong>and</strong> are derived from shale or alluvium (Francis 1986, Lauver<br />
et al. 1999, Muldavin et al. 2000b). In Kansas, st<strong>and</strong>s occur in areas with sparse vegetation<br />
on upl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> flats. Soils are shallow, rocky, <strong>and</strong> alkaline (Lauver et al. 1999).<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at an elevation of 1717 m (5633 ft).<br />
The slope was minimal (2%).<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. The vegetation contains an open shrub <strong>and</strong> graminoid layer. The dwarf-shrub layer<br />
is about 0.5 m tall, containing annual stems from a woody rootstock, <strong>and</strong> microphyllous leaves.<br />
The dominant dwarf-shrub is Krascheninnikovia lanata. The sparse to dense herbaceous layer<br />
is dominated by Bouteloua gracilis. Other shrubs may be present with very low cover, including<br />
Artemisia nova, Atriplex spp., Ephedra viridis, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Opuntia imbricata, <strong>and</strong><br />
Opuntia polyacantha. Associated graminoids present may include Achnatherum hymenoides,<br />
Aristida purpurea, Elymus elymoides, Hesperostipa comata, Muhlenbergia torreyi, Pascopyrum<br />
smithii, Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus airoides, <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus (Francis 1986,<br />
Muldavin et al. 2000b). Forb cover is typically low but may be diverse. Common species in<br />
the Colorado Plateau are Chaetopappa ericoides, Cryptantha crassisepala, Gilia leptomeria,<br />
Helianthus petiolaris, Machaeranthera canescens, Mentzelia albicaulis, Plantago patagonica,<br />
Senecio spartioides, <strong>and</strong> Sphaeralcea coccinea; Gl<strong>and</strong>ularia bipinnatifida is the most constant in<br />
mountains of south-central New Mexico. In Kansas, Stanleya pinnata, a subshrubby perennial<br />
from a woody base, can be over 1 m tall <strong>and</strong> is often present; Echinacea angustifolia <strong>and</strong> Liatris<br />
punctata often codominate with Bouteloua gracilis in the herbaceous layer. Exotic annual grass<br />
Bromus tectorum is frequently present in disturbed st<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Krascheninnikovia lanata<br />
- Bouteloua gracilis Dwarf-shrub, with total vegetation cover of 26%. This vegetation cover<br />
consisted of 13% cover in the shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 13% cover in the herbaceous stratum. The<br />
species diversity was 23 species. The vegetation in the shrub layer was dominated by Krascheninnikovia<br />
lanata with 5% cover <strong>and</strong> Gutierrezia sarothrae with 6% cover. The herbaceous<br />
layer was dominated by Bouteloua gracilis with 5% cover.<br />
C40
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum<br />
Short.shrub/<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field)<br />
Global species<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata<br />
Bouteloua gracilis<br />
PEFO species<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata<br />
Bouteloua gracilis<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
BIA 1979, Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, Driscoll et al. 1984, Francis 1986, Johnston 1987, Lauver et<br />
al. 1999, Muldavin <strong>and</strong> Mehlhop 1992, Muldavin et al. 1998d, Muldavin et al. 2000b, Soil Conservation<br />
Service 1978, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C41
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.11. Krascheninnikovia lanata Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.was.not.mapped.<br />
as.a.separate.map.class.because.it.lacked.a.definable.<br />
photosignature.<strong>and</strong>.had.only.one.representative.relevé..This.<br />
one.location.was.incorporated.within.the.map.class.Four-wing.<br />
Saltbush./.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..<br />
Winter-fat.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL001320<br />
Summary:<br />
This association is known from Colorado Plateau west into the Great Basin <strong>and</strong> northern Mojave<br />
Desert <strong>and</strong> east into the northern panh<strong>and</strong>le of Texas <strong>and</strong> is likely to be more widespread in similar<br />
habitats in the southwestern Great Plains. It is an alkaline dwarf-shrub association that occurs primarily<br />
on s<strong>and</strong>sheets, slopes, <strong>and</strong> plains often on eolian deposits near canyon walls <strong>and</strong> in alkaline flats in<br />
<strong>and</strong> around playas <strong>and</strong> along washes. Sites are flat to steep (up to 40% slope) <strong>and</strong> occur between 800<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1770 m (2620-5800 ft) elevation. Soils are rapidly drained loamy s<strong>and</strong>s or s<strong>and</strong>y loams derived<br />
from alluvium from a variety of parent materials <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stones that have eroded <strong>and</strong> been redeposited<br />
by wind <strong>and</strong> water. It occurs on low to high levels of soil salinity <strong>and</strong> alkalinity. Total vegetation<br />
cover ranges from 5 to 45% <strong>and</strong> is characterized by the dwarf-shrub Krascheninnikovia lanata<br />
with cover between 5 <strong>and</strong> 30%. In southern Nevada, scattered Ambrosia dumosa, Atriplex polycarpa,<br />
Larrea tridentata, Lycium <strong>and</strong>ersonii, Sphaeralcea ambigua, <strong>and</strong> Suaeda moquinii (= Suaeda fruticosa)<br />
may be present. The herbaceous layer is poorly developed but may contain tufts of the grass<br />
Achnatherum hymenoides. Forbs commonly present include Eriogonum spp., Opuntia polyacantha,<br />
Oenothera pallida, Plantago patagonica, <strong>and</strong> Sphaeralcea parvifolia. Biological soil crusts may provide<br />
up to 45% cover. Introduced annuals Bromus tectorum, Bromus rubens, <strong>and</strong> Salsola tragus may be<br />
abundant on some sites.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. This is a broadly defined association that includes st<strong>and</strong>s from the Colorado Plateau,<br />
Great Basin, <strong>and</strong> northern Mojave Desert characterized by the dominance of Krascheninnikovia<br />
lanata without a notable herbaceous layer. The herbaceous layer is typically absent<br />
or sparse or dominated by introduced species such as Bromus tectorum or Salsola tragus. This<br />
is a very-small-patch association as presently defined from Lake Meredith National Recreation<br />
Area, Texas. The concept will need further review to determine if it is a viable association<br />
or should be considered as patches within a broader association.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was sampled of this association. More<br />
samples are needed to fully characterize this association at the park.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class IV Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass IV.A. Evergreen.dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group IV.A.2. Extremely.xeromorphic.evergreen.dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup IV.A.2.N. Natural/Semi-natural.extremely.xeromorphic.evergreen.<br />
dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name IV.A.2.N.a. Extremely.xeromorphic.evergreen.subdesert.dwarfshrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata.Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.<br />
(A.1104),.Winter-fat.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
C42
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.775<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Distribution:<br />
Global rank. G5? (23-Feb-1994).<br />
Globally. This association is known from the Colorado Plateau west into the Great Basin <strong>and</strong><br />
northern Mojave Desert.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Krascheninnikovia lanata Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> was identified<br />
from one relevé. It was located on a s<strong>and</strong> dune/s<strong>and</strong>sheet at Petrified Forest National Park<br />
northwest of Pilot Rock.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association is known from the Colorado Plateau west into the Great Basin <strong>and</strong><br />
northern Mojave Desert <strong>and</strong> in the panh<strong>and</strong>le of Texas. It is an alkaline dwarf-shrub association<br />
that occurs primarily on s<strong>and</strong>sheets, slopes, <strong>and</strong> plains often on eolian deposits near<br />
canyon walls <strong>and</strong> in alkaline flats in <strong>and</strong> around playas <strong>and</strong> along washes. Sites are gentle to<br />
steep (up to 40% slope) <strong>and</strong> occur between 800 <strong>and</strong> 1770 m (2620-5800 ft) elevation. Soils are<br />
rapidly drained loamy s<strong>and</strong>s from alluvium derived from a mixture of rocks such as granodiorite,<br />
quartzite, latite, limestone, <strong>and</strong> basalt in southern Nevada (Faden 1977) <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>y loams<br />
derived from Navajo <strong>and</strong> Entrada s<strong>and</strong>stones in southeastern Utah that have eroded <strong>and</strong> been<br />
redeposited by wind <strong>and</strong> water. It occurs on low to high levels of soil salinity <strong>and</strong> alkalinity.<br />
In Texas, this community occurs on shallow soils on ridges <strong>and</strong> on footslopes along the Canadian<br />
River. In general, the soils are redbed-derived <strong>and</strong> shallow in nature. It would seem that<br />
this shrub is able to grow on a variety of soils but prefers the shallower, rocky areas. It is often<br />
found growing in association with other shrubs but may grow alone in small colonies. When<br />
this community is found, it is never extensive <strong>and</strong> rarely occupies more than a third of an acre.<br />
There is usually some evidence of deer browsing on this species, <strong>and</strong> in areas where it is accessible,<br />
domestic livestock will browse it as well.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at 1770 m (5800 ft) elevation.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Palustrine.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. On the Colorado Plateau, total vegetation cover ranges from 5 to 45% <strong>and</strong> is characterized<br />
by the dwarf-shrub Krascheninnikovia lanata with cover between 5 <strong>and</strong> 30%. In<br />
southern Nevada, scattered Ambrosia dumosa, Atriplex polycarpa, Larrea tridentata, Lycium<br />
<strong>and</strong>ersonii, Sphaeralcea ambigua, <strong>and</strong> Suaeda moquinii (= Suaeda fruticosa) may be present<br />
(Faden 1977). The herbaceous layer is poorly developed but may contain tufts of the grass<br />
Achnatherum hymenoides. Forbs commonly present include Eriogonum spp., Opuntia polyacantha,<br />
Oenothera pallida, Plantago patagonica, <strong>and</strong> Sphaeralcea parvifolia. Biological soil<br />
crusts provide up to 45% cover. Introduced annuals Bromus tectorum, Bromus rubens, <strong>and</strong><br />
Salsola tragus may be abundant on some sites.<br />
In Texas, this small community is dominated by Krascheninnikovia lanata, with some other<br />
short shrubs also being present in lesser amounts. Associated shrubs present in the community<br />
include Dalea formosa, Mimosa borealis, Atriplex canescens, <strong>and</strong> occasionally small<br />
Prosopis gl<strong>and</strong>ulosa. The community gives the appearance of being droughty <strong>and</strong> forbs are few.<br />
Tetraneuris scaposa, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Chaetopappa ericoides (= Leucelene ericoides), Paronychia<br />
jamesii, <strong>and</strong> Eriogonum longifolium are the most common. The most common grasses<br />
C43
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
are Aristida purpurea, Hesperostipa neomexicana (= Stipa neomexicana), Bouteloua gracilis, <strong>and</strong><br />
Bouteloua curtipendula.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Krascheninnikovia lanata<br />
Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>, with total vegetation cover of 34%. This vegetation cover consisted of 31%<br />
cover in the shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 3% cover in the herbaceous stratum. The species diversity was<br />
15 species. The vegetation in the shrub layer was dominated by Krascheninnikovia lanata, with<br />
30% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ Krascheninnikovia lanata Krascheninnikovia lanata<br />
sapling<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, Driscoll et al. 1984, Faden 1977, Mitchell et al. 1966, NVNHP 2003,<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C44
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.12. Purshia stansburiana - Eriogonum corymbosum Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Cliff-rose.–.Crispleaf.Buckwheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Stansbury’s.Cliffrose.-.Crispleaf.Wild.Buckwheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL004011<br />
Summary:<br />
This shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is only known from Petrified Forest National Park. The summary that<br />
follows is derived from data from five relevés. This association occurs on lower slopes, midslopes, terraces,<br />
<strong>and</strong> mesas between 1740 <strong>and</strong> 1920 m (5700-6290 ft) elevation. Slope ranges from none to steep<br />
(0-22%) (average 9%). Most of the st<strong>and</strong>s have basalt surface rocks, <strong>and</strong> one has s<strong>and</strong>stone surface<br />
rocks. Total vegetation cover ranges from 15 to 24% cover (average 18%). The vegetation is characterized<br />
by an open shrub layer codominated by Purshia stansburiana <strong>and</strong> Eriogonum corymbosum, with<br />
an open to sparse herbaceous stratum (0.5-6% cover). Species diversity ranges from 20 to 24 species.<br />
Other shrubs are often present with low cover, such as Artemisia bigelovii, Atriplex canescens, Ephedra<br />
torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Brickellia oblongifolia, <strong>and</strong> Gutierrezia sarothrae. Common grasses<br />
<strong>and</strong> forbs present include Chamaesyce fendleri, Chamaesyce parryi, Cryptantha crassisepala, Phacelia<br />
crenulata, Elymus elymoides, <strong>and</strong> exotic annual grass Bromus rubens.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. One relevé lacked coverage of Eriogonum corymbosum; however,<br />
it had similar composition <strong>and</strong> structure to the other relevés in this association <strong>and</strong> had a<br />
significant cover of Purshia stansburiana. This relevé was included in this association for this<br />
classification effort; however, with additional classification efforts, it may be reclassified.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.A. Evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.A.4. Microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.A.4.N. Natural/Semi-natural.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.A.4.N.a. Lowl<strong>and</strong>.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Purshia.(stansburiana, mexicana).Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.<br />
(A.833),.(Stansbury’s.Cliffrose,.Mexican.Cliffrose).<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.765<br />
CES304.789<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Colorado.Plateau.Mixed.Bedrock.Canyon.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. GNR (14-Feb-2007).<br />
C45
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association is known only from Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern<br />
Arizona. It likely occurs elsewhere on the Colorado Plateau.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Purshia stansburiana - Eriogonum corymbosum Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
was identified from five relevés within Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred<br />
on various l<strong>and</strong>forms, including lower slopes, midslopes, terraces, <strong>and</strong> mesas. It was<br />
located north of Pintado Point on the slopes of Headquarters Mesa, south of Tawa Point near<br />
the park road, on the northwest slopes of Pilot Rock, on top of Pilot Rock, west of Dry Wash,<br />
<strong>and</strong> west of Crystal Forest.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between the elevations of 1740<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1920 m (5700-6290 ft). Slope ranges from none to steep (0-22%, average 9%). Most of the<br />
relevés had basalt surface rocks <strong>and</strong> one had s<strong>and</strong>stone surface rocks.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. Five relevés were classified as Purshia stansburiana - Eriogonum corymbosum<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, with total vegetation cover varying between 15 <strong>and</strong> 24% cover (average 18%). This<br />
vegetation cover consisted of a shrub stratum with 10-18% cover <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum<br />
with 0.5-6% cover (average 3%). The species diversity ranged from 20 to 24 species (average<br />
22 species). The vegetation was dominated in the shrub layer by Purshia stansburiana with 0.5-<br />
5% cover (average 3%) <strong>and</strong> Eriogonum corymbosum with 0-3% cover (average 1%).<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Krascheninnikovia lanata<br />
Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>, with total vegetation cover of 34%. This vegetation cover consisted of 31%<br />
cover in the shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 3% cover in the herbaceous stratum. The species diversity was<br />
15 species. The vegetation in the shrub layer was dominated by Krascheninnikovia lanata, with<br />
30% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Tall.shrub/sapling Purshia stansburiana Purshia stansburiana<br />
Short.shrub/ N/A Eriogonum corymbosum<br />
sapling<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C46
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.13. Rhus trilobata - Ephedra (viridis, torreyana) Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Three-leafed.Sumac.-.Mormon.Tea.Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Skunkbush.-.(Mormon-tea,.Torrey’s.Joint-fir).Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL003776<br />
Summary:<br />
This Colorado Plateau mixed shrub assemblage occurs on steep, rocky colluvial slopes <strong>and</strong> bedrock<br />
canyon rims associated with mesas, canyons, benches, ravines, hills, hogbacks, escarpments, <strong>and</strong><br />
valley sides. Slopes are typically moderate <strong>and</strong> range from level to steep (0-70%), occur between 1238<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1700 m (4000-5580 ft) elevation, <strong>and</strong> tend to occur on southerly to westerly aspects (less often<br />
east-facing slopes). Soils are shallow <strong>and</strong> rocky <strong>and</strong> range from rapidly drained clay loams to s<strong>and</strong>y<br />
loams derived from shales <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stones. It tends to be slightly more mesic than most other talus<br />
type vegetation. Total vegetation cover is sparse, not exceeding 25%. It is characterized by a scattered<br />
mixture of shrubs, among which Rhus trilobata var. trilobata <strong>and</strong> Ephedra torreyana or Ephedra viridis<br />
are conspicuous <strong>and</strong> either dominant or codominant. As many as ten other species of shrubs may<br />
also be present, including Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia bigelovii, Atriplex confertifolia, Brickellia<br />
microphylla, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Coleogyne ramosissima, Ericameria nauseosa, Eriogonum<br />
corymbosum, <strong>and</strong> Philadelphus microphyllus. Fraxinus anomala is absent, <strong>and</strong> if Pinus edulis or Juniperus<br />
osteosperma are present, cover is less than 1%. Herbaceous cover is sparse <strong>and</strong> variable. Biological<br />
soil crust formation is rare on these active slopes.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2 - Moderate.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This map class was photointerpreted based on the environmental<br />
characteristics of the talus slopes, assuming that the three shrub species uniquely<br />
characterized this habitat type.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.B. Deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.B.2. Cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.B.2.N. Natural/Semi-natural.cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.B.2.N.a. Temperate.cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Rhus trilobata.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.3569),.Skunkbush.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.765<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Colorado.Plateau.Mixed.Bedrock.Canyon.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. GNR (20-Mar-2006).<br />
C47
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association is known from Arches National Park but likely is widespread in the<br />
canyonl<strong>and</strong>s of the Colorado Plateau in eastern Utah.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Rhus trilobata - Ephedra (viridis, torreyana) Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
was identified at three relevés on talus slopes within Petrified Forest National Park. The relevés<br />
were located on talus slopes. This association was recorded from two main locations: one location<br />
south of Blue Mesa near the Blue Mesa Road <strong>and</strong> the other north of Jasper Forest in the<br />
southwestern corner of the park.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This Colorado Plateau mixed shrub assemblage occurs on steep, rocky colluvial<br />
slopes <strong>and</strong> bedrock canyon rims associated with mesas, canyons, benches, ravines, hills,<br />
hogbacks, escarpments, <strong>and</strong> valley sides. Slopes are typically moderate <strong>and</strong> range from level<br />
to steep (0-70%), occur between 1238 <strong>and</strong> 1700 m (4000-5580 ft) elevation, <strong>and</strong> tend to occur<br />
on southerly to westerly aspects (less often east-facing slopes). Soils are shallow <strong>and</strong> range<br />
from rapidly drained clay loams to s<strong>and</strong>y loams. Parent materials include shales (Moenkopi<br />
<strong>and</strong> Chinle) <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stones (Cedar Mountain, Navajo, <strong>and</strong> Wingate). Most of the unvegetated<br />
surface is covered by gravel, talus, bedrock <strong>and</strong> large rocks, <strong>and</strong> occasionally petrified wood.<br />
There is little dead wood, biological soil crust, or litter. It tends to be slightly more mesic than<br />
most other talus type vegetation.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Elevation ranged from 1680 to 1700 m (5500-5580 ft). All of<br />
the relevés were sampled on steep slopes that varied between 45 <strong>and</strong> 50% (average 47%), with<br />
variable aspects ranging from an easterly to a southwestern direction. The talus in all of the<br />
relevés was composed of s<strong>and</strong>stone. One relevé also had a low cover of surface rocks consisting<br />
of petrified wood.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This shrubl<strong>and</strong> association has sparse to low cover of vegetation, not exceeding<br />
25% total cover. It is characterized by a scattered mixture of shrubs, among which Rhus<br />
trilobata var. trilobata <strong>and</strong> Ephedra torreyana or Ephedra viridis are conspicuous <strong>and</strong> either<br />
dominant or codominant. As many as ten other species of shrubs may also be present, including<br />
Amelanchier utahensis, Artemisia bigelovii, Atriplex confertifolia, Brickellia microphylla,<br />
Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Coleogyne ramosissima, Ericameria nauseosa, Eriogonum corymbosum,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Philadelphus microphyllus. Fraxinus anomala is absent or has trace cover, <strong>and</strong> if<br />
Pinus edulis or Juniperus osteosperma are present, cover is less than 1%. The herbaceous layer<br />
may include many species but never provides more than a few percent cover. Achnatherum<br />
hymenoides, Aristida purpurea, Elymus elymoides, Pleuraphis jamesii, Leymus salinus, <strong>and</strong><br />
exotic annual grasses Bromus rubens or Bromus tectorum are common grasses. Forb compositions<br />
are variable with frequent species including Artemisia ludoviciana, Chaetopappa ericoides,<br />
Cryptantha crassisepala, Stanleya pinnata, <strong>and</strong> Plantago patagonica. Biological soil crust<br />
formation is rare on these active slopes.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Three relevés were classified as Rhus trilobata - Ephedra (viridis,<br />
torreyana) Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, with total vegetation cover ranging from 8 to 21% (average<br />
15%). This vegetation cover consisted of a shrub layer with 6-12% cover (average 9%) <strong>and</strong><br />
an herbaceous layer with 2-9% cover (average 6%). The species diversity ranged from 19 to<br />
31 species (average 26 species). The vegetation was composed of three indicator shrub species:<br />
Rhus trilobata, Ephedra viridis, <strong>and</strong> Ephedra torreyana. Each of these shrub species may<br />
or may not be present, <strong>and</strong> their relative proportions to one another varied depending on the<br />
environmental conditions. In these three relevés, Rhus trilobata ranged from 0 to 2% cover<br />
(average 1%), Ephedra viridis ranged from 1 to 4% cover (average 3%), <strong>and</strong> Ephedra torreyana<br />
ranged from 0 to 0.5% cover (average
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum<br />
Tall.shrub/sapling<br />
Short.shrub/<br />
sapling<br />
Global species<br />
Amelanchier utahensis, Rhus<br />
trilobata var. trilobata<br />
N/A<br />
PEFO species<br />
N/A<br />
Rhus trilobata, Ephedra torreyana,<br />
Ephedra viridis<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C49
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.14. Salix exigua / Barren Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Coyote.Willow.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Coyote.Willow./.Barren.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL001200<br />
Summary:<br />
This riparian shrubl<strong>and</strong> is common in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, <strong>and</strong> Great Basin. It is<br />
composed of nearly pure st<strong>and</strong>s of Salix exigua, with few other species. Exposed gravel, cobbles, or<br />
s<strong>and</strong> characterize the ground cover, but an undergrowth of a few, scattered forbs <strong>and</strong> grasses is usually<br />
present. This association occurs within the annual flood zone of rivers on point bars, isl<strong>and</strong>s, s<strong>and</strong> or<br />
cobble bars, <strong>and</strong> streambanks.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 1 - Strong.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. In the western Great Plains this association includes st<strong>and</strong>s composed of intermediates<br />
between Salix interior (= Salix exigua ssp. interior) <strong>and</strong> Salix exigua (= Salix exigua ssp.<br />
exigua) (Dorn 1997, G. Kittel pers. comm. 2001). Until recently these taxa were combined at<br />
the species level (Kartesz 1999). More information on the distribution of introgression between<br />
Salix interior (= Salix exigua ssp. interior) <strong>and</strong> Salix exigua (= Salix exigua ssp. exigua) is<br />
needed to fully underst<strong>and</strong> the ranges of these two species.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. The understory of this association was sparse but not totally<br />
barren. This association may be better classified under a different association classification.<br />
Currently, the classification is based on pre-existing NVCS association nomenclature <strong>and</strong><br />
might be better classified with additional sampling of Salix exigua communities at Petrified<br />
Forest National Park.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.B. Deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.B.2. Cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.B.2.N. Natural/Semi-natural.cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.B.2.N.d. Temporarily.flooded.cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Salix.(exigua, interior).Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Alliance.(A.947),.(Coyote.Willow,.S<strong>and</strong>bar.Willow).<br />
Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES306.821<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Rocky.Mountain.Lower.Montane-Foothill.Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G5 (15-Jun-2001).<br />
C50
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This riparian shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is common along waterways of all sizes at lower<br />
to middle elevations in the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> Rocky Mountains extending<br />
out into the western Great Plains along major rivers.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Salix exigua / Barren Shrubl<strong>and</strong> occurred at two relevés<br />
within Petrified Forest National Park on bajada, playa, <strong>and</strong> talus l<strong>and</strong>forms. Both these relevés<br />
were sampled from the same area in the central neck area of the park. The relevés were located<br />
south of the railroad tracks on the northern edge of the Puerco River, east of the park road,<br />
<strong>and</strong> along the corridor of Dead Wash.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This riparian shrubl<strong>and</strong> is common in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Great Basin. Elevation ranges from 780-2600 m. This association occurs within the annual<br />
flood zone of rivers on point bars, isl<strong>and</strong>s, s<strong>and</strong> or cobble bars, <strong>and</strong> on streambanks occurring<br />
along a wide variety of stream reaches, from moderately sinuous <strong>and</strong> moderate-gradient<br />
reaches. It can form large, wide st<strong>and</strong>s on mid-channel isl<strong>and</strong>s in larger rivers or narrow<br />
stringer b<strong>and</strong>s on small, rocky tributaries. Substrates are typically coarse alluvial deposits of<br />
s<strong>and</strong>, silt <strong>and</strong>, cobbles that are highly vertically stratified from flooding scour <strong>and</strong> deposition,<br />
often consisting of alternating layers of finer textured soil with organic material over coarser<br />
alluvium. Occasionally, this association occurs on deep pockets of s<strong>and</strong>. The lack of soil development<br />
<strong>and</strong> high ground cover of coarse alluvial material are key indicators for this association.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at 1630 <strong>and</strong> 1640 m (5330-5370 ft)<br />
elevation. Slope was none to slight (0-1%).<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Palustrine.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This riparian association is characterized by a sparse to dense, tall-shrub (1.5-3<br />
m) canopy composed of Salix exigua, with ground cover of exposed gravel, cobbles, or s<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Salix exigua may be the only shrub in the community, or other shrubs <strong>and</strong> trees may be present<br />
with relatively low cover, including Alnus incana, Ericameria nauseosa, Rhus trilobata, Salix<br />
monticola, Salix ligulifolia (= Salix eriocephala var. ligulifolia), Salix irrorata, Salix lucida, Abies<br />
lasiocarpa, Acer negundo, Populus angustifolia, Populus deltoides, Populus fremontii, <strong>and</strong> Salix<br />
gooddingii. A sparse herbaceous layer may be present among the bare soil, gravel, cobbles, or<br />
boulders, consisting of a wide variety of forbs <strong>and</strong> graminoids. Mentha arvensis <strong>and</strong> species of<br />
Carex, Eleocharis, Juncus, Schoenoplectus, <strong>and</strong> Equisetum are often present. Introduced species,<br />
such as Elaeagnus angustifolia, Tamarix spp., Bromus tectorum, Bromus inermis, Elymus<br />
repens (= Elytrigia repens), Poa pratensis, Agrostis stolonifera (<strong>and</strong> other exotic forage species),<br />
Taraxacum offcinale, Conyza canadensis, <strong>and</strong> Lepidium latifolium have been reported from<br />
some st<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Two relevés were classified as Salix exigua / Barren Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
with total vegetation cover of 25 <strong>and</strong> 32%. This vegetation cover consisted of low tree<br />
cover (0.5%) in one relevé <strong>and</strong> none in the other, a dominant shrub cover with 20 <strong>and</strong> 30%<br />
cover, <strong>and</strong> a low herbaceous cover of 2 <strong>and</strong> 5% within the herbaceous stratum. The species<br />
diversity for the association was 20 <strong>and</strong> 24 species. The vegetation in the shrub layer was dominated<br />
by Salix exigua, which had 18 <strong>and</strong> 22% cover. Ericameria nauseosa had some cover in<br />
both relevés with 3 <strong>and</strong> 4% cover.<br />
C51
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Tall.shrub/sapling Salix exigua Salix exigua<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum, Melilotus<br />
officinalis, Tamarix chinensis,<br />
Xanthium strumarium<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, CONHP unpubl. data 2003, Carsey et al. 2003a, Christy 1973, Cogan<br />
et al. 2004, Cowardin et al. 1979, Culver et al. 1996, Dorn 1997, Driscoll et al. 1984, Durkin et al.<br />
1995b, Hall <strong>and</strong> Hansen 1997, Hansen et al. 1995, Hansen et al. 2004b, IDCDC 2005, Johnston 1987,<br />
Jones <strong>and</strong> Walford 1995, Kagan et al. 2004, Kittel <strong>and</strong> Lederer 1993, Kittel et al. 1994, Kittel et al.<br />
1995, Kittel et al. 1996, Kittel et al. 1999a, Kovalchik 1987, Manning <strong>and</strong> Padgett 1995, Muldavin et<br />
al. 2000a, Padgett 1981, Padgett et al. 1988b, Padgett et al. 1989, Richard et al. 1996, Tuhy <strong>and</strong> Jensen<br />
1982, Von Loh et al. 2002, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C52
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.15. Salvia pachyphylla Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> [Park Special]<br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Blue.Sage.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rose.Sage.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
Park.Special<br />
Summary:<br />
This Salvia pachyphylla dominated badl<strong>and</strong> association has only been described from Petrified Forest<br />
National Park. Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. With only two relevés of Salvia pachyphylla Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(Park Special) sampled, there was not enough data to develop a new NVCS association for<br />
this community type. Until additional data are collected, this type will be retained as a Petrified<br />
Forest National Park Special. However, it is not likely that this community will be sampled<br />
in areas outside of the NPS boundary since Salvia pachyphylla has a restricted range <strong>and</strong> is<br />
isolated to a few small locations in northern Arizona.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subclass N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic group N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subgroup N/A N/A<br />
Formation name N/A N/A<br />
Alliance name<br />
N/A<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.789<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. Data are not available.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Salvia pachyphylla Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> (Park Special) occurred<br />
on two relevés within Petrified Forest National Park. They were located on mid- <strong>and</strong> lower<br />
slopes of Chinde Mesa.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
C53
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at 1820 <strong>and</strong> 1830 m (5980-6000 ft)<br />
elevation. The slopes were steep (29-38%) with northeastern <strong>and</strong> northwestern orientations.<br />
Both relevés had mudstone surface rocks.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Two relevés were classified as Salvia pachyphylla Dwarfshrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(Park Special), with total vegetation cover of 11 <strong>and</strong> 19%. This vegetation cover<br />
consisted of a tree stratum of 2% cover in both relevés, a shrub stratum with 9 <strong>and</strong> 14% cover,<br />
<strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum with 0.5 <strong>and</strong> 3% cover. The species diversity was 20 <strong>and</strong> 23 species.<br />
The vegetation in the shrub layer was dominated by Salvia pachyphylla, with 3 <strong>and</strong> 4% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Tall.shrub/sapling Data are not available. Salvia pachyphylla<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species <br />
Data are not available. <br />
PEFO species<br />
Achnatherum hymenoides,<br />
Artemisia bigelovii, Bromus<br />
tectorum, Chaetopappa ericoides,<br />
Chamaesyce fendleri, Cordylanthus<br />
wrightii, Cryptantha sp., Ephedra<br />
torreyana, Eriogonum corymbosum,<br />
Gutierrezia sarothrae, Hesperostipa<br />
neomexicana, Juniperus<br />
monosperma, Parryella filifolia,<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii, Rhus trilobata,<br />
Yucca angustissima<br />
References:<br />
Data are not available.<br />
C54
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.16. Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Atriplex obovata Shrubl<strong>and</strong> [Park Special]<br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Greasewood./.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
None.assigned.yet<br />
Not.applicable<br />
Summary:<br />
Data are not available.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments: <br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Data are not available. <br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subclass N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic group N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subgroup N/A N/A<br />
Formation name N/A N/A<br />
Alliance name<br />
N/A<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.789<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. Data are not available.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Atriplex obovata Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (Park<br />
Special) was identified in the field during the photointerpretors’ reconnaissance. Subsequently<br />
it was documented on 15 accuracy assessment observation sites. However, it was mapped on<br />
only three map units, two of which are in the park.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This vegetation community occurred at elevations from 1639<br />
m (5377 ft) to 1682 m (5518 ft).<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
C55
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until further inventory is<br />
completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Fifteen accuracy assessment relevés were identified as Sarcobatus vermiculatus<br />
/ Atriplex obovata Shrubl<strong>and</strong>. Cover of Sarcobatus vermiculatus ranged from 5 to 25%. Co-dominant plants were<br />
the dwarf native shrub Atriplex obovata (cover 1 to 25%) <strong>and</strong> the native grass Sporobolus airoides (cover 1 to 75%).<br />
Species diversity among the relevés ranged from 3 to 9 species. Sarcobatus vermiculatus was co-dominant with the<br />
native dwarf-shrub Atriplex obovata. The association was found generally on saline <strong>and</strong> alkaline soils <strong>and</strong> in areas<br />
with periodic sheet flow, often near a wash system.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Shrub.(field) Data are not available. Sarcobatus vermiculatus<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Atriplex obovata, Sporobolus<br />
airoides, Suaeda moquinii<br />
References:<br />
Data are not available.<br />
C56
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.17. Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Greasewood./.Shrubby.Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Black.Greasewood./.Shrubby.Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL001370<br />
Summary:<br />
This shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is reported from the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> Columbia Basin. Sites are<br />
generally flat to gently sloping saline valley bottoms <strong>and</strong> toeslopes, river floodplains, <strong>and</strong> playas at<br />
elevations ranging from 1620 to 1680 m (5315-5500 ft). Soils are deep, saline, alkaline clay loams. The<br />
vegetation has a generally sparse shrub layer (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was<br />
identified from only one relevé in Petrified Forest National Park. The one relevé of this community<br />
type occurred in a valley bottom <strong>and</strong> drainage channel located in the central neck area<br />
of the park, between the railroad tracks <strong>and</strong> the Puerco River.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This shrubl<strong>and</strong> association is reported from the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> Columbia<br />
Basin. Sites are generally flat to gently sloping saline valley bottoms <strong>and</strong> toeslopes, along intermittent<br />
washes, floodplains, <strong>and</strong> playas at elevations ranging from 1620 to 1680 m (5315-5500<br />
ft). Soils are deep, saline, alkaline clay loams.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. The elevation <strong>and</strong> slope of this association are not available<br />
or recorded. This association occurred in a wetl<strong>and</strong> environment with seasonal or intermittent<br />
flooding.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Palustrine.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. The vegetation has a generally sparse shrub layer (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.18. Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.was.not.mapped.as.a.unique.<br />
association..The.photointerpreters.were.not.able.to.<br />
distinguish.this.association.on.the.aerial.photography.<strong>and</strong>.had.<br />
only.one.ground-sampled.relevé.as.reference..This.association.<br />
was.mapped.as.an.inclusion.with.the.surrounding.vegetation;.<br />
the.single.relevé.was.included.with.the.Greasewood./.Shrubby.<br />
Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..<br />
Shrubby.Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL001991<br />
Summary:<br />
These shrubl<strong>and</strong>s occur in desert basins or playas in Nevada, Arizona, <strong>and</strong> southern <strong>and</strong> eastern<br />
California. Sites are generally flat to gently sloping saline valley bottoms, floodplains <strong>and</strong> playas, saline<br />
seeps, <strong>and</strong> along intermittent washes at elevations ranging from sea level to 1640 m (5381 ft). Soils are<br />
deep, saline, alkaline clay loams. The vegetation has a generally sparse shrub layer that is less than 1.5<br />
m tall <strong>and</strong> strongly dominated by Suaeda moquinii with scattered Atriplex polycarpa, Atriplex canescens,<br />
Allenrolfea occidentalis, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus in some st<strong>and</strong>s. The sparse herbaceous layer<br />
may include the forbs Bassia hyssopifolia <strong>and</strong> Salicornia maritima (= Salicornia europaea). Graminoids<br />
are not abundant except for Distichlis spicata <strong>and</strong> occasional Sporobolus airoides or Sporobolus<br />
crypt<strong>and</strong>rus. The adjacent shrubl<strong>and</strong>s are dominated by Sarcobatus vermiculatus or Atriplex spp.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2 - Moderate.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Although Distichlis spicata has higher cover than Suaeda<br />
moquinii, Suaeda moquinii was determined to be more diagnostic of this community than Distichlis<br />
spicata, <strong>and</strong> a new association based on this one relevé that would include both Suaeda<br />
moquinii <strong>and</strong> Distichlis spicata was not developed due to the paucity of data.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.B. Deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.B.2. Cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.B.2.N. Natural/Semi-natural.cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.B.2.N.c. Intermittently.flooded.cold-deciduous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Suaeda moquinii.Intermittently.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Alliance.(A.941),.Shrubby.Seepweed.Intermittently.<br />
Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.786<br />
CES304.780<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Playa<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Greasewood.Flat<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G5 (23-Feb-1994).<br />
C59
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This broadly defined shrubl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in saline overlow areas in bottoml<strong>and</strong>s<br />
in the Great Basin, Mojave, Colorado, <strong>and</strong> Sonoran deserts, <strong>and</strong> in the southern part<br />
of the Great Central Valley of California. The species occurs throughout the western U.S., so<br />
this type may be more widespread.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was identified from one relevé<br />
along the flats adjacent to the Puerco River in Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. These shrubl<strong>and</strong>s occur in desert basins or playas in Nevada, Arizona, <strong>and</strong> southern<br />
<strong>and</strong> eastern California. Sites are generally flat to gently sloping saline valley bottoms, floodplains<br />
<strong>and</strong> playas, saline seeps, <strong>and</strong> along intermittent washes at elevations ranging from sea<br />
level to 1640 m (5381 ft). Soils are deep, saline, alkaline clay loams derived from alluvium.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at an elevation of 1640 m (5381 ft).<br />
The site was a flat, intermittently flooded area adjacent to the Puerco River.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Lacustrine.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association is characterized by a sparse to open shrub layer less than 1.5 m tall<br />
that is strongly dominated by Suaeda moquinii sometimes with scattered Atriplex polycarpa,<br />
Atriplex canescens, Allenrolfea occidentalis, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus. The sparse herbaceous<br />
layer may include the forbs Bassia hyssopifolia <strong>and</strong> Salicornia maritima (= Salicornia europaea).<br />
Graminoids are not abundant except for Distichlis spicata <strong>and</strong> occasional Sporobolus<br />
airoides or Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,<br />
with total vegetation cover of 17%. This vegetation cover consisted of 2% cover in the shrub<br />
stratum <strong>and</strong> 15% cover in the herbaceous stratum. The species diversity was low with only<br />
four species. The shrub layer was dominated by Suaeda moquinii with 6% cover, <strong>and</strong> the herbaceous<br />
layer was dominated by Distichlis spicata with 8% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ Suaeda moquinii Suaeda moquinii<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) Distichlis spicata Distichlis spicata<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, Donnelly et al. 2006, Driscoll et al. 1984, Faden 1977, NVNHP 2003,<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.3 Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
C.3.19. Tamarix spp. Temporarily Flooded Semi-natural Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Tamarisk.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Salt-cedar.species.Temporarily.Flooded.Semi-natural.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL003114<br />
Summary:<br />
This broadly defined association is composed of shrubl<strong>and</strong>s which form moderately dense to dense<br />
thickets on banks of larger streams across the western Great Plains, interior <strong>and</strong> southwestern U.S.,<br />
<strong>and</strong> northern Mexico. St<strong>and</strong>s are dominated by introduced species of Tamarix, including Tamarix ramosissima,<br />
Tamarix chinensis, Tamarix gallica, <strong>and</strong> Tamarix parviflora. Tamarix spp. were introduced<br />
from the Mediterranean <strong>and</strong> have become naturalized in various sites, including salt flats <strong>and</strong> other<br />
saline habitats, springs, <strong>and</strong> especially along streams <strong>and</strong> regulated rivers, where it replaces the native<br />
vegetation, such as shrubl<strong>and</strong>s dominated by species of Salix or Prosopis or woodl<strong>and</strong>s of Populus<br />
spp. A remnant herbaceous layer may be present, depending on the age <strong>and</strong> density of the shrub layer,<br />
although in many cases this layer also consists of aggressive exotic species such as Lepidium latifolium.<br />
Tamarix species have become a critical nuisance along most large rivers in the semi-arid West <strong>and</strong>,<br />
because of permanent changes in flood regimes <strong>and</strong> the diffculty of removing trees, reflect irreversibly<br />
changed vegetation on many sites.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 1 - Strong.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. This is a broadly defined plant association that is composed of many diverse Tamarix<br />
spp.-dominated vegetation communities from a wide variety of environments. Muldavin<br />
et al. (2000a) described 8 community types that will be reviewed as possible USNVC associations.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association was dominated by the non-native invasive<br />
species Tamarix spp. These species are currently invading southwestern riparian systems. This<br />
map class should be re-evaluated regularly to assess changes in the distribution of this community<br />
type. Although this map class only occurred in a few polygons, this does not mean<br />
that Tamarix spp. do not occur in other locations in the project area. The association was<br />
only mapped in areas larger than the minimum mapping unit <strong>and</strong> in areas where Tamarix spp.<br />
dominated the species cover. During the classification field work, this species was identified as<br />
Tamarix chinensis; however, since the taxonomy of this species is not well-known <strong>and</strong> appropriate<br />
keys have not been developed to identify it, we used only the genus level to classify these<br />
relevés into an association.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class III Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass III.A. Evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic group III.A.4. Microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup III.A.4.N. Natural/Semi-natural.microphyllous.evergreen.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name III.A.4.N.c. Temporarily.flooded.microphyllous.shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Tamarix.spp..Semi-Natural.Temporarily.Flooded.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance.(A.842),.Salt-cedar.species.Seminatural.Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES306.821<br />
CES306.821<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Rocky.Mountain.Lower.Montane-Foothill.Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rocky.Mountain.Lower.Montane-Foothill.Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. GNA (invasive) (24-Jul-2001).<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This semi-natural shrubl<strong>and</strong> is found along drainages in the semi-arid western<br />
Great Plains, interior <strong>and</strong> southwestern U.S. <strong>and</strong> northern Mexico, from central <strong>and</strong> eastern<br />
Montana, south to Colorado, western Oklahoma <strong>and</strong> Texas, west to California.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Tamarix spp. Semi-natural Temporarily Flooded Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
was identified from two relevés in Petrified Forest National Park. These relevés occurred on<br />
bajada <strong>and</strong> talus l<strong>and</strong>forms in the central neck area of the park along the northern edges of the<br />
Puerco River, both east <strong>and</strong> west of the park road.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. These widespread shrubl<strong>and</strong>s are common along larger streams, rivers, <strong>and</strong> around<br />
playas in the western U.S. <strong>and</strong> Mexico. Elevation ranges from 75 m below sea level to 1860<br />
m. Tamarix spp. have become naturalized in various sites including riverbanks, floodplains,<br />
basins, s<strong>and</strong>bars, side channels, springs, salt flats, <strong>and</strong> other saline habitats. St<strong>and</strong>s grow especially<br />
well along regulated rivers where flood-regenerated native species such as Populus are<br />
declining <strong>and</strong> the absence of regular scouring floods allows Tamarix seedlings to become established.<br />
Substrates are commonly thin s<strong>and</strong>y loam soil over alluvial deposits of s<strong>and</strong>, gravel,<br />
or cobbles.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at 1625 <strong>and</strong> 1639 m (5330-5377 ft)<br />
elevation. Slope ranged from none to low (0-4%). Both of these relevés occurred in areas with<br />
intermittent or seasonal flooding.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Palustrine.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This semi-natural shrubl<strong>and</strong> occurs along streams, rivers, <strong>and</strong> playas where it forms<br />
a moderate to dense tall-shrub layer that is solely or strongly dominated by species of Tamarix,<br />
including Tamarix ramosissima, Tamarix chinensis, Tamarix gallica, <strong>and</strong> Tamarix parviflora.<br />
Other shrubs may include species of Salix (especially Salix exigua) <strong>and</strong> Prosopis, Rhus trilobata,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Sarcobatus vermiculatus but with low cover (if shrub species are codominant, then the<br />
st<strong>and</strong> is classified as a natural shrubl<strong>and</strong>). Scattered Acer negundo, Salix amygdaloides, Populus<br />
spp., or Elaeagnus angustifolia trees may also be present. Depending on st<strong>and</strong> age <strong>and</strong> density<br />
of the shrub layer, an herbaceous layer may be present. Associated native species include<br />
Distichlis spicata <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus airoides, <strong>and</strong> introduced species include Agrostis gigantea,<br />
Agrostis stolonifera, <strong>and</strong> Poa pratensis. Introduced herbaceous species such as Polypogon<br />
monspeliensis, Conyza canadensis, Lepidium latifolium, <strong>and</strong> others have been reported from<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong>s in this association.<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Two relevés were classified as Tamarix spp. Semi-natural<br />
Temporarily Flooded Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, with total vegetation cover of 35 <strong>and</strong> 39%. This vegetation<br />
cover consisted of a tree stratum with 0 <strong>and</strong> 13% cover, a shrub stratum with 19 <strong>and</strong> 30%<br />
cover, <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum of 5 <strong>and</strong> 7% cover. The species diversity for these two<br />
relevés was 12 <strong>and</strong> 23 species. The vegetation was dominated in the shrub <strong>and</strong> tree layer by the<br />
non-native invasive shrubs Tamarix spp., with a combined cover of 31 <strong>and</strong> 30%.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Tall.shrub/sapling Tamarix chinensis, Tamarix gallica, Tamarix chinensis<br />
Tamarix parviflora, Tamarix<br />
ramosissima<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum, Lepidium<br />
latifolium, Poa pratensis<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Baalman 1965, Carsey et al. 2003a, Cogan et al. 2004, Cowardin et al. 1979, Hansen et al. 1995, Hansen<br />
et al. 2004b, Hoagl<strong>and</strong> 2000, Holl<strong>and</strong> 1986b, MTNHP 2002b, Muldavin et al. 2000a, NVNHP<br />
2003, Nachlinger <strong>and</strong> Reese 1996, Ortenberger <strong>and</strong> Bird 1933, Paysen et al. 1980, Sawyer <strong>and</strong> Keeler-<br />
Wolf 1995, Smith 1989, Stevens <strong>and</strong> Shannon 1917, Szaro 1989, Ungar 1968, Von Loh et al. 2002,<br />
Ware <strong>and</strong> Penfound 1949, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.1. Atriplex obovata / Sporobolus airoides - Pleuraphis jamesii Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
New.Mexico.Saltbush./.Alkali.Sacaton.-.Galleta.Shrub.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New.Mexico.Saltbush./.Alkali.Sacaton.-.James’.Galleta.Shrub.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL001775<br />
Summary:<br />
This association occurs on alluvial flats in the southern Colorado Plateau in northwestern New<br />
Mexico <strong>and</strong> adjacent Arizona at 1680-1811 m (5570-5940 ft) elevation. Slopes are minimal <strong>and</strong> range<br />
from 0 to 6%. Soils are typically shallow, alkaline, <strong>and</strong> calcareous <strong>and</strong> are derived from alluvium. Soil<br />
texture ranges from fine s<strong>and</strong>y loam to silty clay loam. Ground cover is largely bare soil, sometimes<br />
with high cover of surface rock, including basalt, gravel, <strong>and</strong> petrified wood. The vegetation is characterized<br />
by an open dwarf-shrub canopy of Atriplex obovata with a grassy understory dominated by<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus airoides. Other shrubs may be present with very low cover, including<br />
Atriplex confertifolia, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Opuntia imbricata, Opuntia<br />
polyacantha, <strong>and</strong> Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Associated graminoids may include Elymus elymoides,<br />
Muhlenbergia torreyi, Schedonnardus paniculatus, <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus. Forb cover is typically<br />
low but may be diverse.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Data are not available.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group V.A.7. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong>.with.a.sparse.shrub.<br />
layer<br />
Physiognomic subgroup V.A.7.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
with.a.sparse.shrub.layer<br />
Formation name V.A.7.N.e Medium-tall.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong>.with.a.<br />
sparse.needle-leaved.or.microphyllous.evergreen.shrub.<br />
layer<br />
Alliance name<br />
Sporobolus airoides.-.(Pleuraphis jamesii).Shrub.<br />
Herbaceous.Alliance.(A.1532),.Alkali.Sacaton.-.(James’.<br />
Galleta).Shrub.Herbaceous.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.788<br />
CES304.784<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Shrub-Steppe<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Mixed.Salt.Desert.Scrub<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. GU (23-Feb-1994).<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Atriplex obovata / Sporobolus airoides - Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> occurred on twelve relevés. They were located mostly on or<br />
near s<strong>and</strong>sheets/s<strong>and</strong> dunes or near areas with sheetflow drainage or drainage channels. This<br />
association was sampled throughout the entire extent of the park, including the northern<br />
wilderness area west of the Black Forest, southwest of Chinde Mesa, <strong>and</strong> near Lithodendron<br />
Wash. It was also sampled from the Blue Mesa area, south of Newspaper Rock, southwest of<br />
Agate Bridge, <strong>and</strong> west of Crystal Forest <strong>and</strong> Dry Wash.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association occurred between the elevations of 1640 <strong>and</strong> 1750 m (5370-5790<br />
ft). Slopes of the relevés were minimal <strong>and</strong> ranged from 0 to 6% (average 2%). Rock substrates<br />
found within this association included basalt, gravel, <strong>and</strong> petrified wood. At one relevé, the<br />
presence of desert pavement on the surface was recorded.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at 1625 <strong>and</strong> 1639 m (5330-5377 ft)<br />
elevation. Slope ranged from none to low (0-4%). Both of these relevés occurred in areas with<br />
intermittent or seasonal flooding.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. The vegetation is characterized by an open dwarf-shrub canopy (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, Driscoll et al. 1984, Francis 1986, Western Ecology Working Group<br />
n.d.<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.2. Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Black.Grama.–.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Black.Grama.-.James’.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL001751<br />
Summary:<br />
This Colorado Plateau desert grassl<strong>and</strong> has been documented from the upper Rio Puerco watershed<br />
in northwestern New Mexico, in north-central Arizona <strong>and</strong> southeastern Utah, <strong>and</strong> extends south<br />
to central New Mexico at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on flat to gently sloping<br />
plains, basin floors, mesatops, <strong>and</strong> less often on steeply sloping mesa sides. Substrates are variable <strong>and</strong><br />
include loam to clay-loam soils derived from basalt outcrop, shale, clay <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone, <strong>and</strong> coarser<br />
textured soils derived from black cinders <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone. Bouteloua eriopoda <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
(= Hilaria jamesii) dominate the low to moderate herbaceous cover. Associates include low cover of<br />
Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa neomexicana (= Stipa neomexicana), Muhlenbergia<br />
porteri, Sporobolus airoides, <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus. Shrubs are few <strong>and</strong> scattered <strong>and</strong> may<br />
include Atriplex canescens, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria nauseosa, <strong>and</strong> Gutierrezia<br />
sarothrae.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2 - Moderate.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Limited quantitative documentation exists for this type, outside of plots taken at<br />
Capitol Reef National Park, near the northern end of the association’s range.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. The four relevés grouped into this association were characterized<br />
by Bouteloua eriopoda in the herbaceous stratum. In relevés with low total vegetation<br />
cover, the cover of Bouteloua eriopoda was also proportionally low. Pleuraphis jamesii was<br />
entirely absent in one relevé; therefore the classification of this relevé may need to be reconsidered.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group V.A.5. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup V.A.5.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name V.A.5.N.e. Short.sod.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Bouteloua eriopoda.Herbaceous.Alliance.(A.1284),.Black.<br />
Grama.Herbaceous.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.787<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G3 (14-Nov-2005). This transitional Colorado Plateau-Chihuahuan Desert<br />
grassl<strong>and</strong> has had its range significantly reduced by the impacts of livestock grazing over the<br />
last 150 years, particularly during years of extreme drought. Few examples remain that have<br />
not been significantly impacted by grazing <strong>and</strong> altered fire regimes. Overall, high-quality occurrences<br />
are not likely to exceed 50 in number. Inventory of potential occurrences in both the<br />
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<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Chihuahuan Desert <strong>and</strong> Colorado Plateau ecoregions is needed. The range of this association<br />
is not likely to extend much further north than southern Utah, as Bouteloua eriopoda is known<br />
only from the Colorado River drainage (including the Virgin River) south of Moab.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This Colorado Plateau association is known from the upper Rio Puerco watershed<br />
in northwestern New Mexico, Wupatki National Monument <strong>and</strong> Petrified Forest National<br />
Park in north-central Arizona, <strong>and</strong> scattered small sites at Capitol Reef National Park in southeastern<br />
Utah. It extends south to the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico<br />
in the transition zone with the northern Chihuahuan Desert.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
was identified from four relevés in Petrified Forest National Park. These relevés occurred<br />
on the lower <strong>and</strong> midslopes of hills <strong>and</strong> on s<strong>and</strong>sheets <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> dunes. This association was<br />
identified in the central neck section of the park, specifically located east of the park road <strong>and</strong><br />
north of the unpaved maintenance road, <strong>and</strong> east of the park road north of the Puerco River<br />
<strong>and</strong> south of the Borrow Pit road.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This Colorado Plateau desert grassl<strong>and</strong> has been documented from the upper Rio<br />
Puerco watershed in northwestern New Mexico, in north-central Arizona, <strong>and</strong> from a single<br />
station in southeastern Utah. Elevations range from 1455-1830 m (4770-6000 ft) at the southern<br />
end of the range <strong>and</strong> at 1275 m on a south-facing slope in Utah. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on flat to<br />
gently sloping plains, basin floors, or steeply sloping mesa sides. Substrates are variable <strong>and</strong> include<br />
weakly developed Entisols <strong>and</strong> Entisol-Mollisol complexes often with loam to clay-loam<br />
soils derived from basalt outcrop, shale, clay <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone, <strong>and</strong> coarser textured soils derived<br />
from black cinders <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association’s elevation ranged from 1660 to 1690 m<br />
(5540-5550 ft). It occurred on low slopes ranging from 3 to 4% (average 4%). One of the relevés<br />
was surrounded by small washes.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association is characterized by Bouteloua eriopoda <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii (=<br />
Hilaria jamesii) codominating an open to moderately dense perennial graminoid layer. Associates<br />
include low cover of Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa neomexicana<br />
(= Stipa neomexicana), Muhlenbergia porteri, Sporobolus airoides, Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus,<br />
<strong>and</strong> Sporobolus flexuosus. Forb cover <strong>and</strong> diversity are low. Scattered shrubs <strong>and</strong> dwarf-shrub<br />
may be present, including Atriplex canescens, Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Ericameria<br />
nauseosa, <strong>and</strong> Gutierrezia sarothrae (Francis 1986). The presence of Bouteloua eriopoda <strong>and</strong><br />
Muhlenbergia porteri, <strong>and</strong> its occurrence at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, suggests that<br />
this grassl<strong>and</strong> is transitional to Chihuahuan Desert grassl<strong>and</strong>s that begin over 100 miles to the<br />
south.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. The relevés classified as Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> had total vegetation covers ranging from 15 to 30%. This vegetation<br />
cover consisted of a moderate shrub layer ranging from 5 to 22% cover (average 12%)<br />
<strong>and</strong> a significant herbaceous stratum ranging from 8 to 17% cover (average 13%). The species<br />
diversity for this association varied between 32 <strong>and</strong> 38 species (average 35 species). The<br />
vegetation was mainly dominated by herbaceous species <strong>and</strong> was typically characterized by<br />
the dominance or codominance of Bouteloua eriopoda <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii. Bouteloua eriopoda’s<br />
cover ranged from 1 to 10% (average 6%) <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii had a 0 to 4% cover<br />
(average 1%). The shrub layer had a low cover of Gutierrezia sarothrae in all relevés, ranging<br />
from 0.5 to 2% (average 1%).<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum<br />
Short.shrub/<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field)<br />
Global species<br />
Atriplex obovata<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
PEFO species<br />
Atriplex obovata<br />
Bouteloua eriopoda, Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, CONHP unpubl. data 2003, Driscoll et al. 1984, Francis 1986, Hansen<br />
et al. 2004b, Muldavin et al. 1998d, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
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C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.3. Bouteloua gracilis - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Blue.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue.Grama.-.James’.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL001759<br />
Summary:<br />
These grassl<strong>and</strong>s occur on alluvial flats, mesas, <strong>and</strong> plains in the semi-arid southwestern Great Plains<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Colorado Plateau in southeastern Colorado, New Mexico, northern Arizona <strong>and</strong> southern<br />
Utah. Elevation ranges from 1625-1890 m (5330-5654 ft) on the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> extends<br />
below 1525 m (5000 ft) in the southwestern Great Plains. Sites are flat to undulating, with shallow to<br />
moderately deep, loam to silty clay loam-textured soil. St<strong>and</strong>s are codominated by the graminoids<br />
Bouteloua gracilis <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii). These short <strong>and</strong> medium-tall perennial<br />
bunch grasses may form a sod-like ground cover with patches of bare ground, especially where grazing<br />
by livestock encourages a prostrate growth form. Canopy cover is relatively sparse to moderately<br />
dense (20-80% cover). Other grasses include Buchloe dactyloides, Muhlenbergia torreyi, Sporobolus<br />
crypt<strong>and</strong>rus, Aristida spp., Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides), Pascopyrum smithii,<br />
Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), or Hesperostipa neomexicana (= Stipa neomexicana). Forb cover<br />
is generally sparse but may be diverse. Characteristic species include Sphaeralcea coccinea, Grindelia<br />
squarrosa, Cryptantha spp., Machaeranthera pinnatifida, Ratibida spp., <strong>and</strong> Zinnia gr<strong>and</strong>iflora. Scattered<br />
dwarf-shrubs, shrubs, <strong>and</strong> cacti, such as Gutierrezia sarothrae, Artemisia bigelovii, Artemisia<br />
frigida, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Prosopis gl<strong>and</strong>ulosa, Yucca glauca, Opuntia imbricata, <strong>and</strong> Opuntia<br />
polyacantha, are not uncommon. Codominance of Bouteloua gracilis <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii distinguishes<br />
this vegetation from several closely related grassl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2 - Moderate.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. More classification <strong>and</strong> survey work are needed to distinguish this type from closely<br />
related grassl<strong>and</strong>s over its relatively broad geographic range, <strong>and</strong> to inventory its extent <strong>and</strong><br />
condition.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association tends to have low total vegetation cover<br />
<strong>and</strong> correspondingly low total herbaceous cover. Bouteloua gracilis consistently occurred in<br />
every relevé but with low cover (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G3 (14-Nov-2005). G2G4 (15-Oct-1999). Historically, most sites supporting this<br />
association have been converted to dryl<strong>and</strong> or to irrigated cropl<strong>and</strong> in the plains. Overgrazing<br />
by livestock has changed some of these grassl<strong>and</strong>s to sparse desert grassl<strong>and</strong>s or desert<br />
scrubl<strong>and</strong>. In addition, the reduction of fire frequency, either by livestock grazing the fine<br />
fuels that carry fires or by active suppression, has allowed the invasion of trees <strong>and</strong> shrubs.<br />
Loss to urban development has been significant in recent decades. Urban development <strong>and</strong><br />
transformation to pinyon/juniper woodl<strong>and</strong>s or desert grassl<strong>and</strong>/scrubl<strong>and</strong> are continuing the<br />
negative trend. More classification <strong>and</strong> survey work are needed to distinguish this type from<br />
closely related grassl<strong>and</strong>s over its relatively broad geographic range <strong>and</strong> to inventory its extent<br />
<strong>and</strong> condition.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. These grassl<strong>and</strong>s are found in the southern shortgrass steppe of southeastern Colorado<br />
<strong>and</strong> eastern New Mexico, <strong>and</strong> alluvial flats <strong>and</strong> mesas of the Colorado Plateau in New<br />
Mexico <strong>and</strong> Utah, south to Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Bouteloua gracilis - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
was identified from three relevés within Petrified Forest National Park. Sites occurred on<br />
a plateau <strong>and</strong> on s<strong>and</strong> dunes/s<strong>and</strong>sheets in the central neck section of the park, south of Blue<br />
Mesa along the main park road <strong>and</strong> Dry Wash, <strong>and</strong> northwest of Jim Camp Wash <strong>and</strong> the Giant<br />
Logs.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. These grassl<strong>and</strong>s occur on alluvial flats, mesas, <strong>and</strong> plains in the semi-arid southwestern<br />
Great Plains <strong>and</strong> the Colorado Plateau in southeastern Colorado, New Mexico,<br />
northern Arizona <strong>and</strong> southern Utah. Elevation ranges from 1625-1890 m (5330-5654 ft) on<br />
the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong> extends below 1525 m (5000 ft) in the southwestern Great Plains.<br />
Sites are flat to undulating, with shallow to moderately deep, loam to silty clay loam-textured<br />
soil.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. The association occurred between the elevations of 1664 <strong>and</strong><br />
1725 m (5459-5654 ft), with zero to moderate slope (0-16%, average 6%). Only one st<strong>and</strong> had<br />
any surface rocks, including desert pavement <strong>and</strong> petrified wood.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association is characterized by an open to moderately dense (20-80% cover)<br />
herbaceous layer that is codominated by the graminoids Bouteloua gracilis <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii). These short <strong>and</strong> medium-tall perennial bunch grasses may form<br />
a sod-like ground cover with patches of bare ground, especially where grazing by livestock<br />
encourages a prostrate growth form. Other grasses include Buchloe dactyloides, Muhlenbergia<br />
torreyi, Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus, Aristida spp., Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides),<br />
Pascopyrum smithii, Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), or Hesperostipa neomexicana<br />
(= Stipa neomexicana). Forb cover is generally sparse but may be diverse. Characteristic species<br />
include Sphaeralcea coccinea, Grindelia squarrosa, Cryptantha spp., Machaeranthera pinnatifida,<br />
Ratibida spp., <strong>and</strong> Zinnia gr<strong>and</strong>iflora. Scattered dwarf-shrubs, shrubs, <strong>and</strong> cacti, such<br />
as Gutierrezia sarothrae, Artemisia bigelovii, Artemisia frigida, Krascheninnikovia lanata, Prosopis<br />
gl<strong>and</strong>ulosa (southern st<strong>and</strong>s), Yucca glauca, Opuntia imbricata, <strong>and</strong> Opuntia polyacantha,<br />
are not uncommon. Codominance of Bouteloua gracilis <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii distinguishes<br />
this vegetation from several closely related grassl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
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Petrified Forest National Park. Three relevés were classified as Bouteloua gracilis - Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong>, with total vegetation cover varying between 10 <strong>and</strong> 24%<br />
(average 16%). The vegetation cover consisted of low cover in the shrub stratum of 2-3%<br />
(average 3%) <strong>and</strong> a moderate herbaceous stratum of 8-21% cover (average 14%). The species<br />
diversity for this association ranged from 18 to 27 species (average 23 species). The vegetation<br />
was codominated by Bouteloua gracilis, ranging from 1 to 3% cover (average 2%), <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii, ranging from 2 to 15% cover (average 8%). In one st<strong>and</strong>, the annual forb Plantago<br />
patagonica had 5% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum<br />
Herb.(field)<br />
Global species<br />
Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
PEFO species<br />
Bouteloua gracilis, Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Beavis et al. 1982, Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, CONHP unpubl. data 2003, Dick-Peddie 1993,<br />
Driscoll et al. 1984, Francis 1986, Johnston 1987, Muldavin et al. 1998d, Rogers 1953, Shaw et al. 1989,<br />
Soil Conservation Service 1978, Terwilliger et al. 1979a, Van Pelt 1978, Western Ecology Working<br />
Group n.d.<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.4. Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class <br />
NatureServe common name <br />
NatureServe code <br />
Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>,.Blue.Grama.Shortgrass.<br />
Prairie<br />
CEGL001760<br />
Summary:<br />
This minor plant association is reported from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, <strong>and</strong> Wyoming.<br />
Sites are flat to gently sloping <strong>and</strong> include plains, plateaus, <strong>and</strong> montane meadows. Substrates are<br />
variable <strong>and</strong> range from coarse-textured soils derived from s<strong>and</strong>, gravel, granite or cinder to silty clay<br />
loam prairie soils. The vegetation is characterized by a moderate to dense (25-80% cover) herbaceous<br />
layer that is strongly dominated by the warm-season, perennial shortgrass Bouteloua gracilis.<br />
Associated grasses are Bouteloua curtipendula, Elymus elymoides, Muhlenbergia spp., Pascopyrum<br />
smithii, Pleuraphis jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii), Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus, <strong>and</strong> the introduced annual grass<br />
Bromus tectorum. Forb cover is sparse. Scattered Ericameria nauseosa shrubs <strong>and</strong> an occasional Pinus<br />
edulis, Juniperus spp., or Pinus ponderosa tree (in montane st<strong>and</strong>s) may be present.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. This is a low-confidence association. There are many other associations in the<br />
Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous Alliance (A.1282). This association often represents degraded<br />
montane grassl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> Bouteloua gracilis-dominated grassl<strong>and</strong>s that lack other diagnostic<br />
species. Bouteloua gracilis is often able to persist after other species are eliminated because it is<br />
an extremely drought- <strong>and</strong> grazing-tolerant species.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Bouteloua gracilis, the defining nominal species, has a wide<br />
cover range <strong>and</strong> does not have to dominate the herbaceous cover for relevés to be classified as<br />
this association. However, Bouteloua gracilis is considered the most diagnostic species in the<br />
herbaceous layer <strong>and</strong> was used to aggregate these relevés into one association classification.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group V.A.5. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup V.A.5.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name V.A.5.N.e. Short.sod.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.Alliance.(A.1282),.Blue.<br />
Grama.Herbaceous.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.787<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G4Q (23-Feb-1994).<br />
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Distribution:<br />
Globally. This minor plant association occurs in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, <strong>and</strong><br />
Wyoming.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> was identified<br />
from nine relevés located in Petrified Forest National Park <strong>and</strong> its environs on upper, mid,<br />
<strong>and</strong> lower slopes, as well as on s<strong>and</strong> dunes/s<strong>and</strong>sheets <strong>and</strong> talus slopes. The association was<br />
located outside the park on private l<strong>and</strong> northwest of Pilot Rock, north of Old Route 66 in the<br />
northern wilderness area <strong>and</strong> southwest of Alley Way Tank, north of Interstate 40 <strong>and</strong> east of<br />
the northern headquarters offces, near <strong>and</strong> southwest of Agate House Ruins, on the streambank<br />
of Cottonwood Wash, south of Cottonwood Wash <strong>and</strong> south of old Highway 180, east of<br />
the park road in the East Fork Wash, <strong>and</strong> west of Rainbow Forest.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This minor plant association is reported from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico,<br />
Utah <strong>and</strong> Wyoming. Elevation ranges from 1660-2705 m (5420-8875 ft). Sites are flat to moderately<br />
sloping <strong>and</strong> include plains, plateaus, <strong>and</strong> montane meadows <strong>and</strong> parks. Substrates are<br />
variable <strong>and</strong> range from coarse-textured soils derived from s<strong>and</strong>, gravel, granite or cinder to<br />
silty clay loam prairie soils. Montane Bouteloua gracilis-dominated grassl<strong>and</strong>s included in this<br />
association are typically the result of heavy grazing by wildlife <strong>and</strong>/or livestock that select out<br />
less grazing-tolerant mid grasses.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between 1660 <strong>and</strong> 1760 m (5420-<br />
57670 ft) elevation. Slopes ranged from low to steep (1to 38%, average 10%). Over a third of<br />
the relevés had some surface rocks of rounded gravel <strong>and</strong> petrified wood.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association is characterized by a moderate to dense (10-80% cover) herbaceous<br />
layer that is strongly dominated by the warm-season, perennial shortgrass Bouteloua<br />
gracilis. Associated grasses are Achnatherum hymenoides, Bouteloua curtipendula, Elymus<br />
elymoides, Koeleria macrantha, Muhlenbergia montana, Muhlenbergia richardsonis, Muhlenbergia<br />
torreyi, Pascopyrum smithii, Pleuraphis jamesii (= Hilaria jamesii), Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the introduced annual grass Bromus tectorum. Forb cover is sparse. Associated forbs<br />
include Artemisia carruthii, Artemisia dracunculus, Eriogonum spp., <strong>and</strong> Sphaeralcea coccinea.<br />
Scattered Ericameria nauseosa shrubs <strong>and</strong> an occasional Juniperus spp., Pinus edulis, or Pinus<br />
ponderosa tree (in montane st<strong>and</strong>s) may be present.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Nine relevés were classified as Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>, with total vegetation cover ranging from 12 to 29% (average 20%). The vegetation<br />
cover consisted of a shrub stratum with 1-11% cover (average 4%) <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum<br />
with 9-22% cover (average 16%). The species diversity for this association ranged from 13 to<br />
39 species (average 26 species). The herbaceous layer was either dominated by or had a significant<br />
proportion of cover from Bouteloua gracilis, ranging from 2 to 13% cover (average 8%).<br />
Phacelia crenulata, an annual species, had significant cover (5%) in two relevés. The shrub<br />
Chrysothamnus greenei had fairly significant cover of 4 <strong>and</strong> 5% in two relevés.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Herb.(field) Bouteloua gracilis Bouteloua gracilis<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, Bradley et al. 1992, CONHP unpubl. data 2003, Driscoll et al. 1984,<br />
Dwyer <strong>and</strong> Pieper 1967, Fisser 1970, Fisser et al. 1965, Hansen et al. 2004a, Hansen et al. 2004c, Muldavin<br />
et al. 2000b, Pieper 1968, Western Ecology Working Group n.d., Williams 1961, Zimmerman<br />
1967<br />
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C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.5. Calamovilfa gigantea Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Giant.S<strong>and</strong>reed.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Big.S<strong>and</strong>reed.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL004012<br />
Summary:<br />
This vegetated wash association occurs at Petrified Forest National Park in northern Arizona <strong>and</strong><br />
likely occurs elsewhere in the southern Colorado Plateau. Elevations at the national park range from<br />
1650 to 1680 m (5400-5500 ft). St<strong>and</strong>s occur in or near gently sloping washes that experience periodic<br />
streamflow. The substrate is mixed alluvium, sometimes with a surface layer of rocks derived from<br />
s<strong>and</strong>stone, petrified wood, <strong>and</strong> mixed gravel. The vegetation cover is characterized by a relatively diverse<br />
(21 to 42 species) <strong>and</strong> open canopy that ranges from 17 to 23% total cover. The vegetation cover<br />
is composed of an open herbaceaous layer (9-14% cover) dominated by the tall graminoid, Calamovilfa<br />
gigantea (5-9% cover). Scattered shrubs such as Ericameria nauseosa (2-3% cover) are present,<br />
with total shrub cover of 6-9%.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association had a similar composition <strong>and</strong> environment<br />
as Ericameria nauseosa Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (CEGL002261), except that it had a higher<br />
cover of the grass Calamovilfa gigantea.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group V.A.5. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup V.A.5.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name V.A.5.N.a. Tall.sod.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Calamovilfa gigantea.Herbaceous.Alliance.(A.2680),.Big.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>reed.Herbaceous.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.781<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. GNR (14-Feb-2007)<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park in<br />
northeastern Arizona <strong>and</strong> likely occurs elsewhere in the Painted Desert of the southern Colorado<br />
Plateau. Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
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Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Calamovilfa gigantea Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
was identified from three relevés in Petrified Forest National Park. All of these relevés<br />
occurred in or near washes that experience periodic streamflow. St<strong>and</strong>s were sampled west of<br />
Dry Wash <strong>and</strong> north of Jasper Forest, north of Cottonwood Wash <strong>and</strong> south of Agate House<br />
Ruins, <strong>and</strong> south of Agate Bridge <strong>and</strong> west of the main park road.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between the elevations of 1650<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1680 m (5400-5500 ft). The slope of every relevé was minimal (1%). In two relevés, surface<br />
rocks were present <strong>and</strong> consisted of s<strong>and</strong>stone, petrified wood, <strong>and</strong> mixed gravel.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Three relevés were classified as Calamovilfa gigantea Desert<br />
Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong>, with total vegetation cover between 17 <strong>and</strong> 23% (average<br />
20%). This vegetation cover consisted of a shrub stratum varying between 6 <strong>and</strong> 9% (average<br />
8%) <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum varying between 9 <strong>and</strong> 14% (average 12%). The species diversity<br />
for this association varied between 21 <strong>and</strong> 42 species (average 32 species). The herbaceous<br />
layer was dominated by Calamovilfa gigantea with 5-9% cover (average 7%) <strong>and</strong> the shrub<br />
layer was dominated by Ericameria nauseosa with 2-3% cover (average 3%).<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Herb.(field) N/A Calamovilfa gigantea<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
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C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.6. Ericameria nauseosa / Bouteloua gracilis Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Rubber.Rabbitbrush./.Blue.Grama.Shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Rubber.Rabbitbrush./.Blue.Grama.Shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL003495<br />
Summary:<br />
This shrub herbaceous association occurs on valley floors, swales, <strong>and</strong> alluvial flats in the southern<br />
<strong>and</strong> central part of the Colorado Plateau. Its presence generally indicates disturbance, <strong>and</strong> it may<br />
represent degraded forms of other grassl<strong>and</strong>, shrubl<strong>and</strong>, or woodl<strong>and</strong> communities. St<strong>and</strong>s occupy<br />
gentle to moderate slopes (2-13%) between 1635 <strong>and</strong> 2010 m (5360-6600 ft) elevation. Aspect<br />
does not affect the distribution of this association. Litter <strong>and</strong> bare soil cover most of the unvegetated<br />
surface. Parent materials are variable <strong>and</strong> include s<strong>and</strong>stones <strong>and</strong> shale that have eroded <strong>and</strong> been redeposited<br />
as alluvium or windblown sediments (loess). Soils are well-drained <strong>and</strong> fine-s<strong>and</strong>y or silty<br />
in texture. Total vegetation cover ranges from 10 to 65%, roughly equally divided between the shrub<br />
<strong>and</strong> herbaceous layers. The vegetation is characterized by an open short-shrub canopy of Ericameria<br />
nauseosa that ranges in cover from 5 to 25% <strong>and</strong> an understory dominated by Bouteloua gracilis that<br />
ranges in cover from 5 to 35%. Other shrubs may be present with very low cover, including Tetradymia<br />
canescens, Atriplex spp., Gutierrezia sarothrae, <strong>and</strong> Opuntia polyacantha. Associated graminoids<br />
present include the bunch grasses Achnatherum hymenoides, Aristida purpurea, Pascopyrum smithii,<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus airoides, Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus, <strong>and</strong> Muhlenbergia pungens. Only scattered<br />
forbs are present.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2 - Moderate.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Former CEGL001738 <strong>and</strong> CEGL001739 were lumped into this new association;<br />
separation of these two types by subspecies of Ericameria nauseosa was not supported by the<br />
data in Francis (1986).<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This map class was distinguished from Ericameria nauseosa<br />
Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (CEGL002261) by its restriction to upl<strong>and</strong> areas. This association also<br />
tended to have a proportionally higher herbaceous cover, as well as no codominance by other<br />
shrub species.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group V.A.7. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong>.with.a.sparse.shrub.<br />
layer<br />
Physiognomic subgroup V.A.7.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
with.a.sparse.shrub.layer<br />
Formation name V.A.7.N.j. Short.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong>.with.a.sparse.<br />
microphyllous.evergreen.shrub.layer<br />
Alliance name<br />
Ericameria nauseosa.Shrub.Short.Herbaceous.Alliance.<br />
(A.1546),.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Shrub.Short.Herbaceous.<br />
Alliance<br />
C78
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.775<br />
CES304.765<br />
CES304.788<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
Colorado.Plateau.Mixed.Bedrock.Canyon.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Shrub-Steppe<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Distribution:<br />
Global rank. GNR (14-Apr-2003).<br />
Globally. This association has been documented from widely scattered sites in southern<br />
Utah, northern Arizona, from the upper Rio Puerco watershed in northern New Mexico<br />
(Francis 1986), Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona, <strong>and</strong> is likely to occur<br />
across the central part of the Colorado Plateau.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Ericameria nauseosa / Bouteloua gracilis Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> was identified from two relevés on s<strong>and</strong> dunes/s<strong>and</strong>sheets <strong>and</strong> on a talus surface<br />
within Petrified Forest National Park. They were located south of Newspaper Rock <strong>and</strong> south<br />
of The Haystacks.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This shrub herbaceous association occurs on valley floors, swales <strong>and</strong> alluvial flats<br />
in the central part of the Colorado Plateau. St<strong>and</strong>s occupy gentle to moderate slopes (2-13%)<br />
between 1635 <strong>and</strong> 2010 m (5360-6600 ft) elevation. Aspect does not control the distribution<br />
of this association. Litter <strong>and</strong> bare soil cover most of the unvegetated surface. Parent materials<br />
are variable <strong>and</strong> include s<strong>and</strong>stones <strong>and</strong> shale that have eroded <strong>and</strong> been re-deposited as<br />
alluvium or windblown sediments. Soils are well-drained <strong>and</strong> fine-s<strong>and</strong>y or silty in texture.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at 1635 <strong>and</strong> 1640 m (5360-5380 ft)<br />
elevation. Slopes were minimal (2-4%).<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. The total vegetation cover ranges from 10 to 65%, roughly equally divided between<br />
the shrub <strong>and</strong> herbaceous layers. The vegetation is characterized by a short-shrub canopy<br />
of Ericameria nauseosa that ranges in cover from 5 to 25% <strong>and</strong> an understory dominated by<br />
Bouteloua gracilis that ranges in cover from 5 to 35%. Other shrubs may be present with very<br />
low cover, including Tetradymia canescens, Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Gutierrezia<br />
sarothrae, <strong>and</strong> Opuntia polyacantha. Associated graminoids present include the bunch<br />
grasses Achnatherum hymenoides, Aristida purpurea, Pascopyrum smithii, Sporobolus airoides,<br />
Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus, <strong>and</strong> Muhlenbergia pungens. Only scattered forbs are present, such as<br />
Chaetopappa ericoides, Ipomopsis longiflora, <strong>and</strong> Senecio spartioides.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. The two relevés classified as Ericameria nauseosa / Bouteloua<br />
gracilis Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> had total vegetation cover of 23 <strong>and</strong> 24%. This vegetation<br />
cover was composed of 8 <strong>and</strong> 9% cover in the shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 14 <strong>and</strong> 16% cover in the<br />
herbaceous stratum. The species diversity was 35 <strong>and</strong> 36 species. The shrub layer was dominated<br />
by Ericameria nauseosa with low shrub cover of 1 <strong>and</strong> 3%; the herbaceous layer was<br />
dominated by Bouteloua gracilis with 1 <strong>and</strong> 5% cover.<br />
C79
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ Ericameria nauseosa Ericameria nauseosa<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) Bouteloua gracilis Bouteloua gracilis<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Francis 1986, Hansen et al. 2004a, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C80
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.7. Opuntia whipplei - Sporobolus airoides Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> [Park Special]<br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Whipple.Cholla.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Rattail.Cholla.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
[Park.Special]<br />
Park.Special<br />
Summary:<br />
This Opuntia whipplei dominated s<strong>and</strong> deposit association has only been described from Petrified<br />
Forest National Park. Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This vegetation community was only sampled from one<br />
location. Since this community is unique to the NVCS <strong>and</strong> has yet to be sampled with enough<br />
frequency during this project or at other locations, we were not able to assign it a NVCS association<br />
status. Until additional data are collected, this vegetation will be retained as a unique<br />
local assemblage or a park special vegetation type.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subclass N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic group N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subgroup N/A N/A<br />
Formation name N/A N/A<br />
Alliance name<br />
N/A<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.775<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. Data are not available.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Opuntia whipplei - Sporobolus airoides Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> (Park Special) was sampled from one relevé. It occurred on a s<strong>and</strong> dune/s<strong>and</strong>sheet<br />
located west of the Rainbow Forest in Petrified Forest National Park.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
C81
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This vegetation community was sampled at an elevation of<br />
1696 m (5564 ft) on a flat surface. The surface rocks contained a trace of petrified wood.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Opuntia whipplei - Sporobolus<br />
airoides Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> (Park Special), with total vegetation cover of<br />
13%. This vegetation cover consisted of 4% cover in the shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 9% cover in the<br />
herbaceous stratum. The species diversity of this st<strong>and</strong> was 13 species. In the shrub layer, the<br />
vegetation was dominated by Opuntia whipplei with 3% cover, <strong>and</strong> in the herbaceous layer, it<br />
was dominated by Sporobolus airoides with 4% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ N/A Opuntia whipplei<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field) N/A Sporobolus airoides<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
N/A<br />
PEFO species<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
References:<br />
Data are not available.<br />
C82
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.8. Pleuraphis jamesii - Sporobolus airoides Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Galleta.–.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
James’.Galleta.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL001778<br />
Summary:<br />
This once-extensive grassl<strong>and</strong> of the northern Chihuahuan Desert, Colorado Plateau, <strong>and</strong> Great<br />
Basin has been described in New Mexico from White S<strong>and</strong>s Missile Range <strong>and</strong> the upper Rio Puerco<br />
watershed, as well as in north-central Arizona <strong>and</strong> southeastern Utah. It has, however, experienced<br />
significant declines throughout its range. It primarily occurs in swales within open valley bottoms<br />
<strong>and</strong> alluvial flats, although s<strong>and</strong>sheets <strong>and</strong> dunes also can support the association. Sites are on level<br />
to gentle slopes (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.787<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G2G3 (14-Nov-2005). This once-extensive grassl<strong>and</strong> of the Great Basin <strong>and</strong><br />
Chihuahuan Desert ecoregions has been described in New Mexico from the Upper Rio<br />
Puerco watershed <strong>and</strong> White S<strong>and</strong>s Missile Range, as well as isolated areas in north-central<br />
Arizona <strong>and</strong> southeastern Utah. It has experienced significant declines throughout its range.<br />
Remaining examples that have not been negatively impacted by grazing <strong>and</strong>/or invaded by<br />
shrubs are rare. However, this grassl<strong>and</strong> is probably more widespread than is documented <strong>and</strong><br />
hence the rank of G2G3.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This once-extensive grassl<strong>and</strong> of the northern Chihuahuan Desert, Colorado<br />
Plateau, <strong>and</strong> Great Basin is reported in New Mexico from White S<strong>and</strong>s Missile Range <strong>and</strong> the<br />
upper Rio Puerco watershed. More recently, it has been documented in north-central Arizona<br />
<strong>and</strong> southeastern Utah. It has experienced significant declines throughout its range.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Pleuraphis jamesii - Sporobolus airoides Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
was identified from three relevés within Petrified Forest National Park <strong>and</strong> from one<br />
relevé south of Dry Wash Tanks on Arizona State L<strong>and</strong>. This association occurred on various<br />
l<strong>and</strong>forms, including sideslopes, lower slopes, plateaus, <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> dunes/s<strong>and</strong>sheets. These<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s were identified from these three locations: near the park road <strong>and</strong> north of Dry Wash;<br />
in the central neck area of the park <strong>and</strong> east of the park road; <strong>and</strong> west of Blue Mesa <strong>and</strong> south<br />
of Dry Wash Tanks.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This grassl<strong>and</strong> association is described in New Mexico from White S<strong>and</strong>s Missile<br />
Range <strong>and</strong> the upper Rio Puerco watershed, as well as in north-central Arizona <strong>and</strong> southeastern<br />
Utah. It primarily occurs in swales within open valley bottoms <strong>and</strong> alluvial flats, although<br />
s<strong>and</strong>sheets <strong>and</strong> dunes also can support the association. Sites are on level to gentle slopes<br />
(
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
herbaceous species, such as Achnatherum hymenoides, Chaenactis stevioides, Cryptantha sp.,<br />
Cymopterus newberryi, Bouteloua gracilis, Ipomopsis gunnisonii (= Gilia gunnisonii), Lappula<br />
occidentalis, Muhlenbergia porteri, Muhlenbergia pungens, Muhlenbergia torreyi, Pascopyrum<br />
smithii, Plantago patagonica, Scleropogon brevifolius, Sphaeralcea coccinea, <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus<br />
crypt<strong>and</strong>rus, may be present with low cover (Francis 1986, Muldavin et al. 2000b). Biological<br />
soil crusts may be extensive in undisturbed examples of this association.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Four relevés were classified as Pleuraphis jamesii - Sporobolus<br />
airoides Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong>. The total vegetation cover of these st<strong>and</strong>s ranged from 13 to<br />
18% (average 15%) <strong>and</strong> consisted of a shrub stratum with 1 to 6% cover (average 3%) <strong>and</strong> an<br />
herbaceous stratum with 10-15% cover (average 12%). The species diversity ranged from 17<br />
to 33 species (average 25 species). The vegetation was codominated in the herbaceous layer<br />
by Pleuraphis jamesii with 2-4% cover (average 3%) <strong>and</strong> Sporobolus airoides with 2-8% cover<br />
(average 4%).<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Herb.(field) Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus<br />
airoides<br />
airoides<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, CONHP unpubl. data 2003, Driscoll et al. 1984, Francis 1986, Hansen<br />
et al. 2004b, Muldavin et al. 1998b, Muldavin et al. 2000b, West et al. 1972, Western Ecology Working<br />
Group n.d.<br />
C85
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.9. Salsola tragus S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> [Park Special]<br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Russian.Thistle.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Prickly.Russian-thistle.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
Park.Special<br />
Summary:<br />
This Salsola tragus dominated s<strong>and</strong> deposit association has only been described from Petrified Forest<br />
National Park. Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This vegetation was designated as a Park Special vegetation<br />
community <strong>and</strong> has not yet been assigned NVCS association status. This is due to the lack of<br />
data collected, as well as the dominant species in this association being an annual non-native<br />
herbaceous forb. The dominance of Salsola tragus in these communities varies seasonally <strong>and</strong><br />
annually. Although this species is an annual species <strong>and</strong> may vary significantly in cover, Salsola<br />
tragus is the dominant species on these relevés <strong>and</strong> no other species has significant cover or is<br />
a good indicator for these s<strong>and</strong> dune communities.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subclass N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic group N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subgroup N/A N/A<br />
Formation name N/A N/A<br />
Alliance name<br />
N/A<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.775<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. Data are not available.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Salsola tragus S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> (Park Special) occurred<br />
on two relevés within Petrified Forest National Park. This community type was identified<br />
on talus/s<strong>and</strong> dune l<strong>and</strong>forms. These two relevés were sampled west of the main park road,<br />
northeast of Jasper Forest <strong>and</strong> west of the Lithodendron Wash <strong>and</strong> Pintado Point in the northern<br />
wilderness area.<br />
C86
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This vegetation community occurred at about 1660 m (5430-<br />
5460 ft) elevation. Slope was none to low (0-5.3%).<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Two relevés were classified as Salsola tragus S<strong>and</strong> Dune<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> (Park Special), with total vegetation cover of 14 <strong>and</strong> 18%. The vegetation cover<br />
consisted of 3 <strong>and</strong> 4% cover in the shrub stratum <strong>and</strong> 10 <strong>and</strong> 15% cover in the herbaceous<br />
stratum. The species diversity was 21 <strong>and</strong> 30 species. The vegetation in the herbaceous layer<br />
was dominated by the non-native herbaceous forb Salsola tragus with 4 <strong>and</strong> 9% cover. No<br />
other species had significant cover in either the shrub or herbaceous layers.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Herb.(field) Data are not available. Salsola tragus<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Achnatherum hymenoides,<br />
Atriplex obovata, Chamaesyce<br />
fendleri, Ericameria nauseosa,<br />
Gutierrezia sarothrae, Isocoma<br />
drummondii, Pleuraphis jamesii,<br />
Senecio spartioides, Sporobolus<br />
airoides, Townsendia annua, Yucca<br />
angustissima<br />
References:<br />
Data are not available.<br />
C87
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.10. Sporobolus airoides - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Alkali.Sacaton.–.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Alkali.Sacaton.-.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL001686<br />
Summary:<br />
This grassl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in basins in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in south-central New<br />
Mexico <strong>and</strong> in the southern Colorado Plateau in northwestern New Mexico <strong>and</strong> northern Arizona<br />
at 1570 to 2240 m (5160-7370 ft) elevation. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on gently sloping (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Distribution:<br />
Global rank. GNRQ (23-Feb-1994).<br />
Globally. This grassl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in the northern Jornada del Muerto <strong>and</strong> Tulerosa<br />
basins in south-central New Mexico <strong>and</strong> in the southern Colorado Plateau in the upper<br />
Rio Puerco watershed in northwestern New Mexico <strong>and</strong> at Petrified Forest National Park in<br />
northern Arizona.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Sporobolus airoides - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
was identified from seven relevés within Petrified Forest National Park. This association<br />
occurred on lower slopes, s<strong>and</strong> dunes/s<strong>and</strong>sheets, <strong>and</strong> terraces. It was located both north<br />
<strong>and</strong> west of the Blue Mesa road towards the main park road <strong>and</strong> was also identified south of<br />
Newspaper Rock approximately 2 m west of the main park road, west of the southern wilderness<br />
area, <strong>and</strong> south of the Crystal Forest <strong>and</strong> east of the main park road<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This grassl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in basins in the northern Chihuahuan Desert in<br />
south-central New Mexico <strong>and</strong> in the southern Colorado Plateau in northwestern New Mexico<br />
<strong>and</strong> northern Arizona at 1570 to 2240 m (5160-7370 ft) elevation. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on gently<br />
sloping (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Herb.(field) Bouteloua gracilis, Sporobolus Bouteloua gracilis, Sporobolus<br />
airoides<br />
airoides<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Salsola kali ssp. tragus<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, Driscoll et al. 1984, Francis 1986, Muldavin <strong>and</strong> Mehlhop 1992, Muldavin<br />
et al. 2000b, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C90
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.11. Sporobolus airoides Southern Plains Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Alkali.Sacaton.Southern.Plains.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>,.Alkali.<br />
Sacaton.Southern.Plains.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
CEGL001685<br />
Summary:<br />
This alkali sacaton mesic grassl<strong>and</strong> community is found in the southwestern Great Plains, on the<br />
Colorado Plateau, in the southwestern United States, <strong>and</strong> adjacent Mexico. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on slightly<br />
to moderately saline, nearly level bottoml<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> terraces. Additional moisture from washes <strong>and</strong><br />
sheetflow runoff are important for most st<strong>and</strong>s. Substrates are shallow, moderately well- to poorly<br />
drained, silty clay soils formed in alluvium. The community is dominated by medium-tall <strong>and</strong> short<br />
grasses. Sporobolus airoides is a dominant, often accompanied by Symphyotrichum subulatum (= Aster<br />
subulatus), Pascopyrum smithii, Buchloe dactyloides, Distichlis spicata, Hordeum jubatum, <strong>and</strong> Bouteloua<br />
gracilis. Scattered shrubs, such as Atriplex spp. or Sarcobatus vermiculatus, may be present. Forb<br />
cover is also minor.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Compare this association with Sporobolus airoides - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> (CEGL001686) <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii - Sporobolus airoides Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
(CEGL001778). St<strong>and</strong>s in Montana are placed with Sporobolus airoides Northern Plains<br />
Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> (CEGL002274), which occurs in the northwestern Great Plains, <strong>and</strong><br />
this type is restricted to the southwestern Great Plains <strong>and</strong> southwestern United States. In the<br />
southeastern Plains see Distichlis spicata - (Hordeum jubatum, Poa arida, Sporobolus airoides)<br />
Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> (CEGL002042).<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Data are not available.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group V.A.5. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup V.A.5.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name V.A.5.N.d. Medium-tall.bunch.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Sporobolus airoides.Herbaceous.Alliance.(A.1267),.Alkali.<br />
Sacaton.Herbaceous.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.781<br />
CES304.775<br />
CES304.787<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
C91
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. G3Q (9-Apr-1998). The number of occurrences is unknown. The community<br />
is reported from Arizona, Colorado (S3), Kansas, New Mexico (S2), Texas, Utah, <strong>and</strong> Mexico<br />
<strong>and</strong> may occur in California. The community is found on slight to moderately saline, nearly<br />
level bottoml<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> terraces with alluvial silty clay soils.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This alkali sacaton mesic grassl<strong>and</strong> community is found in the southwestern Great<br />
Plains, Colorado Plateau, <strong>and</strong> elsewhere in the southwestern United States <strong>and</strong> Mexico, ranging<br />
from Kansas <strong>and</strong> Colorado south to Texas, New Mexico <strong>and</strong> west to Arizona, Utah, <strong>and</strong><br />
possibly California.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Sporobolus airoides Southern Plains Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
was identified from two relevés within Petrified Forest National Park. They were located<br />
in a drainage channel <strong>and</strong> on a s<strong>and</strong> dune/s<strong>and</strong>sheet. These two relevés were sampled east<br />
of Lithodendron Wash <strong>and</strong> west of Lacey Point <strong>and</strong> east of Newspaper Rock <strong>and</strong> east of the<br />
main park road.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This grassl<strong>and</strong> community occurs on alluvial toeslopes <strong>and</strong> flats, terraces, floodplain<br />
depressions, <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>y streambanks <strong>and</strong> washes in bottoml<strong>and</strong>s throughout the southern<br />
Great Plains <strong>and</strong> Colorado Plateau. Additional moisture from washes <strong>and</strong> sheetflow runoff<br />
are important for most st<strong>and</strong>s. Elevations range from below 1000 m (3050 ft) to over 2000 m<br />
(6100 ft). Sites are typically flat to gently sloping but may be as steep as 30% slope. Soils are<br />
shallow to moderately deep, moderately well- to poorly drained, alkaline, <strong>and</strong> often saline with<br />
s<strong>and</strong>y, silty or clay soils (Francis 1986, Johnston 1987, Kittel et al. 1999a, Lauver et al. 1999,<br />
Von Loh et al. 2002). Other parent materials include lavaflow, cinders, relict Pleistocene river<br />
cobbles, <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>stone.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association was sampled at 1640 <strong>and</strong> 1650 m (5360-5400<br />
ft) elevation. Both st<strong>and</strong>s had no slope.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association is characterized by a sparse to moderately dense (15-75% cover),<br />
medium-tall graminoid layer dominated by Sporobolus airoides. Associated species include<br />
Achnatherum hymenoides, Symphyotrichum subulatum (= Aster subulatus), Buchloe dactyloides,<br />
Distichlis spicata, Hordeum jubatum, Bouteloua gracilis, Panicum obtusum, Pleuraphis jamesii,<br />
Sphaeralcea spp., Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus, <strong>and</strong> Pascopyrum smithii (Francis 1986, Johnston<br />
1987, Kittel et al. 1999a, Lauver et al. 1999, Von Loh et al. 2002). Scattered shrubs may be<br />
present, such as Atriplex canescens, Atriplex confertifolia, Ephedra spp., Ericameria nauseosa,<br />
Gutierrezia sarothrae, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Total shrub cover is low (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum<br />
Herb.(field)<br />
Global species<br />
Sporobolus airoides<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Aldous <strong>and</strong> Shantz 1924, Bourgeron <strong>and</strong> Engelking 1994, CONHP unpubl. data 2003, Carsey et al.<br />
2003a, Driscoll et al. 1984, Francis 1986, Hansen et al. 2004b, Johnston 1987, Kittel <strong>and</strong> Lederer 1993,<br />
Kittel et al. 1999b, Lauver et al. 1999, Lindauer 1970, Soil Conservation Service 1978, Steward 1982,<br />
Von Loh et al. 2002, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C93
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.12. Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> [Park Special]<br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.(Park.<br />
Special).was.not.mapped.because.only.one.relevé.was.<br />
sampled.of.this.unique.community.type..This.vegetation.<br />
community.could.not.be.identified.on.the.aerial.photography;.<br />
therefore.the.single.relevé.was.included.in.the.New.Mexico.<br />
Saltbush./.Galleta.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.map.class..<br />
Target.Dropseed.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
Park.Special<br />
Summary:<br />
Data are not available.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 3 - Weak.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This vegetation was only sampled from one location. Sporobolus<br />
corom<strong>and</strong>elianus can be either an annual or a perennial species <strong>and</strong> does not commonly<br />
occur at Petrified Forest National Park. This vegetation has not been seen elsewhere<br />
<strong>and</strong> has not received NVCS association status. If this community is sampled in other locations<br />
<strong>and</strong> additional data are collected, then this community type will be elevated to NVCS association<br />
status. Since Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus is rare at Petrified Forest National Park, it would<br />
be useful to relocate this relevé <strong>and</strong> re-identify this grass to ensure the correct species identification.<br />
It is unlikely that the cover for this species is as high as recorded for this relevé.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subclass N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic group N/A N/A<br />
Physiognomic subgroup N/A N/A<br />
Formation name N/A N/A<br />
Alliance name<br />
N/A<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.775<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. Data are not available.<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
C94
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> (Park<br />
Special) was identified from one relevé within Petrified Forest National Park. This one relevé<br />
was located on a s<strong>and</strong> dune/s<strong>and</strong>sheet east of the main park road <strong>and</strong> Dry Wash <strong>and</strong> south of<br />
Blue Mesa.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This vegetation community occurred at an elevation of 1650<br />
m (5420 ft) with no slope.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus<br />
Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> (Park Special), with total vegetation cover of 20%. The vegetation<br />
cover consisted of a shrub stratum with 3% cover <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum with 17% cover.<br />
The species diversity for this relevé was 25 species. The vegetation in the herbaceous layer was<br />
dominated by Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus with 8% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Herb.(field) Data are not available. Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Data are not available.<br />
C95
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.4 Herbaceous<br />
C.4.13. Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus Great Basin Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Not.mapped..Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus.Great.Basin.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.is.known.from.only.one.location.<strong>and</strong>.was.<br />
indistinguishable.on.the.aerial.photography..This.one.location.<br />
was.mapped.with.the.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
map.unit..<br />
S<strong>and</strong>.Dropseed.Great.Basin.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL002691<br />
Summary:<br />
This plant association is described from the Uinta Basin <strong>and</strong> Colorado Plateau where it occurs on<br />
alluvial terraces of major rivers, s<strong>and</strong>y upper stream terraces along intermittent washes, <strong>and</strong> on<br />
s<strong>and</strong> deposits on mesas <strong>and</strong> plains. Elevation ranges from 1226 to 1630 m. Soils are loamy s<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong><br />
s<strong>and</strong>y loams derived from alluvium, eolian deposits, or s<strong>and</strong>stone residuum. Sites have generally<br />
been disturbed by flooding, shifting s<strong>and</strong>s, livestock grazing, or human recreation. The vegetation is<br />
dominated by the warm-season perennial graminoid Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus. Hesperostipa comata (=<br />
Stipa comata), Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus contractus, Sporobolus giganteus, or Equisetum variegatum<br />
frequently occur in low abundance. Low cover of native forbs such as Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia<br />
or Chamaesyce fendleri may be present. The introduced annual grass Bromus tectorum <strong>and</strong> several<br />
other exotic species such as Bromus rigidus, Salsola kali, Helianthus annuus, Sisymbrium altissimum,<br />
or Tribulus terrestris may be present to abundant, especially on disturbed riparian st<strong>and</strong>s. Occasional<br />
Brickellia spp. or other shrubs may occur, but they are not dense enough to form a shrub layer.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 1 - Strong.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. The association is broadly defined to include Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus-dominated<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s from both riparian <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>y upl<strong>and</strong> sites. This plant association is similar to the<br />
threatened, regionally endemic Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus plant associations from the Columbia<br />
Basin <strong>and</strong> lower Snake River that have declined significantly due to loss of habitat from<br />
hydroelectric dam construction <strong>and</strong> conversion of l<strong>and</strong> to cultivation. Many of the riparian<br />
st<strong>and</strong>s in these associations are in poor condition because of past management <strong>and</strong> invasion of<br />
introduced species.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Although only one relevé was sampled, this community has<br />
already been described from other locations <strong>and</strong> is a previously described vegetation association.<br />
Therefore, this vegetation was classified as an NVCS association.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class V Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass V.A. Perennial.graminoid.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group V.A.5. Temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Physiognomic subgroup V.A.5.N. Natural/Semi-natural.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Formation name V.A.5.N.d. Medium-tall.bunch.temperate.or.subpolar.grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alliance name<br />
Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus.Herbaceous.Alliance.(A.1252),.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>.Dropseed.Herbaceous.Alliance<br />
C96
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.775<br />
CES304.787<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Distribution:<br />
Global rank. GNR (26-Jul-2001).<br />
Globally. The association is found on terraces of large rivers in the Colorado Plateau <strong>and</strong><br />
Uinta Basin <strong>and</strong> likely occurs elsewhere in the southwestern U.S.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus Great Basin Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
was sampled from just one relevé. It occurred on a s<strong>and</strong> dune/s<strong>and</strong>sheet located just east of<br />
the NPS boundary in the central neck of Petrified Forest National Park, south of the railroad<br />
tracks <strong>and</strong> north of the Puerco River.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This grassl<strong>and</strong> is described from the Uinta Basin <strong>and</strong> Colorado Plateau where it<br />
occurs on alluvial terraces of large rivers, s<strong>and</strong>y upper stream terraces along intermittent<br />
washes, <strong>and</strong> on s<strong>and</strong> deposits on mesas <strong>and</strong> plains. Elevation ranges from 1226-1630 m. Sites<br />
are flat to gently sloping valley bottoms, plains or plateaus. Soils are loamy s<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>y<br />
loams derived from alluvium, eolian deposits, or s<strong>and</strong>stone residuum. Biological soil crusts are<br />
generally present <strong>and</strong> may provide up to 30% cover. St<strong>and</strong>s have generally been disturbed by<br />
flooding, shifting s<strong>and</strong>s, livestock grazing, or human recreation.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred at an elevation of 1630 m (5350 ft)<br />
with no slope.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This plant association is found on alluvial terraces of large rivers <strong>and</strong> on s<strong>and</strong><br />
deposits on mesas <strong>and</strong> plains. The sparse to moderately dense (10-30% cover) herbaceous<br />
layer is characterized by the dominance of the warm-season perennial graminoid Sporobolus<br />
crypt<strong>and</strong>rus. Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata), Pleuraphis jamesii, Sporobolus contractus,<br />
Sporobolus giganteus, or Equisetum variegatum may occur in low abundance. Low cover of<br />
native forbs, such as Abronia fragrans, Chamaesyce fendleri, Plantago patagonica, Sphaeralcea<br />
grossulariifolia, Sphaeralcea parvifolia, or the succulent Opuntia polyacantha may be present.<br />
The widespread introduced annual grass Bromus tectorum <strong>and</strong> several other exotic species<br />
such as Bromus rigidus, Salsola kali, Helianthus annuus, Sisymbrium altissimum, or Tribulus<br />
terrestris may be present to abundant, especially on disturbed riparian st<strong>and</strong>s. An occasional<br />
Brickellia spp. or other shrubs may occur, but they are not dense enough to form a shrub layer.<br />
Moss is important in some st<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Only one relevé was classified as Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus<br />
Great Basin Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong>, with total vegetation cover of 73% consisting of low<br />
cover of shrubs (3%) <strong>and</strong> high herbaceous cover (70%). The species diversity was low with<br />
7 species. The vegetation in the herbaceous layer was almost solely dominated by Sporobolus<br />
crypt<strong>and</strong>rus with 70% cover.<br />
C97
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Herb.(field) Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Cogan et al. 2004, Cowardin et al. 1979, USFS 1937, Von Loh et al. 2002, Western Ecology Working<br />
Group n.d.<br />
C98
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
C.5 Sparse<br />
C.5.1. Atriplex obovata Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
New.Mexico.Saltbush.Badl<strong>and</strong>s.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New.Mexico.Saltbush.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL002928<br />
Summary:<br />
This sparsely vegetated badl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in the southern Colorado Plateau in northern<br />
Arizona between the elevations of 1300 <strong>and</strong> 1741 m (4265-5712 ft). Sites are flat to gently sloping <strong>and</strong><br />
range between 0 <strong>and</strong> 9% (average 3%). Substrates are clays derived from shale. Many of the st<strong>and</strong>s<br />
have some cover of surface rocks, including s<strong>and</strong>stone, basalt, desert pavement, <strong>and</strong> petrified wood.<br />
The vegetation cover is characterized by sparse total vegetation cover (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association is currently known from Arizona.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Atriplex obovata Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> was identified<br />
from twelve relevés <strong>and</strong> occurred mostly on plateaus <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> dunes/s<strong>and</strong>sheets within Petrified<br />
Forest National Park. A few relevés were located near or in a drainage channel, on a flat<br />
plain, or in an area with talus. This association ranged the entire extent of the project boundary,<br />
including the northern wilderness area between Wildhorse Wash <strong>and</strong> Lithodendron<br />
Wash, south of Lithodendron Wash <strong>and</strong> north of Chinde Point, north of Old Route 66 <strong>and</strong><br />
northwest of Alley Way Tank, southwest of Blue Mesa, northeast of The Flattops, east of Dry<br />
Wash <strong>and</strong> Agate Bridge, east of The Haystacks, south of Cottonwood Wash, <strong>and</strong> northwest of<br />
the Crystal Forest.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This sparsely vegetated badl<strong>and</strong> association occurs in the southern Colorado Plateau<br />
in northern Arizona between the elevations of 1300 <strong>and</strong> 1741 m (4265-5712 ft). Sites are<br />
flat to gently sloping <strong>and</strong> range between 0 <strong>and</strong> 9% (average 3%). Substrates are clays derived<br />
from shale. Many of the st<strong>and</strong>s have some cover of surface rocks, including s<strong>and</strong>stone, basalt,<br />
desert pavement, <strong>and</strong> petrified wood (Hansen et al. 2004b).<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between the elevations of 1630<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1741 m (5348-5712 ft) with no or a low slope ranging between 0 <strong>and</strong> 9% (average 3%).<br />
Many of the st<strong>and</strong>s have some cover of surface rocks, including s<strong>and</strong>stone, basalt, desert pavement,<br />
<strong>and</strong> petrified wood.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. The vegetation is characterized by sparse total cover (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> local plant community descriptions<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Salsola kali ssp. tragus<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Hansen et al. 2004b, Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C101
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
C.5 Sparse<br />
C.5.2. Ephedra torreyana - Artemisia bigelovii Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Torrey’s.Jointfir.–.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Torrey’s.Joint-fir.-.Bigelow.Sagebrush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL002350<br />
Summary:<br />
This Colorado Plateau association has been described from Petrified Forest National Park in northern<br />
Arizona <strong>and</strong> Capitol Reef National Park in southeastern Utah, where it is widespread. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on<br />
plateaus, mesas, ridges, hills, cliffs, rocky colluvial slopes, benches, terraces, <strong>and</strong> near drainage channels<br />
that are gently sloping to steep (3-50%) between 1402 <strong>and</strong> 1915 m elevation on all aspects. The<br />
unvegetated surface has moderate to high cover of gravel <strong>and</strong> low to moderate cover of large rocks<br />
<strong>and</strong> litter. Cryptogams are typically absent, but one st<strong>and</strong> has 75% cover. Parent materials include<br />
s<strong>and</strong>stones <strong>and</strong> shale. Soils are rapidly drained <strong>and</strong> variable in texture, including loams, s<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong><br />
clays, but are unified by a coating of fine to coarse gravels composed of s<strong>and</strong>stone, shale, basalt, or<br />
petrified wood. The vegetation is typically sparse (
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> Local Plant Community Descriptions<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Distribution:<br />
Global rank. GNR (21-Mar-2005).<br />
Globally. This association occurs in Petrified Forest National Park in northern Arizona<br />
<strong>and</strong> Capitol Reef National Park in southeastern Utah. It is likely to occur on suitable habitat<br />
throughout the central Colorado Plateau.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Ephedra torreyana - Artemisia bigelovii Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
was sampled from twelve relevés. It occurred throughout the park, mostly on terraces, cliffs<br />
<strong>and</strong> plateaus, near drainage channels, on rocky slopes, rock piles, <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>y surfaces. Two of<br />
the st<strong>and</strong>s occurred on midslopes. This association occurred throughout the entire project<br />
area, with relevés sampled from north of the Lithodendron Wash at Pilot Rock in the northern<br />
wilderness area, to the central neck of the park, The Flattops, <strong>and</strong> near Jim Camp Wash in the<br />
southern part of the park.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This Colorado Plateau association has been described from Petrified Forest National<br />
Park in northern Arizona <strong>and</strong> Capitol Reef National Park in southeastern Utah, where<br />
it is widespread. St<strong>and</strong>s occur on plateaus, mesas, ridges, hills, cliffs, rocky colluvial slopes,<br />
benches, terraces, <strong>and</strong> near drainage channels that are gently sloping to steep (3-50%) between<br />
1402 <strong>and</strong> 1915 m elevation. Aspect is not an important factor in determining the distribution<br />
of this association. The unvegetated surface has moderate to high cover of gravel <strong>and</strong><br />
low to moderate cover of large rocks <strong>and</strong> litter. Cryptogams are typically absent, but one st<strong>and</strong><br />
had 75% cover. Parent materials include s<strong>and</strong>stones <strong>and</strong> shale of the Summerville, Entrada,<br />
Curtis, Chinle, Carmel, Salt Wash Member <strong>and</strong> Emery formations. Soils are rapidly drained<br />
<strong>and</strong> variable in texture, including loams, s<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> clays, but are unified by a coating of fine to<br />
coarse gravels composed of s<strong>and</strong>stone, shale, basalt, or petrified wood.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between 1655 <strong>and</strong> 1880 m (5430-<br />
6170 ft) elevation. Slopes ranged from none to steep (0-43%, average 8%). Several of the relevés<br />
had surface rocks that consisted of s<strong>and</strong>stone, basalt, various gravel, <strong>and</strong> petrified wood.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This vegetation association is typically sparse (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Ten relevés were classified as Ephedra torreyana - Artemisia<br />
bigelovii Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong>, with total vegetation cover ranging from 10 to 40% (average 20%).<br />
The vegetation cover consisted of 9-20% within the shrub stratum (average 13%) <strong>and</strong>
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> Local Plant Community Descriptions<br />
C.5 Sparse<br />
C.5.3. Eriogonum leptophyllum Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Slender.Buckwheat.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Slenderleaf.Wild.Buckwheat.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL004013<br />
Summary:<br />
This sparsely vegetated badl<strong>and</strong> association occurs at Petrified Forest National Park in northern<br />
Arizona <strong>and</strong> likely occurs elsewhere in the southern Colorado Plateau. Elevations at the national park<br />
range from 1710 to 1770 m (5620-5810 ft). St<strong>and</strong>s are found on gentle to moderately steep slopes <strong>and</strong><br />
range between 4 <strong>and</strong> 65%. This association occurs on various l<strong>and</strong>forms, including lower slopes,<br />
sideslopes, midslopes, bajadas, slick rock, buttes, cliffs, <strong>and</strong> plateaus. Substrates are clays derived from<br />
shale. The ground surface has high cover of bare soil. A few st<strong>and</strong>s have surface rocks with substrates<br />
including petrified wood, s<strong>and</strong>stone, <strong>and</strong> mudstone. The vegetation cover is characterized by generally<br />
sparse (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Distribution:<br />
Global rank. GNR (14-Feb-2007).<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park in<br />
northeastern Arizona <strong>and</strong> likely occurs elsewhere in the Painted Desert of the southern Colorado<br />
Plateau. Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Eriogonum leptophyllum Sparse Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was identified<br />
from six relevés within Petrified Forest National Park. The association occurred on various<br />
l<strong>and</strong>forms, including lower slopes, sideslopes, midslopes, bajadas, slick rock, buttes, cliffs, <strong>and</strong><br />
plateaus. These relevés were located in the northern wilderness area, east of Tiponi Point, east<br />
of Tawa Point, <strong>and</strong> east of Old Route 66 in the northeastern section. They were also located in<br />
the central neck area of park, east of the park road in the badl<strong>and</strong>s, as well as north of the Giant<br />
Logs <strong>and</strong> west of Jim Camp Wash.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association occurred between the elevations of 1710<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1770 m (5620-5810 ft). Slopes ranged from moderate to steep (4-65%, average 21%), with<br />
varying aspects. Most the st<strong>and</strong>s occurred in badl<strong>and</strong> areas throughout the project boundary.<br />
A few st<strong>and</strong>s had surface rocks with substrates including petrified wood, s<strong>and</strong>stone, <strong>and</strong><br />
mudstone.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has only been described from Petrified Forest National Park. Until<br />
further inventory is completed, there is no global information.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Six relevés were classified as Eriogonum leptophyllum Sparse<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>, with total vegetation cover ranging from 7 to 23% (average 11%) <strong>and</strong> consisting of<br />
a shrub stratum with 5-17% cover <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum with 1-5% cover. The species<br />
diversity ranged between 11 <strong>and</strong> 31 species (average 23 species). The vegetation in the shrub<br />
layer was dominated by Eriogonum leptophyllum, with between 2 <strong>and</strong> 4% cover (average 3%).<br />
Three species codominated the shrub layer in three distinct relevés, including Eriogonum<br />
subreniforme with 4% cover, Sisymbrium altissimum with 3% cover, <strong>and</strong> Gutierrezia sarothrae<br />
with 3% cover.<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum Global species PEFO species<br />
Short.shrub/ Data are not available. Eriogonum leptophyllum<br />
sapling<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Bromus tectorum<br />
PEFO species<br />
Bromus tectorum, Sisymbrium<br />
altissimum<br />
References:<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C106
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> Local Plant Community Descriptions<br />
C.5 Sparse<br />
C.5.4. Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Base map class<br />
NatureServe common name<br />
NatureServe code<br />
Arizona.Siltbush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Siltbush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
CEGL002493<br />
Summary:<br />
This sparsely vegetated association is common on plateaus at Petrified Forest National Park but occurs<br />
elsewhere on plains, alluvial fans, steep colluvial <strong>and</strong> badl<strong>and</strong>s slopes, or shale hogbacks in the<br />
Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona <strong>and</strong> eastern Utah. Elevation ranges from 1341-1890 m (4397-<br />
6200 ft). The soil is a rapidly drained clay loam derived from shales such as the Salt Wash Member<br />
of the Morrison Formation or Chinle, Moenkopi <strong>and</strong> Curtis formations. The unvegetated surface<br />
typically has high cover of shale chips, s<strong>and</strong>stone rocks, basalt gravel, conglomerate, or petrified wood<br />
forming a desert pavement surface. Exposure of bare soil is low. The vegetation has a sparse canopy<br />
consisting of Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei with scattered Atriplex confertifolia <strong>and</strong> Gutierrezia microcephala. The<br />
herbaceous layer is low in diversity <strong>and</strong> provides sparse cover. The bunch grasses Leymus salinus <strong>and</strong><br />
Pleuraphis jamesii are present. Forbs include Platyschkuhria integrifolia <strong>and</strong> Xylorhiza venusta.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> confidence: 2 - Moderate.<br />
<strong>Classification</strong> comments:<br />
Globally. Data are not available.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> was classified based on<br />
the sparse badl<strong>and</strong> vegetation, as well as having a low cover of Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei. This association<br />
did commonly contain another badl<strong>and</strong> indicator species, Atriplex obovata; however,<br />
Atriplex obovata never dominates the vegetation.<br />
During the classification fieldwork, the Zuckia species was identified to the subspecies level as<br />
Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei var. arizonica, a species endemic to northeastern Arizona <strong>and</strong> the southern<br />
Colorado Plateau. However, since an NVCS association already existed for Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei<br />
at the species level, we decided to include these relevés in this pre-defined association. It is<br />
interesting to note, however, that this species is unique to this area <strong>and</strong> could be defined as a<br />
unique association if classified beyond the species level.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> hierarchy:<br />
Physiognomic class VII Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Physiognomic subclass VII.C. Unconsolidated.material.sparse.vegetation<br />
Physiognomic group VII.C.3. Sparsely.vegetated.soil.slopes<br />
Physiognomic subgroup VII.C.3.N. Natural/Semi-natural.sparsely.vegetated.soil.slopes<br />
Formation name VII.C.3.N.b. Dry.slopes<br />
Alliance name<br />
Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.Alliance.(A.2653),.<br />
Siltbush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.Alliance<br />
Ecological systems placement:<br />
Ecological system unique ID<br />
CES304.789<br />
Ecological system name<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong><br />
NatureServe conservation status:<br />
Global rank. GNR (29-Mar-2005).<br />
C107
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Distribution:<br />
Globally. This association is known from Arches, Capitol Reef, <strong>and</strong> Petrified Forest national<br />
parks but is also likely widespread in the Painted Desert <strong>and</strong> canyonl<strong>and</strong>s regions of the Colorado<br />
Plateau in eastern Utah <strong>and</strong> northern Arizona.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> was identified from 17<br />
relevés within Petrified Forest National Park <strong>and</strong> on the Navajo Nation. This common association<br />
occurred mostly on plateaus, with one st<strong>and</strong> occurring on a bajada <strong>and</strong> another in<br />
the plains. The relevés in Petrified Forest National Park were located in the northern wilderness<br />
area northwest of Nizhoni Point, southwest of Lacey Point, in the Black Forest, north of<br />
Onyx Bridge <strong>and</strong> the Black Forest, <strong>and</strong> southwest of Chinde Mesa. This association was also<br />
identified from the northern half of the project boundary east of Lithodendron Wash <strong>and</strong><br />
west of Lacey Point. Several of the st<strong>and</strong>s were located near The Flattops, including east of<br />
The Flattops in the southern wilderness area, in The Flattops north of the main park road,<br />
southwest of The Flattops <strong>and</strong> south of the main park road, <strong>and</strong> north of Jim Camp Wash<br />
<strong>and</strong> west of The Flattops. In the southern half of the project boundary, this association is also<br />
found west of Dry Wash <strong>and</strong> the main park road, in the Crystal Forest in the southern wilderness<br />
area, west of the main park road in the Jasper Forest, south of the main road <strong>and</strong> north of<br />
Long Logs, <strong>and</strong> in the Rainbow Forest west of Giant Logs. The relevé that was sampled on the<br />
Navajo Nation l<strong>and</strong> was located on the northeastern slopes of Chinde Mesa.<br />
Environmental summary:<br />
Globally. This sparsely vegetated association is common on plateaus at Petrified Forest National<br />
Park but occurs elsewhere on plains, alluvial fans, steep colluvial <strong>and</strong> badl<strong>and</strong>s slopes,<br />
or shale hogbacks in the Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona <strong>and</strong> eastern Utah. Elevation<br />
ranges from 1341-1890 m (4397-6200 ft). The soil is a rapidly drained clay loam derived from<br />
shales. Parent materials include the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation; Chinle,<br />
Moenkopi <strong>and</strong> Curtis formations; or mixed colluvium. The unvegetated surface typically has<br />
high cover of shale chips, s<strong>and</strong>stone rocks, basalt gravel, conglomerate, or petrified wood<br />
forming a desert pavement surface. Exposure of bare soil is low.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. This association was sampled between the elevations of 1660<br />
<strong>and</strong> 1790 m (5430-5880 ft). Slope ranged from none to moderately high (0-19%, average 6%).<br />
Most of the st<strong>and</strong>s had surface rocks that included petrified wood <strong>and</strong> desert pavement; two<br />
had conglomerate <strong>and</strong> basalt gravel surface rocks.<br />
USFWS wetl<strong>and</strong> system: Not applicable.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> description:<br />
Globally. This association has a sparse canopy consisting of Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei with scattered<br />
Artemisia bigelovii, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex obovata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus,<br />
Coleogyne ramosissima, Ericameria nauseosa, Eriogonum corymbosum, Eriogonum leptocladon,<br />
Ephedra torreyana, Ephedra viridis, Xylorhiza glabriuscula, Gutierrezia microcephala, <strong>and</strong><br />
Gutierrezia sarothrae. The herbaceous layer is low in diversity <strong>and</strong> provides sparse cover. The<br />
bunch grasses Achnatherum hymenoides, Leymus salinus, <strong>and</strong> Pleuraphis jamesii are present.<br />
Forbs include Arabis holboellii, Cryptantha sp., Cymopterus acaulis, Eriogonum inflatum, Galium<br />
coloradoense, Penstemon barbatus, Platyschkuhria integrifolia, <strong>and</strong> Xylorhiza venusta. The<br />
exotic annual grass Bromus tectorum may be present in some st<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Petrified Forest National Park. Seventeen relevés were classified as Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparse<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> with total vegetation cover ranging from 1 to 6% (average 2%). The vegetation<br />
cover consisted of a shrub stratum with 0.5-4% cover (average 2%) <strong>and</strong> an herbaceous stratum<br />
with 0.5-3% cover (average 1%). The species diversity ranged from 4 to 23 species (average 11<br />
species). Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei was commonly the dominant species; however, it could also act as<br />
an indicator species in these sparsely vegetated areas. It ranged in cover from 0 to 3% (average<br />
1%).<br />
C108
Appendix C: Global <strong>and</strong> Local Plant Community Descriptions<br />
Most abundant species:<br />
Stratum<br />
Short.shrub/<br />
sapling<br />
Herb.(field)<br />
Global species<br />
Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
PEFO species<br />
N/A<br />
Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei<br />
Other noteworthy species:<br />
Global species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
PEFO species<br />
Data are not available.<br />
References:<br />
Western Ecology Working Group n.d.<br />
C109
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
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Appendix D<br />
Plant species list<br />
The species list was compiled during the Petrified Forest National Park vegetation mapping<br />
project from data collected on classification relevés <strong>and</strong> from accuracy assessment<br />
observation sites, <strong>and</strong> observations of photointerpreters Locations for each plant were<br />
recorded in the respective databases for these field efforts.<br />
In some cases, the taxonomy of the species has changed since the original field work. We<br />
have kept the taxonomy used in the database, but have annotated this list to indicate where<br />
there have been updates in the International Taxonomic Information System (ITIS, http://<br />
www.itis.gov) as of July 2008.<br />
This species list was compared to the currently published flora of the park (Hansen <strong>and</strong><br />
Thomas 2006). Some species in the list were identified to subspecies or variety level, but that<br />
taxonomic level has not been identified in flora. Also, some species were not identified to the<br />
subspecies level, where they are in the flora. Some species appear to be new additions to the<br />
flora; however, they were not verified as no voucher specimen was collected.<br />
This list can be used as one guide to querying the field databases. In most cases, the species<br />
list gives a direct reference to the plant as it occurs in both the classification <strong>and</strong> accuracy<br />
assessment databases. For example, if the identity of a potentially new species to the flora,<br />
e.g. Yucca glauca, was to be verified in the field <strong>and</strong> a voucher collected, the field locations of<br />
the plant can be accessed by querying either database using the scientific name or TSN code.<br />
Two hundred seventy-six species, representing 42 families, were found during the field work.<br />
Asteraceae was represented by the most species (73), followed by Poaceae (50 species),<br />
Chenopodiaceae (19 species), <strong>and</strong> Polygonaceae (14 species). Eleven non-native species<br />
were noted.<br />
In the following table, the fields <strong>and</strong> their contents <strong>and</strong> sources are<br />
● Family <strong>and</strong> scientific name. The taxonomic name for the plant according to Integrated<br />
Taxonomic Information System (ITIS, http://www.itis.gov) at the time of the field work.<br />
● Common name. The common name for the plant according to ITIS. In some cases the<br />
ITIS common name is not the common name used regionally or by NatureServe. Where<br />
that is the case, we have included other regional common names.<br />
● TSN code. The ITIS Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN), accessed July 2008.<br />
● Synonym. The taxonomic name for the plant current to July 2008, if the taxonomy for the<br />
plant has changed since the fieldwork.<br />
● Non-native. Plants that are listed as non-native by the USDA PLANTS Database (http://<br />
plants.usda.gov/) are indicated.<br />
D1
D2<br />
Appendix D<br />
Scientific Name Common Name Family Name Synonym TSN code Nonnative<br />
Abronia elliptica fragrant.white.s<strong>and</strong>.verbena Nyctaginaceae 19556 native<br />
Achnatherum hymenoides Indian.ricegrass Poaceae 507943 native<br />
Achnatherum sp. needlegrass Poaceae 21128 native<br />
Acroptilon repens hardheads Asteraceae 36459 native<br />
Allenrolfea occidentalis iodinebush Chenopodiaceae 20677 native<br />
Allium macropetalum largeflower.onion Liliaceae 42682 native<br />
Amaranthus albus pigweed Amaranthaceae 20719 native<br />
Amaranthus sp. pigweed Amaranthaceae 20715 native<br />
Ambrosia acanthicarpa annual.bursage Asteraceae 36497 native<br />
Andropogon gerardii bluejoint Poaceae 40462 native<br />
Andropogon sp. bluestem Poaceae 40450 native<br />
Arabis sp. rockcress Brassicaceae 22671 unknown<br />
Arenaria eastwoodiae Eastwood’s.s<strong>and</strong>wort Caryophyllaceae 20244 native<br />
Arenaria eastwoodiae var. adenophora Eastwood’s.s<strong>and</strong>wort Caryophyllaceae 184228 native<br />
Arenaria eastwoodiae var. eastwoodiae Eastwood’s.s<strong>and</strong>wort Caryophyllaceae 184227 native<br />
Aristida adscensionis sixweeks.threeawn Poaceae 41401 native<br />
Aristida purpurea purple.three-awn Poaceae 41429 native<br />
Aristida purpurea var. fendleriana fendler.threeawn Poaceae 531154 native<br />
Aristida purpurea var. longiseta Fendler.threeawn Poaceae 185314 native<br />
Aristida sp. threeawn Poaceae 41400 native<br />
Artemisia biennis biennial.sagewort Asteraceae 35451 native<br />
Artemisia bigelovii Bigelow.sage Asteraceae 35452 native<br />
Artemisia dracunculus ssp. dracunculus wormwood Asteraceae 183730 native<br />
Artemisia filifolia s<strong>and</strong>.sagebrush Asteraceae 35463 native<br />
Artemisia frigida fringed.sagebrush Asteraceae 35465 native<br />
Artemisia ludoviciana cudweed.sagewort Asteraceae 35474 native<br />
Artemisia tridentata big.sagebrush Asteraceae 35498 native<br />
Asteraceae sp. sunflowers Asteraceae 35420 unknown<br />
Astragalus albulus cibola.milkvetch Fabaceae 25407 native<br />
Astragalus amphioxys cresent.milkvetch Fabaceae 25414 native<br />
Astragalus kentrophyta var. elatus tall.spiny.milkvetch Fabaceae 526905 native<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
D3<br />
Appendix D continued<br />
Scientific name Common name Family name TSN code Nonnative<br />
Astragalus mollissimus var. thompsoniae Thompson.woolly.milkvetch Fabaceae 192649 native<br />
Astragalus sp. astragalus Asteraceae 25392 native<br />
Atriplex argentea silverscale Chenopodiaceae 20512 native<br />
Atriplex canescens fourwing.saltbush Chenopodiaceae 20518 native<br />
Atriplex confertifolia shadscale Chenopodiaceae 20519 native<br />
Atriplex obovata mound.saltbush Chenopodiaceae 20552 native<br />
Atriplex powellii Powell’s.saltbush Chenopodiaceae 20561 native<br />
Atriplex saccaria sack.saltbush Chenopodiaceae 20564 native<br />
Boerhavia spicata creeping.spiderling Nyctaginaceae 19678 native<br />
Bouteloua barbata sixweeks.grama Poaceae 41498 native<br />
Bouteloua curtipendula sideoats.grama Poaceae 41500 native<br />
Bouteloua eriopoda black.grama Poaceae 41501 native<br />
Bouteloua gracilis blue.grama Poaceae 41493 native<br />
Bouteloua hirsuta hairy.grama Poaceae 41502 native<br />
Bouteloua simplex hairy.grama Poaceae 41507 native<br />
Brassicaceae mustards Brassicaceae 22669 unknown<br />
Brickellia oblongifolia var. linifolia Narrowleaf.brickellbush Asteraceae 526986 native<br />
Bromus japonicus Japanese.brome Poaceae 40479 native<br />
Bromus rubens foxtail.brome Poaceae 40518 non-native<br />
Bromus sp. brome Poaceae 40478 unknown<br />
Bromus tectorum cheat.grass Poaceae 40524 non-native<br />
Cactaceae cactus Cactaceae 19685 unknown<br />
Caesalpinia jamesii james.rushpea Fabaceae 26505 native<br />
Calamovilfa gigantea Giant.s<strong>and</strong>reed,big.s<strong>and</strong>reed Poaceae 41538 native<br />
Calochortus aureus golden.mariposa.lily Liliaceae 42836 native<br />
Calochortus sp. mariposa.lily Liliaceae 42823 unknown<br />
Castilleja integra squawfeather,.wholeleaf.Indian. Scrophulariaceae 33131 native<br />
paintbrush<br />
Castilleja linariifolia Wyoming.Indian.paintbrush Scrophulariaceae 33138 native<br />
Castilleja sp. Indian.paintbrush Scrophulariaceae 33049 unknown<br />
Chaenactis stevioides Steve’s.dusty.maiden Asteraceae 36998 native<br />
Chaetopappa ericoides rose.heath Asteraceae 501376 native<br />
Appendix D: Plant species list
D4<br />
Appendix D continued<br />
Scientific name Common name Family name TSN code Nonnative<br />
Chaetopappa sp. least.daisy Asteraceae 37004 unknown<br />
Chamaesyce albomarginata rattlesnake.weed Euphorbiaceae 501400 native<br />
Chamaesyce fendleri Fendler’s.s<strong>and</strong>mat Euphorbiaceae 501419 native<br />
Chamaesyce parryi Parry’s.s<strong>and</strong>mat Euphorbiaceae 501448 native<br />
Chamaesyce revoluta threadstem.spurge Euphorbiaceae 501456 native<br />
Chenopodium berl<strong>and</strong>ieri netseed.lambsquarters Chenopodiaceae 20594 native<br />
Chenopodium fremontii Fremont.goosefoot Chenopodiaceae 20607 native<br />
Chenopodium leptophyllum narrowleaf.goosefoot Chenopodiaceae 20616 native<br />
Chrysothamnus depressus dwarf.rabbitbrush Asteraceae 37051 native<br />
Chrysothamnus greenei Greene.rabbitbrush Asteraceae 37052 native<br />
Cirsium sp. thistle Asteraceae 36334 unknown<br />
Com<strong>and</strong>ra umbellata ssp. pallida bastard.toadflax Santalaceae 523879 native<br />
Conyza canadensis Canada.horseweed Asteraceae 37113 native<br />
Cordylanthus wrightii Wright’s.bird’s-beak Scrophulariaceae 33577 native<br />
Corispermum nitidum shiny.bugseed Chenopodiaceae 565088 native<br />
Croton texensis croton Euphorbiaceae 28291 native<br />
Cryptantha crassisepala deertongue Boraginaceae 31800 native<br />
Cryptantha fulvocanescens var. fulvocanescens tawny.cryptantha Boraginaceae 527561 native<br />
Cryptantha micrantha purpleroot.pick-me-not Boraginaceae 31836 native<br />
Cryptantha sp. cryptantha Boraginaceae 31765 unknown<br />
Cymopterus sp. cymopterus Apiaceae 29625 unknown<br />
Cystopteris fragilis brittle.bladder.fern Dryopteridaceae 17482 native<br />
Dalea c<strong>and</strong>ida var. oligophylla white.dalea Fabaceae 192889 native<br />
Dalea lanata var. terminalis wooley.praire.clover Fabaceae 192900 native<br />
Dasyochloa pulchella fluffgrass Poaceae 512087 native<br />
Datura wrightii sacred.datura Solanaceae 30521 native<br />
Descurainia pinnata green.tansymustard Brassicaceae 22826 native<br />
Dimorphocarpa wislizeni spectacle.pod Brassicaceae 502067 native<br />
Distichlis spicata desert.saltgrass Poaceae 40662 native<br />
Echinocereus coccineus var. coccineus Bisbee.cactus Cactaceae 527813 native<br />
Echinocereus sp. hedgehog.cactus Cactaceae 19803 unknown<br />
Elaeagnus angustifolia oleaster Elaeagnaceae 27770 non-native<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
D5<br />
Appendix D continued<br />
Scientific name Common name Family name TSN code Nonnative<br />
Elymus elymoides bottlebrush.squirreltail Poaceae 502264 native<br />
Elymus elymoides ssp. elymoides bottlebrush.squirreltail Poaceae 525113 native<br />
Ephedra nevadensis Nevada.Ephedra Ephedraceae 502316 native<br />
Ephedra sp. Ephedra Ephedraceae 183496 unknown<br />
Ephedra torreyana Torrey.Ephedra Ephedraceae 502318 native<br />
Ephedra viridis green.Ephedra Ephedraceae 502319 native<br />
Eragrostis sp. lonegrass Poaceae 40716 native<br />
Eragrostis spectabilis purple.lovegrass Poaceae 40717 native<br />
Ericameria nauseosa goldenbush Asteraceae 507594 native<br />
Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa var. nauseosa rubber.rabbitbush Asteraceae Ericameria nauseo- 531871<br />
sa var. nauseosa<br />
native<br />
Ericameria pulchella southwest.rabbitbrush Asteraceae Chrysothamnus 37084<br />
pluchellus<br />
native<br />
Erigeron compactus cushion.daisy Asteraceae 35842 native<br />
Erigeron concinnus Navajo.feabane Asteraceae 502385 native<br />
Erigeron divergens spreading.daisy Asteraceae 35852 native<br />
Erigeron sp. feabane Asteraceae 35803 unknown<br />
Eriogonum alatum wind.wildbuckwheat Polygonaceae 21057 native<br />
Eriogonum corymbosum corymbed.buckwheat Polygonaceae 21103 native<br />
Eriogonum corymbosum var. aureum crispleaf.buckwheat Polygonaceae 195444 native<br />
Eriogonum corymbosum var. glutinosum crispleaf.buckwheat Polygonaceae 535113 native<br />
Eriogonum deflexum Flatcrown.buckwheat Polygonaceae 21111 native<br />
Eriogonum divaricatum divergent.buckwheat Polygonaceae 21117 native<br />
Eriogonum ericifolium Yavapai.buckwheat Polygonaceae 21128 native<br />
Eriogonum ericifolium var. pulchrum Mexican.panicgrass Poaceae 40939 native<br />
Eriogonum ericifolium var. pulchrum Yavapai.buckwheat Polygonaceae 195461 native<br />
Eriogonum jamesii var. jamesii James.buckwheat Polygonaceae 195499 native<br />
Eriogonum leptocladon fine.branched.buckwheat Polygonaceae 21179 native<br />
Eriogonum leptocladon var. ramosissimum s<strong>and</strong>.buckwheat Polygonaceae 528007 native<br />
Eriogonum leptophyllum slender-leaf.buckwheat Polygonaceae 21180 native<br />
Eriogonum microthecum slender.buckwheat Polygonaceae 21192 native<br />
Eriogonum sp. buckwheat Polygonaceae 21054 native<br />
Appendix D: Plant species list
D6<br />
Appendix D continued<br />
Scientific name Common name Family name TSN code Nonnative<br />
Eriogonum subreniforme kidneyshape.buckwheat Polygonaceae 21251 native<br />
Erodium cicutarium alfilaree Geraniaceae 29147 non-native<br />
Evolvulus nuttallianus shaggy.dwarf.morningglory Convolvulaceae 502573 native<br />
Forestiera pubescens var. pubescens New.Mexico.forestiera Oleaceae 528175 native<br />
Gaillardia pinnatifida blanketflower Asteraceae 37409 native<br />
Gilia multiflora many-flower.gilia Polemoniaceae Ipomopsis multiflora<br />
503187<br />
native<br />
Gilia sp. gilia Polemoniaceae 31075 unknown<br />
Gutierrezia microcephala threadleaf.snakeweed Asteraceae 37482 native<br />
Gutierrezia sarothrae broom.snakeweed Asteraceae 37483 native<br />
Helianthus annuus annual.sunflower Asteraceae 36616 native<br />
Heliomeris multiflora var. multiflora showy.goldeneye Asteraceae 528364 native<br />
Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata needle.<strong>and</strong>.thread Poaceae 525116 native<br />
Hesperostipa neomexicana New.Mexico.feathergrass Poaceae 507976 native<br />
Hesperostipa sp. needle.<strong>and</strong>.thread Poaceae 500937 unknown<br />
Heterotheca sp. false.goldenaster Asteraceae 37652 unknown<br />
Heterotheca villosa hairy.false.goldaster Asteraceae 37689 native<br />
Hordeum jubatum foxtail.barley Poaceae 40871 non-native<br />
Hordeum pusillum little.barley Poaceae 40866 native<br />
Hordeum sp. hordeum Poaceae Agrohordeum 41366 unknown<br />
Hymenopappus filifolius var. lugens Idaho.hymenopappus Asteraceae 528521 native<br />
Hymenopappus filifolius var. pauciflorus fineleaf.hymenopappus Asteraceae 528527 native<br />
Hymenopappus flavescens var. canotomentosus college.flower Asteraceae 528530 native<br />
Hymenopappus sp. hymenopappus Asteraceae 37763 unknown<br />
Hymenoxys richardsonii Colorado.rubberweed Asteraceae 37785 native<br />
Hymenoxys richardsonii var. floribunda Colorado.rubberweed Asteraceae 528536 native<br />
Hymenoxys sp. rubberweed Asteraceae 37778 unknown<br />
Ipomopsis longiflora flaxflowered.gilia Polemoniaceae 31198 native<br />
Ipomopsis longiflora ssp. longiflora flaxflowered.gilia Polemoniaceae 524182 native<br />
Ipomopsis multiflora many-flower.gilia Polemoniaceae 503187 native<br />
Ipomopsis polycladon manybranched.gilia Polemoniaceae 31216 native<br />
Ipomopsis pumila dwarf.gilia Polemoniaceae 31217 native<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
D7<br />
Appendix D continued<br />
Scientific name Common name Family name TSN code Nonnative<br />
Ipomopsis sp. gilia Polemoniaceae 31191 unknown<br />
Isocoma acradenia alkali.goldenbush,alkali.jimmyweed Asteraceae 503207 native<br />
Isocoma drummondii drummond.goldenweed Asteraceae 37803 native<br />
Isocoma sp. sunflower Asteraceae Anisocoma 36530 unknown<br />
Iva acerosa copperweed Asteraceae 36026 native<br />
Juniperus monosperma oneseed.juniper Cupressaceae 194853 native<br />
Kochia americana green.molly Chenopodiaceae 20694 native<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata winterfat Chenopodiaceae 503290 native<br />
Lappula occidentalis flat-spine.sheepbur Boraginaceae 503329 native<br />
Lappula occidentalis var. cupulata flat-spine.sheepburr Boraginaceae 528677 native<br />
Lepidium montanum Montana.pepperweed Brassicaceae 503381 native<br />
Lesquerella fendleri Fendler.bladderpod Brassicaceae 23180 native<br />
Linum aristatum bristle.flax Linaceae 29231 native<br />
Lycium pallidum pale.desert-thorn Solanaceae 30544 native<br />
Lygodesmia sp. skeleton.plant Asteraceae 500397 unknown<br />
Machaeranthera bigelovii Bigelow’s.machaeranthera Asteraceae 37980 native<br />
Machaeranthera canescens hoary.aster Asteraceae 37984 native<br />
Machaeranthera canescens ssp. glabra var. hoary.tansyaster Asteraceae Machaeranthera 566721<br />
glabra canescens var. native<br />
glabra<br />
Machaeranthera canescens ssp. canescens var. hoary.tansyaster Asteraceae Machaeranthera 531699<br />
canescens canescens var. native<br />
canescens<br />
Machaeranthera gracilis slender.goldentweed Asteraceae 37991 native<br />
Machaeranthera grindelioides var. grindelioides rayless.aster Asteraceae 529072 native<br />
Machaeranthera pinnatifida cutleaf.goldenweed Asteraceae 38005 native<br />
Machaeranthera tanacetifolia tanseyleaf.goldenweed Asteraceae 38103 native<br />
Malacothrix sp. desert.d<strong>and</strong>elion Asteraceae 38043 unknown<br />
Mentzelia albicaulis white.blazingstar Loasaceae 503757 native<br />
Mentzelia multiflora Adonis.blazingstar Loasaceae 503788 native<br />
Mentzelia pumila dwarf.blazingstar Loasaceae 503800 native<br />
Mentzelia pumila var. pumila dwarf.mentzelia Loasaceae 529155 native<br />
Mirabilis linearis linearleaf.four-o’clock Nyctaginaceae 19651 native<br />
Appendix D: Plant species list
D8<br />
Appendix D continued<br />
Scientific name Common name Family name TSN code Nonnative<br />
Mirabilis multiflora Colorado.four.o’clock Nyctaginaceae 19654 native<br />
Monroa squarrosa false.buffalo.grass Poaceae 41882 native<br />
Monroa squarrosa false.buffalo.grass Poaceae 41882 native<br />
Muhlenbergia porteri bush.muhly Nyctaginaceae 41933 native<br />
Muhlenbergia pungens s<strong>and</strong>hill.muhly Poaceae 41934 native<br />
Muhlenbergia sp. muhly Poaceae 41883 native<br />
Muhlenbergia torreyi ring.muhly Poaceae 503886 native<br />
Oenothera albicaulis halfshrub.sundrop Onagraceae 27373 native<br />
Oenothera caespitosa tufted.eveningprimrose Onagraceae 27382 native<br />
Oenothera caespitosa ssp. caespitosa tufted.evening-primrose Onagraceae 566058 native<br />
Oenothera flava long-tube.evening.primrose Onagraceae 27397 native<br />
Oenothera pallida pale.evening.primrose Onagraceae 27436 native<br />
Oenothera pallida ssp. runcinata pale.eveningprimrose Onagraceae 27439 native<br />
Oenothera sp. evening.primrose Onagraceae 27367 native<br />
Opuntia erinacea grizzlybear.pricklypear Cactaceae 19705 native<br />
Opuntia polyacantha plains.pricklypear Cactaceae 19726 native<br />
Opuntia polyacantha var. polyacantha hair-spine.prickly-pear Cactaceae 195296 native<br />
Opuntia polyacantha var. rufispina hairspine.pricklypear Cactaceae 195298 native<br />
Opuntia sp. Cactus Cactaceae 19686 native<br />
Opuntia whipplei Whipple.cholla Cactaceae 19745 native<br />
Orobanche sp. broomrape Orobanchaceae 34277 unknown<br />
Panicum capillare annual.witchgrass Poaceae 40914 native<br />
Panicum hirticaule Mexican.panicgrass Poaceae 40939 native<br />
Parryella filifolia common.dunebroom Fabaceae 26831 native<br />
Pascopyrum smithii pubescent.wheatgrass Poaceae 504124 native<br />
Pectis angustifolia lemonscent Asteraceae 38176 native<br />
Petradoria pumila rock.goldenrod Asteraceae 38233 native<br />
Phacelia crenulata caterpillerweed Hydrophyllaceae 31478 native<br />
Phacelia crenulata var. corrugata cleftleaf.scorpion-weed Hydrophyllaceae 529549 native<br />
Phacelia integrifolia gypsum.phacelia Hydrophyllaceae 504272 native<br />
Phacelia sp. phacelia Hydrophyllaceae 31433 unknown<br />
Phoradendron juniperinum juniper.mistletoe Viscaceae 27866 native<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
D9<br />
Appendix D continued<br />
Scientific name Common name Family name TSN code Nonnative<br />
Physaria newberryi Newberry’s.twinpod Brassicaceae 23281 native<br />
Pinus edulis Colorado.pinyon Pinaceae 183336 native<br />
Plantago argyraea salt-meadow.plantain Plantaginaceae 32898 native<br />
Plantago patagonica woolly.Indianwheat Plantaginaceae 32907 native<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii galleta Poaceae 507993 native<br />
Polypogon monspeliensis annual.rabbitsfoot Poaceae 41171 non-native<br />
Populus fremontii cottonwood Salicaceae 22459 native<br />
Portulaca oleracea akulikuli-kula,.purslane Portulacaceae 20422 native<br />
Pseudocymopterus sp. false.spring.parseley Apiaceae 29835 unknown<br />
Psilostrophe sparsiflora greenstem.paperflower Asteraceae 38315 native<br />
Psoralidium lanceolatum dune.scurfpea Fabaceae 504645 native<br />
Purshia stansburiana Stansbury.cliffrose Rosaceae 195901 native<br />
Rhus trilobata Skunkbush Anacardiaceae 28791 native<br />
Salix exigua coyote.willow Salicaceae 22529 native<br />
Salsola kali ssp. tragus prickly.Russian.thistle Chenopodiaceae Salsola tragus 525004 non-native<br />
Salsola tragus prickly.Russian.thistle Chenopodiaceae 520950 non-native<br />
Salvia pachyphylla blue.sage Lamiaceae 32730 native<br />
Sanvitalia aberti albert.creeping.zinnia Asteraceae 38356 native<br />
Sarcobatus vermiculatus black.greasewood Chenopodiaceae 20707 native<br />
Senecio flaccidus var. flaccidus threadleaf.groundsel Asteraceae 530313 native<br />
Senecio sp. groundsel Asteraceae 36084 unknown<br />
Senecio spartioides groundsel Asteraceae 36184 native<br />
Senecio spartioides var. multicapitatus broomlike.ragwort Asteraceae 531525 native<br />
Senecio spartioides var. spartioides broomlike.ragwort Asteraceae 531235 native<br />
Sisymbrium altissimum Jim.Hill.mustard Brassicaceae 23312 non-native<br />
Solanum elaeagnifolium silverleaf.nightshade Solanaceae 30429 native<br />
Solanum jamesii wild.potato Solanaceae 30437 native<br />
Sonchus asper perennial.sowthistle Asteraceae 38424 non-native<br />
Sphaeralcea ambigua desert.globemallow Malvaceae 21910 native<br />
Sphaeralcea coccinea copper.mallow Malvaceae 21920 native<br />
Sphaeralcea hastulata spear.globemallow Malvaceae 21942 native<br />
Appendix D: Plant species list
D10<br />
Appendix D continued<br />
Scientific name Common name Family name TSN code Nonnative<br />
Sphaeralcea incana gray.globemallow Malvaceae 21943 native<br />
Sphaeralcea incana ssp. incana gray.globemallow Malvaceae 21944 native<br />
Sphaeralcea parvifolia smallflower.globemallow Malvaceae 21953 native<br />
Sphaeralcea sp. globemalow Malvaceae 21909 native<br />
Sporobolus airoides alkali.sacaton Poaceae 42128 native<br />
Sporobolus contractus spike.dropseed Poaceae 42131 native<br />
Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus Madagascar.dropseed Poaceae 507183 native<br />
Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus s<strong>and</strong>.dropseed Poaceae 42132 native<br />
Sporobolus flexuosus mesa.dropseed Poaceae 42137 native<br />
Sporobolus giganteus giant.dropseed Poaceae 42138 native<br />
Stanleya pinnata desert.prince’splume Brassicaceae 23329 native<br />
Stephanomeria exigua wire.lettuce Asteraceae 38445 native<br />
Suaeda moquinii alkali.seepweed Chenopodiaceae 505404 native<br />
Tamarix chinensis China.tamarisk Tamaricaceae 22308 non-native<br />
Tetraneuris ivesiana Ivers’.four-nerve-daisy Asteraceae 38512 native<br />
Thelesperma megapotamicum green.threads Asteraceae 38525 native<br />
Townsendia annua annual.townsendia.daisy Asteraceae 38538 native<br />
Townsendia sp. Townsend.daisy Asteraceae 38535 unknown<br />
Typha domingensis southern.cattail Typhaceae 42327 native<br />
Vulpia octoflora eight-flower.six-weeks.grass Poaceae 42264 native<br />
Vulpia octoflora var. hirtella sixweeks.fescue Poaceae 530862 native<br />
Wyethia scabra badl<strong>and</strong>.mulesears Asteraceae 38687 native<br />
Xanthium strumarium cocklebur Asteraceae 38692 native<br />
Xanthium strumarium var. canadense Canada.cocklebur Asteraceae 530872 native<br />
Yucca angustissima narrowleaf.yucca Agavaceae 43131 native<br />
Yucca baccata banana.yucca Agavaceae 43134 native<br />
Yucca glauca beargrass Agavaceae 43142 native<br />
Yucca sp. yucca Agavaceae 43116 native<br />
Zinnia gr<strong>and</strong>iflora plains.zinnia Asteraceae 38715 native<br />
Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei siltbush Chenopodiaceae 505810 native<br />
Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei var. arizonica Arizona.siltbush Chenopodiaceae 530924 native<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
Appendix E<br />
Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class key<br />
The plant community <strong>and</strong> map class key, developed to identify plant communities (NVC associations,<br />
alliances <strong>and</strong> park specials) <strong>and</strong> map classes (base, group, management, <strong>and</strong> macrogroup)<br />
was used in the field during accuracy assessment of the Petrified Forest National Park vegetation<br />
mapping project. It can be used at Petrified Forest NP in areas of at least 0.5 ha in size (e.g.<br />
a circle within a 40-m radius). Most base map classes key to one plant community, but some are<br />
aggregations of more than one plant community <strong>and</strong> may appear in several places in the dichotomous<br />
key.<br />
Because the group, management, <strong>and</strong> macrogroup map classes are aggregations of base map<br />
classes, they also appear multiple times in the key. The group class may represent aggregations<br />
of the base map classes to the group level of the National <strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> St<strong>and</strong>ard<br />
(NVCS), version 2 (2008). Terrestrial ecological systems, as described by NatureServe, were used<br />
as a first approximation of the group level. The macrogroup map classes represent aggregations<br />
of base map classes to the macrogroup level of the NVCS Version 2, as approximated by the<br />
project team. The management map classes were developed in consultation with park staff, with<br />
the intent of preserving high map accuracy while maintaining base map classes that are of importance<br />
to park managers.<br />
The key begins with a lifeform key that separates the observed vegetation or l<strong>and</strong> cover into one<br />
of four lifeform types, each with a subkey. The subkeys consist of decision couplets that describe<br />
the vegetation characteristics <strong>and</strong> typical geomorphic setting. Communities containing the same<br />
species may be separated into different associations, or even lifeforms, due to differences in cover<br />
<strong>and</strong>/or habitat. Because of this, both parts of the couplet should be considered before proceeding<br />
through the key. As is the case with a botanical key, often it is important to follow the key a<br />
few couplets beyond the point where you believe you may have correctly identified a map label<br />
or association because you may find a better fit in subsequent steps, or you may gain increased<br />
confidence that your initial choice was correct.<br />
At Petrified Forest National Park, fluctuations in precipitation between drought <strong>and</strong> wet years<br />
affects the cover of vegetation. Herbaceous perennial plants may be driven into dormancy <strong>and</strong><br />
show lower cover than expected. during droughts. Alternatively, a flush of annual forb growth<br />
may follow a wet period. This fluctuations in cover needs to be considered when using a key<br />
developed for average conditions.<br />
Some map labels are based on l<strong>and</strong>forms, such as “Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s”, where existing vegetation<br />
is very sparse. However, it is important to remember that the vegetation at Petrified Forest<br />
National Park can be very sparse (
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Lifeform Key<br />
1a..<br />
1b..<br />
.Site.is.either.barren.(non-vegetated),.sparsely.vegetated.(≤2%.vegetation),.or.characterized.<br />
by.a.geomorphic.feature.or.an.anthropogenic.l<strong>and</strong>.use.with.up.to.10%.vegetation.cover..<br />
The.site.may.be.characterized.by.a.barren.geomorphic.feature,.i.e..s<strong>and</strong>.or.barren.wash,.or.<br />
a.sparsely.vegetated.to.vegetated.anthropogenic.l<strong>and</strong>.use,.i.e..park.facilities.<strong>and</strong>.railroad..<br />
SPARSE.VEGETATION.AND.BARREN.(Key.A,.go.to.4a)<br />
.Site.with.>2%.vegetation.or.not.characterized.by.a.geomorphic.feature.or.an.anthropogenic.<br />
l<strong>and</strong>.use.with.up.to.10%.vegetation..(2a)<br />
2a..<br />
2b..<br />
3a..<br />
3b..<br />
.Site.characterized.by.tree.<strong>and</strong>/or.shrub.cover..If.tree.or.shrub.cover.is.>15%.cover,.grasses.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.forbs.may.have.higher.cover.than.trees.or.shrubs..If.tree.or.shrub.cover.is.
Appendix E: Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class key<br />
-.<br />
Management.map.class:.Park.Facilities<br />
-.<br />
Association:.NA<br />
. . b...Park.Sites.–.This.map.class.consists.of.the.tourist.sites.in.Petrified.Forest.National.<br />
Park,.including.the.Puerco.River.pueblo.<strong>and</strong>.the.overlooks.<br />
-.<br />
Base.map.class:.Park.Sites<br />
-.<br />
Group.map.class:.Park.Facilities<br />
-.<br />
Management.map.class:.Park.Sites<br />
-.<br />
Association:.NA<br />
. . c...Railroad.–.This.map.class.consists.of.the.railroad.that.bisects.the.park.<strong>and</strong>.travels.<br />
east/west.through.the.project.boundary.<br />
-.<br />
Base.map.class:.Railroad<br />
-.<br />
Group.map.class:.Transportation<br />
-.<br />
Management.map.class:.Railroad<br />
-.<br />
Association:.NA<br />
. . d..Roads.–.This.map.class.consists.of.paved.<strong>and</strong>.non-paved.roads.<br />
-.<br />
Base.map.class:.Roads<br />
-.<br />
Group.map.class:.Transportation<br />
-.<br />
Management.map.class:.Roads<br />
-.<br />
Association:.NA<br />
. . e...Run-off.Control.Feature.–.This.map.class.contains.human.features.that.were.developed.to.divert.water.flow.to.particular.areas.<br />
-.<br />
Base.map.class:.Run-off.Control.Feature<br />
-.<br />
Group.map.class:.Agriculture<br />
-.<br />
Management.map.class:.Run-off.Control.Feature<br />
-.<br />
Association:.NA<br />
. . f...Stock.Ponds.–.This.map.class.contains.water.tanks.<strong>and</strong>.stock.ponds.used.for.cattle.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.other.agricultural.purposes.<br />
-.<br />
Base.map.class:.Stock.Ponds<br />
-.<br />
Group.map.class:.Agriculture<br />
-.<br />
Management.map.class:.Stock.Ponds<br />
-.<br />
Association:.NA<br />
7b... Site.not.characterized.as.above..If.vegetated,.but.with.low.cover.(10%.cover;.in.<br />
particularly.dry.sites.vegetation.cover.can.be.as.low.as.2%..Tree.<strong>and</strong>.shrub.total.cover.must.be.
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
12a..<br />
12b..<br />
13a..<br />
13b..<br />
14a..<br />
14b..<br />
15a..<br />
15b..<br />
16a..<br />
16b..<br />
17a..<br />
17b..<br />
18a..<br />
.Bouteloua gracilis.is.the.only.dominant.species;.no.other.perennial.herbaceous.species.<br />
codominates....Other.herbaceous.species,.including.annual.species,.may.cover.over.half.of.<br />
the.herbaceous.cover..This.map.class.tends.to.occur.in.various.substrates.<strong>and</strong>.ranges.from.<br />
moderate.to.low.total.vegetation.cover.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.Map.Class:.Blue.Grama.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
.Bouteloua gracilis.is.not.the.only.dominant.species..Other.grass.species.codominate.the.<br />
herbaceous.cover..(13a)<br />
.Herbaceous.cover.is.co-dominated.by.Pleuraphis jamesii..This.map.class.commonly.occurs.on.<br />
s<strong>and</strong>y.soils.<strong>and</strong>.may.have.a.low.cover.of.native.shrubs.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Blue.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Groupmap.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Blue.Grama.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Bouteloua gracilis.-.Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
.Sporobolus airoides.is.the.co-dominant.species..This.map.class.commonly.occurs.on.s<strong>and</strong>y.<br />
soils.<strong>and</strong>.may.have.a.low.cover.of.native.shrubs.<br />
•. Base.Map.Class:.Alkali.Sacaton.-.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.Map.Class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.Map.Class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Sporobolus airoides.-.Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Sporobolus airoides.is.the.dominant.or.co-dominant.species..(15a)<br />
Sporobolus airoides.is.not.the.dominant.or.co-dominant.species..(17a)<br />
.Sporobolus airoides.is.the.only.dominant.species..Other.herbaceous.<strong>and</strong>.shrub.species.may.<br />
occur,.but.never.with.significant.cover..This.map.class.tends.to.occur.on.various.substrates.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.ranges.from.fairly.dense.patches.to.low.total.vegetation.cover.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Sporobolus airoides.Southern.Plains.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
.Sporobolus airoides.is.not.the.only.dominant.species...Other.grass.species.codominate.the.<br />
herbaceous.cover..(16a)<br />
.Pleuraphis jamesii is.co-dominant.with.Sporobolus airoides..Commonly.occurs.on.s<strong>and</strong>y.soils.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.may.have.a.low.cover.of.native.shrubs.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Galleta.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Pleuraphis jamesii -.Sporobolus airoides.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
.Bouteloua gracilis.is.co-dominant.with.Sporobolus airoides..Commonly.occurs.on.a.variety.of.<br />
substrates.<strong>and</strong>.may.have.a.low.cover.of.native.shrubs.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.-.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Sporobolus airoides.-.Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Pleuraphis jamesii is.the.dominant.or.co-dominant.species..(18a)<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii is.not.the.dominant.or.co-dominant.species..(20a)<br />
.Bouteloua eriopoda.is.the.next.most.abundant.grass.after.Pleuraphis jamesii,.<strong>and</strong>.in.some.<br />
areas.is.the.two.species.codominate..A.low.cover.of.native.shrubs.may.also.occur.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Black.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
E4
Appendix E: Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class key<br />
18b..<br />
19a..<br />
19b..<br />
20a..<br />
20b..<br />
21a..<br />
21b..<br />
22a..<br />
22b..<br />
23a..<br />
23b..<br />
24a..<br />
•.<br />
Association:.Bouteloua eriopoda.-.Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Herbaceous.species.cover.not.as.above..(19a)<br />
.Sporobolus airoides.is.the.next.most.abundant.grass.after.Pleuraphis jamesii <strong>and</strong>.in.some.<br />
areas.is.the.two.species.codominate..Commonly.occurs.on.s<strong>and</strong>y.soils.<strong>and</strong>.may.have.a.low.<br />
cover.of.native.shrubs..<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Galleta.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Pleuraphis jamesii -.Sporobolus airoides.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
.Bouteloua gracilis.is.the.next.most.abundant.grass.after.Pleuraphis jamesii <strong>and</strong>.in.some.areas.the.two.species.codominate..Commonly.occurs.on.s<strong>and</strong>y.soils.<strong>and</strong>.may.have.a.low.cover.<br />
of.native.shrubs..<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.-.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Sporobolus airoides.-.Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
.Bouteloua eriopoda.is.the.dominant.herbaceous.species,.<strong>and</strong>.Pleuraphis jamesii commonly.<br />
occurs.as.a.significant.component.of.the.herbaceous.cover..This.map.class.typically.has.a.low.<br />
cover.of.shrubs.as.well..<br />
Dominant.herbaceous.vegetation.not.as.above..(21a)<br />
.Calamovilfa gigantea.is.the.dominant.herbaceous.species..This.tall.grass.commonly.occurs.in.<br />
long.linear.stretches.along.washes.<strong>and</strong>.in.areas.with.periodic.water.flow.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Giant.S<strong>and</strong>reed.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
•. Association:.Calamovilfa gigantea.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Dominant.herbaceous.vegetation.not.as.above..(22a)<br />
.Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus.is.the.dominant.herbaceous.species..Typically.occurs.on.s<strong>and</strong>y.soils.<br />
or.on.s<strong>and</strong>.dunes.<strong>and</strong>.is.found.in.small.patches.throughout.the.park..Where.it.occurred,.it.<br />
was.mapped.as.part.of.the.polygon.describing.the.vegetation.surrounding.it.<br />
•. Association:.Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus.Great.Basin.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Dominant.herbaceous.vegetation.not.as.above..(23a)<br />
.Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus.is.the.dominant.herbaceous.species.<strong>and</strong>.composes.over.half.<br />
of.the.total.herbaceous.cover..No.perennial.grasses.occur.with.>1%.of.the.total.cover..This.<br />
grass.is.an.annual.species.<strong>and</strong>.its.cover.may.fluctuate.depending.on.the.growing.season.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
year..Where.it.occurred,.it.was.mapped.as.part.of.the.polygon.describing.the.vegetation.surrounding.it.<br />
•. Association:.Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
Dominant.herbaceous.species.not.as.above..(24a)<br />
.Salsola tragus,.an.annual.exotic.species,.is.the.dominant.herbaceous.species..A.very.low.<br />
cover.of.perennial.species.may.occur,.however.Salsola tragus.generally.has.>90%.of.the.total.<br />
vegetation.cover..If.a.low.cover.of.perennial.species.occurs.on.the.site,.use.the.Lifeform.Key.<br />
above.to.determine.if.the.perennial.vegetation.better.defines.the.site..Salsola tragus.varies.<br />
significantly.in.cover.depending.on.seasonality.<strong>and</strong>.annual.precipitation..This.map.class.<br />
tends.to.be.restricted.to.sites.that.are.almost.entirely.homogenous.patches.of.Salsola tragus.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.occurs.on.unstable,.disturbed.surfaces,.<strong>and</strong>/or.s<strong>and</strong>y.substrates..It.typically.occurs.on.<br />
s<strong>and</strong>.dunes.or.in.human.disturbed.areas,.such.as.along.roads.or.pipeline.corridors.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Russian.Thistle.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Russian.Thistle.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Association:.Salsola tragus.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
E5
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
E6<br />
24b..<br />
25a..<br />
25b..<br />
26a..<br />
26b..<br />
27a..<br />
27b..<br />
28a..<br />
28b..<br />
.Dominant.herbaceous.species.not.as.above,.or.shrub.or.tree.cover.is.greater.than.half.of.the.<br />
total.herbaceous.cover,.less.than.the.total.herbaceous.cover,.<strong>and</strong>.
Appendix E: Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class key<br />
class.is.distinguished.by.its.l<strong>and</strong>form.characteristic.<strong>and</strong>.occurs.in.areas.of.intermittent.flooding,.such.as.washes,.along.wash.banks,.<strong>and</strong>.on.wash.terraces..This.map.class.contains.a.mix.<br />
of.herbaceous.<strong>and</strong>.shrub.species..No.one.individual.association.was.determined.to.represent.<br />
this.map.class.which.contains.a.complex.of.associations.<strong>and</strong>.unique.communities..Associations.that.can.occur.in.this.complex.include,.but.are.not.limited.to,.Allenrolfea<br />
occidentalis.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Calamovilfa gigantea.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>,.Ericameria<br />
nauseosa.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Ericameria nauseosa./.Bouteloua gracilis.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>,.Isocoma<br />
drummondii./.Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Salix exigua./.Barren.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.Atriplex obovata.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.<br />
Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Tamarix.spp..Semi-Natural.Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..This.map.class.contains.a.mix.of.species.<strong>and</strong>.associations.<strong>and</strong>.was.<br />
defined.as.a.heterogeneous.group.of.associations..<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
•. Association:.NA<br />
Key C: Woodl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Trees.are.the.dominant.lifeform..Total.vegetation.cover.is.generally.>10%.cover,.except.in.dry.sites.<br />
where.vegetation.cover.can.be.as.low.as.2%.cover..Trees.dominate.the.woodl<strong>and</strong>s.<strong>and</strong>.generally.<br />
have.>10%.canopy.cover..If.shrub.cover.is.more.than.tree.cover,.go.to.Key.D:.Shrubs.<br />
29a..<br />
29b...<br />
30a..<br />
30b..<br />
.Juniperus monosperma.dominates.the.tree.species..Juniperus monosperma.is.a.short.tree.<br />
that.tends.to.have.a.tall.shrub-like.appearance.<strong>and</strong>.occurs.in.low.density..Artemisia bigelovii.typically.occurs.as.an.indicator.species.in.the.understory.of.this.map.class..Occasionally.<br />
Artemisia bigelovii.dominates.the.understory,.but.it.does.not.have.to.occur..The.understory.<br />
typically.consists.of.a.sparse.cover.of.shrub.<strong>and</strong>.herbaceous.species.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.One-seed.Juniper./.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Colorado.Plateau.Pinyon-Juniper.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.One-seed.Juniper./.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Association:.Juniperus monosperma./.Artemisia bigelovii.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Tree.species.not.as.above..(30a)<br />
.Tree.species.are.dominated.by.Pinus edulis.<strong>and</strong>/or.Juniperus osteosperma..Both.of.these.tree.<br />
species.occur.in.low.densities..The.understory.tends.to.have.a.low.cover.of.herbaceous.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
shrub.species..The.herbaceous.cover.often.consists.of.a.low.to.moderate.cover.of.Bouteloua <br />
gracilis..This.map.class.is.restricted.to.the.higher.elevations.of.the.northern.half.of.the.project.boundary..<br />
•. Association:.Pinus edulis.-.(Juniperus osteosperma)./.Bouteloua gracilis.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
.Populus fremontii.is.the.dominant.tree.species..Ericameria nauseosa.commonly.occurs.as.a.<br />
tall.shrub.in.the.understory..This.community.is.restricted.to.areas.with.intermittent.stream.<br />
flow.<strong>and</strong>.mostly.commonly.occurs.along.the.banks.of.the.Puerco.River.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Cottonwood./.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Cottonwood./.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Association:.Populus fremontii./.Ericameria nauseosa.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Key D: Shrubl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Shrubs.are.the.dominant.lifeform..Total.vegetation.cover.is.generally.>10%.cover;.in.particularly.dry.<br />
sites.vegetation.cover.can.be.as.low.as.2%.cover..Tree.cover.is.less.than.the.total.shrub.cover.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
31a..<br />
31b..<br />
32a..<br />
32b..<br />
33a..<br />
33b..<br />
34a..<br />
34b..<br />
35a..<br />
35b..<br />
36a..<br />
36b..<br />
37a..<br />
37b..<br />
.A.mix.of.shrub.species.occurring.on.a.mesa.rim.or.on/near.a.wash..First.go.to.32a.<strong>and</strong>.try.to.<br />
select.the.appropriate.map.class..If.none.of.the.map.classes.work,.proceed.to.56a.<br />
Shrub.species.not.as.above..(32a)<br />
.Artemisia bigelovii.<strong>and</strong>/or.Ephedra torreyana.are.either.dominant.or.co-dominant.shrubs..<br />
This.map.class.occurs.throughout.the.mapping.area.<strong>and</strong>.more.commonly.occurs.on.or.near.<br />
s<strong>and</strong>stone..If.Purshia stansburiana.is.also.present.with.2%.cover,.go.to.42a.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.-.Torrey’s.Jointfir.-.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Shrub-Steppe<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Rim.Complex<br />
•. Association:.Ephedra torreyana.-.Artemisia bigelovii.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(33a)<br />
Artemisia filifolia.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..(34a).<br />
Dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(35a)<br />
.Artemisia filifolia.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..The.understory.is.a.mix.of.shrub.<strong>and</strong>.herbaceous.species..This.map.class.occurs.commonly.throughout.the.park,.typically.on.s<strong>and</strong>y.soils.<br />
or.s<strong>and</strong>.dunes.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.S<strong>and</strong>sage.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Southern.Colorado.Plateau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.S<strong>and</strong>sage.-.Fourwing.Saltbush.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Association:.Artemisia filifolia.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
.Artemisia filifolia.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..The.understory.is.dominated.by.the.native.<br />
grass.Bouteloua eriopoda..This.map.class.is.restricted.to.a.few.areas.in.the.park..Where.it.<br />
occurred,.it.was.mapped.as.part.of.the.polygon.describing.the.vegetation.surrounding.it.<br />
•. Association:.Artemisia filifolia./.Bouteloua eriopoda.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
.Atriplex canescens.is.the.dominant.shrub..Other.shrub.species.can.also.be.present,.such.as.<br />
Ericameria nauseosa,.Gutierrezia sarothrae,.<strong>and</strong>.Artemisia bigelovii..The.understory.consists.<br />
of.a.mix.of.native.grasses..Pleuraphis jamesii often.occurs.in.the.understory,.but.does.not.<br />
have.to.occur..Bouteloua gracilis.<strong>and</strong>.Sporobolus airoides.are.also.common.grasses.in.the.understory..This.map.class.occurs.throughout.the.project.boundary.<strong>and</strong>.on.various.substrates,.<br />
ranging.from.clay.to.s<strong>and</strong>y.soils.<strong>and</strong>.s<strong>and</strong>.dunes..<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Four-wing.Saltbush./.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Southern.Colorado.Plateau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.S<strong>and</strong>sage.-.Fourwing.Saltbush.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Association:.Atriplex canescens./.Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(36a)<br />
Ericameria nauseosa.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..(37a)<br />
Dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(38a)<br />
.Ericameria nauseosa.is.the.dominant.shrub.species.<strong>and</strong>.occurs.as.a.tall.shrub.(generally.at.<br />
least.1m.tall)..The.shrubs.often.occur.in.large.patches.along.the.banks.of.washes.<strong>and</strong>.rivers.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
•. Association:.Ericameria nauseosa.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
.Ericameria nauseosa.is.the.dominant.shrub.<strong>and</strong>.it.typically.has.a.short-statured.growth.form.<br />
(generally.less.than.1m.tall)..The.understory.can.consist.of.other.shrub.<strong>and</strong>.herbaceous.species..component..This.map.class.occurs.on.a.variety.of.upl<strong>and</strong>.environments,.including.s<strong>and</strong>.<br />
dune.<strong>and</strong>.mesa.tops..<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Rubber.Rabbitbrush./.Blue.Grama.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.Dune<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
•. Association:.Ericameria nauseosa./.Bouteloua gracilis.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
E8
Appendix E: Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class key<br />
38a..<br />
38b..<br />
39a..<br />
39b..<br />
.Atriplex obovata.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..(39a).If.Sarcobatus vermiculatus.is.also.present.with.>.2%.cover,.go.to.47a.<br />
Dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(40a)<br />
.Atriplex obovata.is.the.dominant.shrub..The.understory.tends.to.be.very.sparse..Occasional.<br />
shrub.<strong>and</strong>.grass.species.may.occur,.but.never.with.more.cover.than.Atriplex obovata..This.<br />
map.class.typically.occurs.in.badl<strong>and</strong>.areas.with.very.low.cover.<br />
•.<br />
•.<br />
•.<br />
•.<br />
Base.map.class:.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Shrub-Steppe<br />
Management.map.class:.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Association:.Atriplex obovata.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
.Atriplex obovata.is.the.dominant.shrub..The.understory.has.a.low.to.moderate.cover.of.native.grasses..The.native.grasses.often.consist.of.Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii <strong>and</strong>.Sporobolus airoides..<br />
This.map.class.typically.occurs.on.clay.badl<strong>and</strong>.soils..<br />
•.<br />
•.<br />
•.<br />
•.<br />
.Base.map.class:.New.Mexico.Saltbush./.Alkali.Sacaton.–.Galleta.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Shrub-Steppe<br />
Management.map.class:.Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
.Association:.Atriplex obovata./.Sporobolus airoides.-.Pleuraphis jamesii Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
40a..<br />
40b..<br />
41a..<br />
41b..<br />
42a..<br />
42b..<br />
43a..<br />
43b..<br />
44a..<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata.is.the.dominant.shrub..(41a)<br />
Dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(42a)<br />
.Krascheninnikovia lanata.is.the.main.shrub.with.no.other.shrubs.occurring.or.with.a.very.<br />
low.shrub.cover..Where.it.occurred,.it.was.mapped.as.part.of.the.polygon.describing.the.<br />
vegetation.surrounding.it.<br />
•. Association:.Krascheninnikovia lanata.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
.The.understory.consists.of.a.mix.of.native.grasses..Often.Bouteloua gracilis.occurs.as.one.of.<br />
the.dominant.grass.species..Other.shrub.species.can.occur,.such.as.Gutierrezia sarothrae.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Winter-fat./.Blue.Grama.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Semi-Desert.Shrub-Steppe<br />
•.<br />
•.<br />
Management.map.class:.Blue.Grama.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
.Association:.Krascheninnikovia lanata./.Bouteloua gracilis.Dwarf-shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
.Purshia stansburiana.is.the.dominant.tall.shrub..The.understory.tends.to.have.a.mix.of.herbaceous.species.<strong>and</strong>.smaller.shrubs,.often.including.Artemisia<br />
bigelovi..Eriogonum corymbosum.typically.occurs.as.an.indicator.sub-shrub.for.this.map.class..This.map.class.is.restricted.<br />
to.the.higher.elevations.of.the.park.<strong>and</strong>.environs,.<strong>and</strong>.typically.occurs.on.the.basaltic.soils.of.<br />
Headquarter’s.Mesa.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Cliff-rose.-.Crispleaf.Buckwheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Colorado.Plateau.Mixed.Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Cliff-rose.-.Crispleaf.Buckwheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Association:.Purshia stansburiana.-.Eriogonum corymbosum.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
The.dominant.shrub.is.not.Purshia stansburiana..(43a)<br />
.Isocoma drummondii.is.the.dominant.shrub..The.understory.has.an.herbaceous.component.<br />
that.can.include.Pleuraphis jamesii..This.map.class.is.restricted.to.a.few.areas.in.the.park.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
environs.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Drummond.Goldenweed.-.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
•. Association:.Isocoma drummondii.-.Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
The.dominant.shrub.is.not.Isocoma drummondii..(44a)<br />
.Iva acerosa,.a.tall.suffrutescent.shrub,.is.the.dominant.species..The.herbaceous.layer.is.domi-<br />
E9
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
44b..<br />
45a..<br />
45b..<br />
46a..<br />
46b..<br />
47a..<br />
47b..<br />
48a..<br />
48b..<br />
49a..<br />
49b..<br />
50a..<br />
50b..<br />
51a..<br />
nated.by.Sporobolus airoides..This.map.class.is.restricted.to.a.few.areas.in.northern.part.of.<br />
the.park.<strong>and</strong>.environs.in.washes.<strong>and</strong>.areas.with.seasonal.stream.flow.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Copperweed.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
•. Association:.Iva acerosa.-.Sporobolus airoides.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
The.dominant.shrub.is.not.Iva acerosa..(45a)<br />
.Allenrolfea occidentalis.is.the.dominant.shrub..The.understory.tends.to.be.sparse..This.map.<br />
class.typically.occurs.on.saline.or.alkaline.soils.in.areas.with.periodic.sheet.flow.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Iodine.Bush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Greasewood.Flat<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Greasewood.Flats<br />
•. Association:.Allenrolfea occidentalis.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
The.dominant.shrub.not.as.above..(46a)<br />
Sarcobatus vermiculatus.is.the.dominant.or.co-dominant.shrub..(47a)<br />
The.dominant.shrub.is.not.Sarcobatus vermiculatus..(48a)<br />
. Sarcobatus vermiculatus.is.co-dominant.with.the.native.dwarf-shrub.Atriplex obovata..This.<br />
map.class.generally.occurs.on.saline.<strong>and</strong>.alkaline.soils.<strong>and</strong>.in.areas.with.periodic.sheet.flow,.<br />
often.near.a.wash.system.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Greasewood./.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Greasewood.Flat<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Greasewood.Flats<br />
•. Association:.Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.Atriplex obovata.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
. Sarcobatus vermiculatus.is.the.dominant.tall.shrub.<strong>and</strong>.the.native.suffrutescent.shrub.Suaeda<br />
moquinii.is.the.dominant.species.in.the.understory..This.map.class.is.generally.restricted.<br />
to.the.alkaline.soils.around.the.Puerco.River.corridor.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Greasewood./.Shrubby.Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Greasewood.Flat<br />
•. Management.map.class:.Greasewood.Flats<br />
•. Association:.Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
. Suaeda moquinii,.a.suffrutescent.shrub,.is.the.dominant.species..This.map.class.is.generally.<br />
restricted.to.the.alkaline.soils.around.the.Puerco.River.corridor..Where.it.occurred,.it.was.<br />
mapped.as.part.of.the.polygon.describing.the.vegetation.surrounding.it.<br />
•. Association:.Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
The.dominant.shrub.is.not.as.above..(49a)<br />
.Either.Ephedra viridis.or.Rhus trilobata.is.the.dominant.shrub,.or.they.are.co-dominant..This.<br />
map.class.tends.to.occur.on.sparse.talus.slopes.or.on.rocky.outcrops.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Three-leafed.Sumac.-.Mormon.Tea.Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Colorado.Plateau.Mixed.Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Rim.Complex<br />
•. Association:.Rhus trilobata.-.Ephedra.(viridis,.torreyana).Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
The.dominant.shrub(s).are.not.as.above..(50a)<br />
.Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei.is.the.dominant.species..This.map.class.tends.to.occur.in.very.sparse.areas.<br />
on.clay.badl<strong>and</strong>.soils..Other.shrub.<strong>and</strong>.herbaceous.species.may.occur,.but.never.with.high.<br />
cover.<strong>and</strong>.never.as.the.dominant.species.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Arizona.Siltbush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Association:.Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
The.dominant.shrub.not.as.above..(51a)<br />
.Eriogonum leptophyllum.is.the.dominant.species.or.is.an.indicator.species.in.very.sparsely.<br />
E10
Appendix E: Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class key<br />
51b..<br />
vegetated.areas..Other.shrub.species.that.tend.to.occur.in.this.map.class.include.Atriplex<br />
confertifolia,.Artemisia bigelovii,.<strong>and</strong>.Gutierrezia sarothrae..This.map.class.tends.to.occur.in.<br />
sparse.areas.on.whitish.clay.badl<strong>and</strong>.soils.<br />
•. Base.Map.Class:.Slender.Buckwheat.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
•. Group.Map.Class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.Map.Class:.Vegetated.Rim.Complex<br />
•. Association:.Eriogonum leptophyllum.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
The.dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(52a)<br />
52a..<br />
52b..<br />
53a..<br />
53b..<br />
54a..<br />
54b..<br />
55a..<br />
55b..<br />
56a..<br />
.Salvia pachyphylla.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..The.understory.tends.to.be.sparse..This.<br />
map.class.is.restricted.to.the.higher.elevations.of.the.northern.half.of.the.project.boundary.<br />
near.Chinde.Mesa.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Blue.Sage.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Blue.Sage.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Association:.Salvia pachyphylla.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.[Park.Special]<br />
The.dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(53a)<br />
.Forestiera pubescens.is.the.dominant.shrub..This.species.tends.to.grow.in.large.dense.<br />
patches..This.map.class.is.isolated.to.a.few.small.patches.near.the.Puerco.River..<br />
•. Association:.Forestiera pubescens.Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.Alliance<br />
The.dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(54a)<br />
.Salix exigua.is.the.dominant.shrub.species..Other.shrub.species.may.occur,.including.Ericameria<br />
nauseosa.<strong>and</strong>.Isocoma drummondii..The.understory.tends.to.have.a.sparse.herbaceous.<br />
layer..This.map.class.is.restricted.to.areas.with.periodic.stream.flow.<strong>and</strong>.is.most.common.in.<br />
the.Puerco.River.corridor.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Coyote.Willow.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Coyote.Willow.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Association:.Salix exigua./.Barren.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
The.dominant.shrub.species.not.as.above..(55a)<br />
.Tamarix.sp..dominates.the.shrub.layer..This.species.often.occurs.as.a.tall.shrub.or.a.short.tree.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.forms.dense.monocultures..This.community.generally.occurs.in.riparian.areas.or.in.areas.<br />
with.a.high.water.table,.such.as.in.washes.or.near.stock.tanks.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Tamarisk.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Group.map.class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
•. Association:.Tamarix.spp..Semi-Natural.Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
.Gutierrezia sarothrae.is.the.dominant.species.<strong>and</strong>.no.other.shrub.species.has.even.a.low.cover.in.this.map.class..A.very.low.cover.of.Opuntia.spp..can.occasionally.occur..The.herbaceous.<br />
layer.is.often.present,.but.does.not.have.to.occur,.with.a.low.cover.of.the.grass.Pleuraphis <br />
jamesii.<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Snakeweed.-.(Prickly.Pear)./.Galleta.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
•. .Association:.Gutierrezia sarothrae.-.(Opuntia.spp.).-.Pleuraphis jamesii Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
.None.of.the.individual.associations.included.in.the.key.above.define.this.map.class..This.map.<br />
class.is.distinguished.by.its.l<strong>and</strong>form.characteristic.<strong>and</strong>.occurs.on.mesa.rims..A.wide.range.<br />
of.herbaceous.<strong>and</strong>.shrub.species.can.occur.in.this.habitat..No.one.individual.association.was.<br />
determined.to.represent.this.map.class.which.contains.a.complex.of.associations.<strong>and</strong>.unique.<br />
communities..Associations.that.can.occur.in.this.complex.include,.but.are.not.limited.to,.Juniperus<br />
monosperma./.Artemisia bigelovii.Woodl<strong>and</strong>,.Artemisia bigelovii.-.Ephedra torreyana.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.<strong>and</strong>.Ephedra<br />
viridis.-.Rhus trilobata.Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..This.map.class.contains.a.<br />
mix.of.species.<strong>and</strong>.associations.<strong>and</strong>.was.defined.as.a.heterogeneous.group.of.associations..<br />
•. Base.map.class:.Vegetated.Rim.Complex<br />
•. Group.map.class:.Colorado.Plateau.Mixed.Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
•. Management.map.class:.Vegetated.Rim.Complex.<br />
E11
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
56b..<br />
•.<br />
Association:.NA<br />
.None.of.the.individual.associations.included.in.the.key.above.define.this.map.class..It.<br />
contains.a.mix.of.herbaceous.<strong>and</strong>.shrub.species.<strong>and</strong>.is.distinguished.by.its.l<strong>and</strong>form.characteristic..It.occurs.in.areas.of.intermittent.flooding,.such.as.in.washes,.along.wash.banks,.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.on.wash.terraces..No.one.individual.association.represents.this.map.class.as.it.contains.a.<br />
complex.of.associations.<strong>and</strong>.unique.communities..Associations.that.can.occur.in.this.complex.<br />
include,.but.are.not.limited.to,.Allenrolfea occidentalis.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Calamovilfa gigantea.<br />
Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>,.Ericameria nauseosa.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.<br />
Ericameria nauseosa./.Bouteloua gracilis.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>,.Isocoma drummondii.<br />
/.Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Salix exigua./.Barren.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.<br />
Atriplex obovata.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Suaeda <br />
moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>,.Tamarix.spp..Semi-Natural.Temporarily.Flooded.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..This.map.<br />
class.contains.a.mix.of.species.<strong>and</strong>.associations.<strong>and</strong>.was.defined.as.a.heterogeneous.group.<br />
of.associations..<br />
•. Base.Map.Class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
•. Group.Map.Class:.Inter-Mountain.Basins.Wash<br />
•. Management.Map.Class:.Vegetated.Wash.Complex.<br />
•. Association:.NA<br />
.<br />
E12
Appendix F<br />
Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class crosswalk<br />
This table provides a crosswalk between the plant communities of Petrified Forest National<br />
Park (associations, alliances, <strong>and</strong> park species) <strong>and</strong> their base, group, management, <strong>and</strong><br />
macrogroup map class assignments. Each plant community is in only one map class for each<br />
schema, but each map class may contain more than one plant community.<br />
F1
F2<br />
Appendix F<br />
Plant community (associations <strong>and</strong><br />
park specials) Base map class Group map class Macrogroup map class Management map class<br />
WOODLAND . . . .<br />
1 Juniperus monosperma./.Artemisia B2 One-seed.Juniper./. G3 Colorado.Plateau. MG3 Colorado.Plateau.Pin- MN12 One-seed.Juniper./.Bigbigelovii.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Bigelow’s.Sagebrush. Pinyon-Juniper.Wood- yon-Juniper.Woodl<strong>and</strong> elow’s.Sagebrush.Shru-<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> bl<strong>and</strong><br />
2 Pinus edulis.-.(Juniperus osteosper- B2 One-seed.Juniper./. G3 Colorado.Plateau. MG3 Colorado.Plateau.Pin- MN12 One-seed.Juniper./.Bigma)./.Bouteloua<br />
gracilis.Woodl<strong>and</strong> Bigelow’s.Sagebrush. Pinyon-Juniper.Wood- yon-Juniper.Woodl<strong>and</strong> elow’s.Sagebrush.Shru-<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> bl<strong>and</strong><br />
3 Populus fremontii./.Ericameria B1 Cottonwood./.Rubber. G7 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG7 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN9 Cottonwood./.Rubber.Rabnauseosa.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rabbitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong> Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>. Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>. bitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
SHRUBLAND . . MG6 . .<br />
4 Allenrolfea occidentalis.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>. B11 Iodine.Bush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> G6 Inter-Mountain.Basins. Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN11 Greasewood.Flats<br />
Greasewood.Flat<br />
Greasewood.Flat<br />
5 Artemisia filifolia./.Bouteloua Mapped.with.S<strong>and</strong>- NA NA NA<br />
eriopoda.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
sage.Colorado.Plateau.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>.Torrey’s.<br />
Jointfir.-.Bigelow’s.<br />
Sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
6 Artemisia filifolia.Colorado.Pla- B13 S<strong>and</strong>sage.Colorado. G14 Southern.Colorado.Pla- MG12 Southern.Colorado.Pla- MN21 S<strong>and</strong>sage.-.Fourwing.<br />
teau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> teau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> teau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Saltbush.Colorado.Plateau.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
7 Atriplex canescens./.Pleuraphis B8 Four-wing.Saltbush./. G14 Southern.Colorado.Pla- MG12 Southern.Colorado.Pla- MN21 S<strong>and</strong>sage.-.Fourwing.<br />
jamesii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> teau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> teau.S<strong>and</strong>.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Saltbush.Colorado.Plateau.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
8 Ericameria nauseosa.Desert.Wash. B12 Rubber.Rabbitbrush. G8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG9 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN24 Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Wash Wash<br />
9 Forestiera pubescens.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Not.mapped.as.unique. NA NA NA<br />
base.map.class<br />
10 Gutierrezia sarothrae.-.(Opuntia. B14 Snakeweed.-.(Prickly. G10 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN2 Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
spp.)./.Pleuraphis jamesii.Dwarf- Pear)./.Galleta.Dwarf- Semi-Desert.Shrub- Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>. Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
shrubl<strong>and</strong> shrubl<strong>and</strong> Steppe <strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
11 Isocoma drummondii.-.Pleuraphis B7 Drummond.Golden- G8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG9 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN24 Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
jamesii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> weed.-.Galleta.Shru- Wash Wash<br />
bl<strong>and</strong><br />
12 Iva acerosa.-.Sporobolus airoides.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
13 Krascheninnikovia lanata./.Bouteloua<br />
gracilis.Dwarf-shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
14 Krascheninnikovia lanata.Dwarfshrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
B5 Copperweed.-.Alkali.<br />
Sacaton.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
B17 Winter-fat./.Blue.Grama.<br />
Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Not.mapped.as.unique.<br />
base.map.class<br />
G8 Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Wash<br />
G10 Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Shrub-<br />
Steppe<br />
NA<br />
MG9<br />
MG8<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Wash<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
NA<br />
MN24 Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
MN5<br />
Blue.Grama.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
F3<br />
Appendix F continued<br />
Plant community (associations <strong>and</strong><br />
park specials) Base map class Group map class Macrogroup map class Management map class<br />
15 Purshia stansburiana.-.Eriogonum B4 Cliff-rose.-.Crispleaf. G2 Colorado.Plateau. MG2 Colorado.Plateau.Mixed. MN7 Cliff-rose.-.Crispleaf.Buckcorymbosum.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Buckwheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Mixed.Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>. Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong> wheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
16 Rhus trilobata.-.Ephedra.(viridis,. B16 Three-leafed.Sumac. G2 Colorado.Plateau. MG2 Colorado.Plateau.Mixed. MN23 Vegetated.Rim.Complex<br />
torreyana).Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>. -.Mormon.Tea.Talus. Mixed.Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>. Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
17 Salix exigua./.Barren.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> B6 Coyote.Willow..Shru- G7 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG7 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN10 Coyote.Willow.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
bl<strong>and</strong> Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>. Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
18 Salvia pachyphylla.Dwarf-shru- B3 Blue.Sage.Dwarf-shru- G11 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN6 Blue.Sage.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
bl<strong>and</strong> Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>. bl<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
19 Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.Atriplex B9 Greasewood./.New. G6 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG6 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN11 Greasewood.Flats<br />
obovata.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Mexico.Saltbush.Shru- Greasewood.Flat Greasewood.Flat<br />
bl<strong>and</strong><br />
20 Sarcobatus vermiculatus./.Suaeda B10 Greasewood./.Shrubby. G6 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG6 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN11 Greasewood.Flats<br />
moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Greasewood.Flat Greasewood.Flat<br />
21 Suaeda moquinii.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Not.mapped.as.unique. NA NA NA<br />
base.map.class<br />
22 Tamarix.spp..Temporarily.Flooded. B15 Tamarisk.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> G7 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG7 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN24 Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
Semi-natural.Shrubl<strong>and</strong> Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>. Riparian.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
HERBACEOUS . . .<br />
23 Atriplex obovata./.Sporobolus B25 New.Mexico.Saltbush./. G10 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN2 Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Shrub.Herbaceous.Veg- Steppe <strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
airoides.-.Pleuraphis jamesii.Shrub. Alkali.Sacaton.-.Galleta. Semi-Desert.Shrub- Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
24 Bouteloua eriopoda.-.Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
25 Bouteloua gracilis.-.Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
26 Bouteloua gracilis.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
27 Calamovilfa gigantea.Desert.Wash.<br />
Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
28 Ericameria nauseosa./.Bouteloua<br />
gracilis.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
etation<br />
B20 Black.Grama.-.Galleta.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B22 Blue.Grama.-.Galleta.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B21 Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B24 Giant.S<strong>and</strong>reed.Desert.<br />
Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B26 Rubber.Rabbitbrush./.<br />
Blue.Grama.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
G9<br />
G9<br />
G9<br />
G8<br />
G5<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Wash<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.<br />
Dune<br />
MG8<br />
MG8<br />
MG8<br />
MG9<br />
MG5<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Wash<br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized.<br />
Dune<br />
MN2<br />
MN5<br />
MN5<br />
Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Blue.Grama.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Blue.Grama.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
MN24 .Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
MN2<br />
Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Appendix F: Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class crosswalk
F4<br />
Appendix F continued<br />
Plant community (associations <strong>and</strong><br />
park specials) Base map class Group map class Macrogroup map class Management map class<br />
G9<br />
MG8<br />
MN2<br />
29 Opuntia.whipplei.-.Sporobolus<br />
airoides.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
B28 Whipple.Cholla.-.Alkali.<br />
Sacaton.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain.Basins.<br />
Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
30 Pleuraphis jamesii.-.Sporobolus B23 Galleta.-.Alkali.Sacaton. G9 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN2 Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
airoides.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong> Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>. Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
31 Salsola tragus.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.Vegeta- B27 Russian.Thistle.S<strong>and</strong>. G5 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG5 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN19 Russian.Thistle.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<br />
tion Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong> Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized. Active.<strong>and</strong>.Stabilized. <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Dune<br />
Dune<br />
32 Sporobolus airoides.-.Bouteloua B19 Alkali.Sacaton.-.Blue. G9 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN2 Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
gracilis.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong> Grama.Herbaceous. Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>. Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
33 Sporobolus airoides.Southern. B18 Alkali.Sacaton..Herba- G9 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN2 Alkali.Sacaton.Steppe.<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plains.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>. ceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>. Mixed.Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
34 Sporobolus corom<strong>and</strong>elianus.Her- Not.mapped.as.unique. NA NA NA<br />
baceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
base.map.class<br />
35 Sporobolus crypt<strong>and</strong>rus.Great. Not.mapped.as.unique. NA NA NA<br />
Basin.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
base.map.class<br />
SPARSE . . . .<br />
36 Atriplex obovata.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse. B30 New.Mexico.Saltbush. G10 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN3 Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.Vegeta- Semi-Desert.Shrub- Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
tion Steppe <strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
37 Ephedra.torreyana.-.Artemisia B32 Torrey’s.Jointfir.-. G10 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN23 Vegetated.Rim.Complex<br />
bigelovii.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong> Bigelow’s.Sagebrush. Semi-Desert.Shrub- Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong> Steppe <strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
38 Eriogonum leptophyllum.Sparse. B31 Slender.Buckwheat. G11 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN23 Vegetated.Rim.Complex<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong> Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
39 Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei..Sparse.Vegeta- B29 Arizona.Siltbush.Sparse. G11 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN3 Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
tion <strong>Vegetation</strong> Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B33 Airstrip G15 Transportation MG13 Transportation MN1 Airstrip<br />
a.plant.community.assignment<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B34 Barren.Badl<strong>and</strong>s G11 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN2 Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
a.plant.community.assignment Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B35 Barren.Wash G8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG9 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN4 Barren.Wash<br />
a.plant.community.assignment Wash Wash<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B36 Park.Facilities G12 Park.Facilities MG10 Park.Facilities MN13 Park.Facilities<br />
a.plant.community.assignment<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B37 Park.Sites G12 Park.Facilities MG10 Park.Facilities MN14 Park.Sites<br />
a.plant.community.assignment<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
Appendix F continued<br />
Plant community (associations <strong>and</strong><br />
park specials) Base map class Group map class Macrogroup map class Management map class<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B38 Railroad G15 Transportation MG13 Transportation MN15 Railroad<br />
a.plant.community.assignment<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B39 Residences G13 Residential MG10 Park.Facilities MN13 Park.Facilities<br />
a.plant.community.assignment<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B40 Roads G15 Transportation MG13 Transportation MN16 Residences<br />
a.plant.community.assignment<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B41 Run-off.Control.Feature G1 Agriculture MG1 Agriculture MN18 Run-off.Control.Feature<br />
a.plant.community.assignment<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B42 S<strong>and</strong> G11 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN20 S<strong>and</strong>./.Mudflat<br />
a.plant.community.assignment Shale.Badl<strong>and</strong> Semi-Desert.Grassl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
<strong>and</strong>.Steppe<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B43 Stock.Ponds G1 Agriculture MG1 Agriculture MN22 Stock.Ponds<br />
a.plant.community.assignment<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B44 Vegetated.Rim.Complex G2 Colorado.Plateau. MG2 Colorado.Plateau.Mixed. MN23 Vegetated.Rim.Complex<br />
a.plant.community.assignment Mixed.Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>. Bedrock.<strong>and</strong>.Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B45 Vegetated.Wash.Com- G8 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MG9 Inter-Mountain.Basins. MN24 Vegetated.Wash.Complex<br />
a.plant.community.assignment plex Wash Wash<br />
L<strong>and</strong>.cover/L<strong>and</strong>.use.type.without. B46 Commercial.Develop- G4 Development MG4 Development MN8 Commercial.Development<br />
a.plant.community.assignment ment<br />
Appendix F: Plant community <strong>and</strong> map class crosswalk<br />
F5
Appendix G<br />
Map.Class.Summaries<br />
These map class summaries provide statistics for each base map class, list the group <strong>and</strong> management<br />
classes for each base map class, <strong>and</strong> show accuracy results for all four map class levels. The<br />
photointerpreter provided examples of the base map-class photosignature <strong>and</strong> commented on the<br />
aerial photo interpretation of the base map class. The gray toned aerial photography views are from<br />
panchromatic imagery, <strong>and</strong> the colored views are from the 2003/04 1:6,000 true color imagery. Field<br />
photographs <strong>and</strong> photosignature images appear to the left of the summaries.<br />
G1
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
B 1.Cottonwood./.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong>..............................................................G.4<br />
B 2.One-seed.Juniper./.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>......................................................G<br />
5<br />
B 3..Blue.Sage.Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong>...........................................................................................G.6<br />
B 4..Cliff-rose.-.Crispleaf.Buckwheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>...................................................................G7<br />
B 5..Copperweed.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.......................................................................G8<br />
B 6..Coyote.Willow.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>...............................................................................................G9<br />
B 7..Drummond.Goldenweed.-.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.............................................................G<br />
10<br />
B 8..Four-wing.Saltbush./.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.......................................................................G11<br />
B 9..Greasewood./.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..........................................................G12<br />
B 10.Greasewood./.Shrubby.Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.............................................................G13<br />
B 11.Iodine.Bush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..................................................................................................G14<br />
B 12.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..............................................................G<br />
15<br />
B 13.S<strong>and</strong>sage.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.......................................................................G16<br />
B 14.Snakeweed.-.(Prickly.Pear)./.Galleta.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>...............................................G17<br />
B 15.Tamarisk.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>......................................................................................................G18<br />
B 16.Three-leafed.Sumac.-.Mormon.Tea.Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>..................................................G19<br />
B 17..Winter-fat./.Blue.Grama.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.................................................................G<br />
20<br />
B 18.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.......................................................................G21<br />
B 19.Alkali.Sacaton.-.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>................................................G22<br />
B 20.Black.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>...........................................................G23<br />
B 21.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>...........................................................................G24<br />
B 22.Blue.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>............................................................G<br />
25<br />
B 23.Galleta.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>........................................................G26<br />
B 24.Giant.S<strong>and</strong>reed.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>....................................G27<br />
B 25.New.Mexico.Saltbush./.Alkali.Sacaton.–.Galleta.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.....G28<br />
B 26..Rubber.Rabbitbrush./.Blue.Grama.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>...........................G29<br />
B 27.Russian.Thistle.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong>........................................................................G<br />
30<br />
B 28.Whipple.Cholla.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>...............................G31<br />
B 29.Arizona.Siltbush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>............................................................................G32<br />
B 30.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.....................................................G33<br />
B 31.Slender.Buckwheat.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>........................................................................G34<br />
B 32.Torrey’s.Jointfir.–.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>........................................G<br />
35<br />
B 33.Airstrip.......................................................................................................................... G36<br />
B 34.Barren.Badl<strong>and</strong>s............................................................................................................G37<br />
B 35.Barren.Wash..................................................................................................................G38<br />
G2
Appendix G: Map Class summaries<br />
B36.Park.Facilities.........................................................................................................G39<br />
B37.Park.Sites.................................................................................................................G40<br />
B38.Railroad..................................................................................................................G41<br />
B39.Residences..............................................................................................................G42<br />
B40.Roads......................................................................................................................G43<br />
B41.Run-off.Control.Feature........................................................................................G44<br />
B42.S<strong>and</strong>........................................................................................................................G45<br />
B43.Stock.Ponds............................................................................................................G46<br />
B44.Vegetated.Rim.Complex........................................................................................G47<br />
B45.Vegetated.Wash.Complex.....................................................................................G48<br />
B46.Commercial.Development.....................................................................................G49<br />
G3
G4<br />
B1 Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G1..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B1,.<br />
Cottonwood./.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Location: This map class was only mapped along the Puerco River corridor but it was also seen in small<br />
patches near a cattle tank in the northwestern corner of the environs <strong>and</strong> in the southwestern corner of<br />
the park along Highway 180.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was restricted to areas with intermittent stream flow. Populus fremontii<br />
trees appeared as large, bright green, globular crowns. Ericameria nauseosa shrubs appeared as large, gray<br />
green shrubs in the understory.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Populus fremontii / Ericameria nauseosa Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 4<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 11<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 5 (5.5% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
Area of map class in park & environs<br />
Proportion of map class in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 88.5%<br />
1.7 ha / 4.3 ac<br />
15.2 ha / 37.6 ac<br />
Base map class accuracy user 100.0 (42.5 - 100.0), producer 66.7 (25.4 - 92.2)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 40.9 (25.6 - 58.2), producer 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 100.0 (42.5 - 100.0), producer 66.7 (25.4 - 92.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 40.9 (25.6 - 58.2), producer 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8)<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G2..Photosignature.for.map.class.B1,.<br />
Cottonwood./.Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Woodl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 3 AA observation sites
B2 One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was located throughout the park <strong>and</strong> its<br />
environs in a few small to large map units. These map units tended to occur on higher elevation mesas <strong>and</strong><br />
plateaus <strong>and</strong> were most frequent on Chinde Mesa, Headquarters Mesa, <strong>and</strong> in the southwestern corner of<br />
the project area.<br />
Photosignature: Juniperus monosperma appeared as small, globular, green trees. They tended to be the<br />
tallest vegetation in the upl<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> were easily identified. Artemisia bigelovii, a gray green dwarf shrub,<br />
was not easily identifiable. In areas where the soil had a strong color, Artemisia bigelovii were not always<br />
observable. In these areas, the dwarf shrubs were inferred to co-occur with Juniperus monosperma. In<br />
other areas, a uniform, gray green, smooth, speckled signature indicative of Artemisia bigelovii could be<br />
seen. Artemisia bigelovii did not always occur as a dominant species in the understory; in some areas it<br />
occurred only as an indicator species.<br />
G5<br />
Figure.G3..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B2,.Oneseed.Juniper./.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Figure.G4..Photosignature.for.map.class.B2,.Oneseed.Juniper./.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Juniperus monosperma / Artemisia bigelovii Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 1)<br />
Management map class One-seed Juniper / Bigelow's Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (1<br />
of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 1)<br />
Number of map units in park 11<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 27<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 16 (1.6% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
70.8 ha / 174.9 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
211.4 ha / 522.3 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.2%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 66.5%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
user 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8), producer 100.0 (NA)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8), producer 100.0 (76.9 - 100.0)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8), producer 100.0 (76.9 - 100.0)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8), producer 100.0 (76.9 - 100.0)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 12 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G6<br />
B3 Blue Sage Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G5..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B3,.Blue.<br />
Sage.Dwarf-Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Location: This map class was restricted to Chinde Mesa <strong>and</strong> its associated drainages. It occurred on the<br />
steep slopes of the mesa.<br />
Photosignature: This map class commonly occurred on deep, red clay soils. The shrubs appeared as<br />
grayish green, small, regularly spaced specks. Salvia pachyphylla was not easily distinguishable from other<br />
shrubs on the photos. Field data <strong>and</strong> locality information were used to determine the extent of this map<br />
class in the Chinde Mesa area. This map class also had occasional Juniperus osteosperma <strong>and</strong> Pinus edulis<br />
trees that appeared as large, globular trees that gradated from higher elevations.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Salvia pachyphylla Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 5)<br />
Management map class Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 6<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 12<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 4 (0.8% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
69.2 ha / 171.0 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
122.8 ha / 303.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.2%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 43.7%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 100.0 (68.9 - 100.0), producer 100.0 (68.9 -<br />
100.0)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 60.2 (51.5 - 68.4), producer 62.4 (53.5 - 70.5)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 100.0 (68.9 - 100.0), producer 100.0 (68.9 -<br />
100.0)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 6 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G6..Photosignature.for.map.class.B3,.Blue.<br />
Sage.Dwark-Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.
B4 Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was restricted to Headquarters Mesa on the basaltcapped<br />
terraces.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was distinguished by the dark color of the underlying basaltic soils.<br />
Purshia stansburiana appeared on the photos as a large, dark green, scraggly shrub, <strong>and</strong> it occurred in low<br />
abundance with a patchy distribution. The understory, including Eriogonum corymbosum, was not easy to<br />
distinguish <strong>and</strong> typically looked like a mixture of dark green shrubs between the basaltic rocks.<br />
G7<br />
Figure.G7..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B4,.Cliffrose.-.Crispleaf.Buckwheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Figure.G8..Photosignature.for.map.class.B4,.<br />
Cliff-rose.-.Crispleaf.Buckwheat.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Purshia stansburiana - Eriogonum corymbosum Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 11<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 11<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 0 (0.0% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
57.1 ha / 141.1 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
57.1 ha / 141.1 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.2%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 66.7 (43.1 - 84.1), producer 88.9 (62.3 - 97.5)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 52.9 (41.6 - 64.0), producer 73.0 (59.7 - 83.1)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 66.7 (43.1 - 84.1), producer 88.9 (62.3 - 97.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 52.9 (41.6 - 64.0), producer 77.1 (63.8 - 86.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
5 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 7 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G8<br />
B5 Copperweed - Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G9..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B5,.<br />
Copperweed.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: Copperweed - Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong> was only mapped in two locations, both near the one<br />
classification relevé measured of this map class. This community type was not easily identified on aerial<br />
photography <strong>and</strong> was delineated based on field data from the southwestern slopes of Chinde Mesa. This<br />
map class occurred on the bank of a wash <strong>and</strong> likely occurs in small patches in other areas.<br />
Photosignature: The photosignature consisted of a dense patch of vegetation along the banks <strong>and</strong> in the<br />
middle of a wash. The vegetation appeared to be a bright green, homogenous color. This signature is typical<br />
of washes, <strong>and</strong> since it was not distinct enough to identify in other areas, we restricted our delineations<br />
of this map class to the one area with field data <strong>and</strong> extrapolated from there.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Iva acerosa - Sporobolus airoides Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Wash Complex (1 of 6)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Number of map units in park 2<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 2<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 1 (12.1% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
2.0 ha / 4.9 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
2.0 ha / 4.9 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 0.0, producer 0.0<br />
Group map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.7 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 70.2 (61.5 - 77.7), producer 80.8 (72.2 - 87.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.5 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
1 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 2 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G10..Photosignature.for.map.class.B5,.<br />
Copperweed.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.
B6 Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> occurred in a few small patches near the Puerco River in the park <strong>and</strong><br />
several map units in the park environs. This map class had higher abundance <strong>and</strong> coverage outside the<br />
park boundary. It requires habitats with periodic stream flow.<br />
Photosignature: This type appeared as pale green, shrubby vegetation of medium height on isl<strong>and</strong>s in<br />
the channels of the Puerco River <strong>and</strong> large tributaries <strong>and</strong> along their margins. It often occurred alongside<br />
young saltcedar st<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
G9<br />
Figure.G11..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B6,.<br />
Coyote.Willow.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Figure.G12..Photosignature.for.map.class.B6,.<br />
Coyote.Willow.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Salix exigua / Barren Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 3<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 6<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 4 (7.7% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
2.2 ha / 5.4 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
13.2 ha / 32.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 83.4%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 100.0 (27.0 - 100.0), producer 100.0 (27.0 -<br />
100.0)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 40.9 (25.6 - 58.2), producer 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 100.0 (27.0 - 100.0), producer 100.0 (27.0 -<br />
100.0)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 40.9 (25.6 - 58.2), producer 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 1 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G10<br />
B7 Drummond Goldenweed - Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G13..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B7,.<br />
Drummond.Goldenweed.-.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Location: This map class typically occurred in washes <strong>and</strong> areas with temporary stream flow. Only one<br />
relevé was sampled of this map class <strong>and</strong> it is known to occur on the terrace between two washes.<br />
Photosignature: This map class did not have a distinct tone, texture, or color. It was identified solely by<br />
field observation.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Isocoma drummondii - Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Wash Complex (1 of 6)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Number of map units in park 0<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 1<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 0 (0.0% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
0.0 ha / 0.0 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
0.8 ha / 1.9 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 100.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy user NS, producer 0.0<br />
Group map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.7 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 70.2 (61.5 - 77.7), producer 80.8 (72.2 - 87.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.5 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
1 2003 relevés, 3 1996 relevés, 8 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G14..Photosignature.for.map.class.B7,.<br />
Drummond.Goldenweed.-.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.
B8 Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: This map class was one of the most common steppe vegetation communities in the mapping<br />
area. It occurred throughout the project area on s<strong>and</strong>y soils <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> dunes. The only areas in the park<br />
that seemed to lack this map class were locations with sparse badl<strong>and</strong> clay soils.<br />
Photosignature: Atriplex canescens appeared as a distinct, crisp speck on the photos. It tended to have a<br />
brownish green appearance. Although the s<strong>and</strong>y soils tended to mask the graminoids, the photosignature<br />
for this type often included patches of dense, green grasses. Pleuraphis jamesii cannot be isolated from<br />
other grass species, so the understory for this map class is a mix of herbaceous species. The understory<br />
often appeared as a light reddish/tan/brownish color <strong>and</strong> had a smooth appearance. Depending on where<br />
this community occurred, the abundance <strong>and</strong> cover of shrubs varies.<br />
G11<br />
Figure.G15..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B8,.<br />
Four-wing.Saltbush./.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Figure.G16..Photosignature.for.map.class.B8,.<br />
Four-wing.Saltbush./.Galleta.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Atriplex canescens / Pleuraphis jamesii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 2)<br />
Management map class<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage - Fourwing Saltbush Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(1 of 2)<br />
Macrogroup map class Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 2)<br />
Number of map units in park 635<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 803<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 217 (0.8% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
5473.8 ha / 13526.2 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
7339.8 ha / 18137.0 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 14.4%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 25.4%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 40.0 (26.7 - 54.9), producer 26.7 (17.4 - 38.9)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 67.8 (57.2 - 76.8), producer 55.6 (45.9 - 64.8)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 67.8 (57.3 - 76.8), producer 55.6 (45.9 - 64.8)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 67.8 (57.2 - 76.8), producer 56.3 (46.6 - 65.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
4 2003 relevés, 5 1996 relevés, 51 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G12<br />
B9 Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G17..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B9,.<br />
Greasewood./.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: This type occurred in the Puerco River corridor in areas with high salinity <strong>and</strong> periodic water<br />
flow.<br />
Photosignature: Sarcobatus vermiculatus shrubs occurred as bright green, large, smooth shrubs. The<br />
spaces between the shrubs were often bright white, due to the high soil salinity. Sarcobatus vermiculatus<br />
also appeared to have a sprawling pattern. This map class also had smaller, light green, speckled shrubs of<br />
Atriplex obovata that were occasionally visible, depending on their contrast with the soil coloration.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Atriplex obovata Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Greasewood Flats (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat (1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 42<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 48<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 6 (0.8% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
186.5 ha / 460.8 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
212.3 ha / 524.6 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.5%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 12.2%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 41.9 (28.6 - 56.6), producer 81.3 (61.2 - 92.2)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 15 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G18..Photosignature.for.map.class.B9,.<br />
Greasewood./.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.
B10 Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: This type was found in low areas of poor drainage <strong>and</strong> high salinity, with periodic water flow.<br />
The areas were located south of the Puerco River in the river corridor.<br />
Photosignature: Sarcobatus vermiculatus shrubs appeared as large, bright green, <strong>and</strong> smooth on the<br />
aerial photos. Suaeda torreyana were small, slightly darker, <strong>and</strong> less rounded than Atriplex obovata. This<br />
type occurred in proximity to Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
G13<br />
Figure.G19..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B10,.<br />
Greasewood./.Shrubby.Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G20..Photosignature.for.map.class.B10,.<br />
Greasewood./.Shrubby.Seepweed.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Suaeda moquinii Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Greasewood Flats (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat (1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 2<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 3<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 0 (0.0% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
6.3 ha / 15.6 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
7.4 ha / 18.3 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 14.9%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 100.0 (27.0 - 100.0), producer 20.0 (4.6 - 56.5)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
1 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 5 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G14<br />
B11 Iodine Bush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G21..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B11,.<br />
Iodine.Bush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Location: Allenrolfea occidentalis typically occurred in areas with saline <strong>and</strong> alkaline soils, mostly where<br />
there was temporary stream flow. It was mapped in the Painted Desert Wilderness area in larger washes<br />
<strong>and</strong> areas with sheetflow.<br />
Photosignature: Allenrolfea occidentalis appeared as a dark green, globular shrub on the photos. Since it<br />
was the dominant shrub in this map class with little other vegetative cover, this map class had large spaces<br />
between the shrubs, creating a mottled signature. The other prominent feature in this map class was the<br />
soil. The soil was often whitish due to the high salt content. Evidence of intermittent stream flow was also<br />
apparent on the photos, with water flow patterns appearing as striations on the whitish soils.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Allenrolfea occidentalis Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Greasewood Flats (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat (1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 25<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 27<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 9 (4.6% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
49.6 ha / 122.6 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
56.1 ha / 138.7 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.1%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 11.6%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 21.1 (9.8 - 39.5), producer 66.7 (34.7 - 88.3)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 47.1 (36.0 - 58.4), producer 85.7 (71.7 - 93.4)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
1 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 8 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G22..Photosignature.for.map.class.B11,.<br />
Iodine.Bush.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.
Figure.G23..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B12,.<br />
Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities Ericameria nauseosa Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Wash Complex (1 of 6)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 224<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 55 (2.7% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park 343.5 ha / 848.9 ac<br />
Total area of map class 508.4 ha / 1256.4 ac<br />
B12 Rubber Rabbitbrush Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: This map class was almost always restricted to areas adjacent to washes. It typically occurred on<br />
terraces, banks of washes, or in areas with temporary stream flow, including the tributary washes of the<br />
Puerco River, Dry Wash, Cottonwood Wash, <strong>and</strong> Jim Camp Wash.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was distinguished by the large shrub Ericameria nauseosa. This shrub<br />
was often much larger than the surrounding vegetation. Ericameria nauseosa tended to have a light green<br />
color <strong>and</strong> a fairly smooth texture. The associated vegetation varied significantly depending on the location.<br />
In some areas, high shrub <strong>and</strong> herbaceous cover could be seen. However, in all areas of this map class the<br />
tall height of Ericameria nauseosa stood out in contrast to the height of other shrubs.<br />
Number of map units in park 161<br />
G15<br />
Figure.G24..Photosignature.for.map.class.B12,.<br />
Rubber.Rabbitbrush.Desert.Wash.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.9%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 32.4%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 35.5 (23.0 - 50.3), producer 64.7 (44.9 - 80.5)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.7 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 70.2 (61.5 - 77.7), producer 80.8 (72.2 - 87.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.5 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Documentation for base map class 8 2003 relevés, 10 1996 relevés, 17 AA observation <br />
sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G16<br />
B13 S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G25..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B13,.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Figure.G26..Photosignature.for.map.class.B13,.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage.Colorado.Plateau.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Location: This map class occurred frequently throughout the park. It mainly occurred on s<strong>and</strong>y soils <strong>and</strong><br />
on s<strong>and</strong> dunes. This map class was one of the most common map classes outside of the badl<strong>and</strong>s, occurring<br />
in areas with alluvial soil development. The highest number of map units occurred in the park <strong>and</strong> its<br />
environs from the central hourglass portion to the southern project boundary.<br />
Photosignature: Artemisia filifolia appeared as a soft, smooth, gray green shrub. It typically appeared<br />
on the photos as a regularly spaced shrub. The herbaceous <strong>and</strong> associated species in the shrub layer were<br />
highly variable. In some areas, small shrubs could co-occur with Artemisia filifolia, which appeared as a<br />
smooth, light brown herbaceous cover, <strong>and</strong>/or a sparse understory. The most reliable feature of this map<br />
class was typically the s<strong>and</strong>y soils. The s<strong>and</strong>y soils were light brown with a soft texture. In areas with active<br />
s<strong>and</strong> dunes, the bumpy relief of the dunes was apparent on the photos.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Artemisia filifolia Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 2)<br />
Management map class<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage - Fourwing Saltbush Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(1 of 2)<br />
Macrogroup map class Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 2)<br />
Number of map units in park 747<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 1032<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 413 (2.3% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
2577.8 ha / 6369.8 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
4492.3 ha / 11100.8 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 6.8%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 42.6%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 58.6 (43.5 - 72.3), producer 63.0 (47.2 - 76.4)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 67.8 (57.2 - 76.8), producer 55.6 (45.9 - 64.8)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 67.8 (57.3 - 76.8), producer 55.6 (45.9 - 64.8)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 67.8 (57.2 - 76.8), producer 56.3 (46.6 - 65.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
8 2003 relevés, 6 1996 relevés, 28 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B14 Snakeweed - (Prickly Pear) / Galleta Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: This map class commonly occurs in disturbed areas. It occurred outside of the park boundary in<br />
areas with grazing impacts <strong>and</strong> within the park in areas with human disturbance, such as along pipelines,<br />
road corridors, <strong>and</strong> near developments.<br />
Photosignature: Gutierrezia sarothrae appeared as a mottled, patchy signature of a greenish brown<br />
shrub. It often appeared to have a low cover of herbaceous species. The light brownish hue may have indicated<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii. In some areas, the total vegetation cover was low <strong>and</strong> the low cover was characteristic<br />
of this class. This map class tended to occur on deep, red clay soil. This signature was not particularly<br />
strong <strong>and</strong> its identification was often based on field data <strong>and</strong> extrapolated to surrounding areas.<br />
G17<br />
Figure.G27..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B14,.<br />
Snakeweed.-.(Prickly.Pear)./.Galleta.Dwarfshrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Figure.G28..Photosignature.for.map.class.B14,.<br />
Snakeweed.-.(Prickly.Pear)./.Galleta.Dwarfshrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Gutierrezia sarothrae - (Opuntia spp.) / Pleuraphis jamesii<br />
Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe (1 of<br />
5)<br />
Management map class Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 8)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 30<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 48<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 4 (0.2% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
169.7 ha / 419.4 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
438.7 ha / 1084.1 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.4%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 61.3%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
user 0.0, producer NS<br />
Group map class accuracy user 41.8 (34.7 - 49.2), producer 38.1 (31.5 - 45.1)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 73.0 (66.9 - 78.3), producer 64.0 (58.0 - 69.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 13 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G18<br />
B15 Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G29..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B15,.<br />
Tamarisk.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Location: Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong> occurred in small patches along riparian corridors, predominately in the<br />
Puerco River corridor, <strong>and</strong> in small patches in the northern wilderness area in areas with a high water table.<br />
It is also known to occur in areas with human development, such as near residences <strong>and</strong> stock ponds.<br />
Photosignature: Tamarix spp. appeared as small tree with a smooth texture <strong>and</strong> a bright green crown. It<br />
often occurred in thick patches or linear st<strong>and</strong>s, without any other obvious understory species.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Tamarix spp. Semi-Natural Temporarily Flooded Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Wash Complex (1 of 6)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
(1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 30<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 59<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 19 (3.0% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
62.0 ha / 153.3 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
154.6 ha / 382.1 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.2%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 59.9%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 31.6 (17.3 - 50.4), producer 85.7 (54.8 - 96.7)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 40.9 (25.6 - 58.2), producer 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 70.2 (61.5 - 77.7), producer 80.8 (72.2 - 87.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 40.9 (25.6 - 58.2), producer 81.8 (57.3 - 93.8)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 1 1996 relevés, 6 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G30..Photosignature.for.map.class.B15,.<br />
Tamarisk.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.
B16 Three-leafed Sumac - Mormon Tea Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: Mormon Tea - Three-leafed Sumac Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong> occurred in a few small areas throughout<br />
the mapping area, including the southwestern corner of the northern section of the park, the northwestern<br />
corner of the southern section of the park near Jasper Forest, <strong>and</strong> in several rocky outcrops in the<br />
southern section of the park south of Jasper Forest. It was found on talus slopes <strong>and</strong> often in areas with<br />
large s<strong>and</strong>stone boulders.<br />
Photosignature: Large boulders <strong>and</strong> bedrock were the most distinct features in this map class. They appeared<br />
as large blocks on the edges <strong>and</strong> slopes of mesas. Ephedra viridis <strong>and</strong> Rhus trilobata both appeared<br />
as a deep green color. The talus slopes were often sparsely vegetated with a few individual specks of<br />
shrubs scattered between the boulder cracks. Because it was difficult to distinguish different plant characteristics<br />
among the talus slopes, this class was often lumped in with the Rim Complex.<br />
G19<br />
Figure.G31..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B16,.<br />
Three-leafed.Sumac.-.Mormon.Tea.Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Figure.G32..Photosignature.for.map.class.B16,.<br />
Three-leafed.Sumac.-.Mormon.Tea.Talus.Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Rhus trilobata - Ephedra (viridis, torreyana) Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Group map class Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Rim Complex (1 of 4)<br />
Macrogroup map class Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 19<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 24<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 6 (1.3% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
36.2 ha / 89.5 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
98.3 ha / 242.8 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.1%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 63.2%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 9.1 (2.1 - 32.3), producer 20.0 (4.6 - 56.5)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 52.9 (41.6 - 64.0), producer 73.0 (59.7 - 83.1)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 72.4 (63.9 - 79.5), producer 77.8 (69.0 - 84.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 52.9 (41.6 - 64.0), producer 77.1 (63.8 - 86.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
3 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 5 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G20<br />
B17 Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Figure.G33..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B17,.<br />
Winter-fat./.Blue.Grama.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Figure.G34..Photosignature.for.map.class.B17,.<br />
Winter-fat./.Blue.Grama.Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Location: Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> was mapped at one location in the park: northeast of<br />
The Flattops. This map class occurred intermittently in the s<strong>and</strong>y soils of the project area.<br />
Photosignature: Krascheninnikovia lanata tended to appear on the photos as a dark, gray green, smooth<br />
dwarf-shrub. In some areas the interspaces have a tan or pale tan color <strong>and</strong> a smooth texture, indicating<br />
herbaceous bunch grasses <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>y soils. Bouteloua gracilis was not distinguishable from other grasses<br />
<strong>and</strong> was not easily identifiable on the photos. In other areas, the cover of Krascheninnikovia lanata was<br />
particularly high <strong>and</strong> the texture appeared smooth with one solid, gray green color.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Krascheninnikovia lanata / Bouteloua gracilis Dwarfshrub<br />
Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe (1 of<br />
5)<br />
Management map class Blue Grama Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 1<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 1<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 0 (0.0% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
3.0 ha / 7.4 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
3.0 ha / 7.4 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
user 0.0 (NA), producer 0.0 (NA)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 41.8 (34.7 - 49.2), producer 38.1 (31.5 - 45.1)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 40.0 (22.3 - 60.7), producer 27.3 (14.8 - 44.7)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
1 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 6 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B18 Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Location: Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> occurred in small patches throughout the project area.<br />
This map class mainly occurred in the grassl<strong>and</strong>s in the northeastern, central, <strong>and</strong> southern sections of the<br />
park. It was often found in habitats with a little extra moisture such as areas with periodic sheet flow <strong>and</strong><br />
in small drainages.<br />
Photosignature: This photosignature st<strong>and</strong>s out in the short-grass prairie. It commonly appeared in dense<br />
linear patches that follow small washes or sheet-flow features. The color tended to be a light yellow to<br />
greenish brown. Although Sporobolus airoides commonly occurred throughout the park, this map class<br />
tended to have a higher cover <strong>and</strong> could be easily distinguished from mixed herbaceous associations of the<br />
adjacent map classes.<br />
G21<br />
Figure.G35..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B18,.Alkali.<br />
Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G36..Photosignature.for.map.class.B18,.<br />
Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Sporobolus airoides Southern Plains Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 7)<br />
Management map class Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 8)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 47<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 59<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 24 (4.6% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
92.3 ha / 228.0 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
125.3 ha / 309.6 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.2%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 26.3%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 20.0 (10.1 - 35.8), producer 13.5 (6.7 - 25.3)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 69.3 (60.8 - 76.7), producer 44.9 (38.0 - 51.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 73.0 (66.9 - 78.3), producer 64.0 (58.0 - 69.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 3 1996 relevés, 36 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G22<br />
B19 Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Figure.G37..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B19,.<br />
Alkali.Sacaton.-.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G38..Photosignature.for.map.class.<br />
B19,.Alkali.Sacaton.-.Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Location: Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> occurred throughout the project area. Three<br />
main areas of this association occurred, including the northeastern section of the project area, the central<br />
neck area between the Puerco River <strong>and</strong> Interstate 40, <strong>and</strong> east of The Flattops. This map class was almost<br />
equally distributed between the NPS l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> the project environs.<br />
Photosignature: Grass species were not easily identifiable on the aerial photography. The photosignature<br />
appeared to have a smooth texture <strong>and</strong> depending on the herbaceous cover, the color appeared to have a<br />
green to grayish brown color. This map class was difficult to distinguish from the most of the other shortgrass<br />
herbaceous map classes. It was most commonly identified during the photointerpretation from the<br />
field data collection <strong>and</strong> extrapolated from these locations.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Sporobolus airoides - Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 7)<br />
Management map class Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 8)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 24<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 42<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 12 (0.9% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
284.2 ha / 702.3 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
377.1 ha / 931.8 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.7%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 24.6%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 37.5 (20.8 - 57.8), producer 15.0 (8.0 - 26.5)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 69.3 (60.8 - 76.7), producer 44.9 (38.0 - 51.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 73.0 (66.9 - 78.3), producer 64.0 (58.0 - 69.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
7 2003 relevés, 6 1996 relevés, 41 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B20 Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Location: Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> was only mapped in the park in five locations,<br />
four by the northern headquarters office <strong>and</strong> one in the central neck section of the park.<br />
Photosignature: Because the different grass species (especially the Bouteloua) were difficult to distinguish<br />
from one another on the aerial photos, this type was not mapped. Black grama was observed to occur<br />
in patches in the midst of other vegetation types <strong>and</strong> was usually incorporated into the surrounding map<br />
classes (e.g. S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong>).<br />
G23<br />
Figure.G39..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B20,.<br />
Black.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G40..Photosignature.for.map.class.B20,.<br />
Black.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Bouteloua eriopoda - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 7)<br />
Management map class Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 8)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 5<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 5<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 1 (0.8% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
23.6 ha / 58.3 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
23.6 ha / 58.3 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.1%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
user 0.0, producer NS<br />
Group map class accuracy user 69.3 (60.8 - 76.7), producer 44.9 (38.0 - 51.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 73.0 (66.9 - 78.3), producer 64.0 (58.0 - 69.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
4 2003 relevés, 1 1996 relevés, 1 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G24<br />
B21 Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Figure.G41..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B21,.<br />
Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G42..Photosignature.for.map.class.B21,.<br />
Blue.Grama.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Location: Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> occurred in a few small patches throughout the mapping<br />
area, including the northwestern corner around Pilot Rock, the southwestern portion of the northern half<br />
of the park, the central neck area of the project boundary, <strong>and</strong> the southern half of the park near The Flattops<br />
<strong>and</strong> Agate House. The majority of this map class occurred in the project environs, outside of the park<br />
boundary.<br />
Photosignature: Bouteloua gracilis was not easily identifiable on the aerial photos from other short<br />
stature grasses at Petrified Forest NP. Field data was used to extrapolate the boundaries of this map class<br />
within adjacent herbaceous communities. This map class had a similar color <strong>and</strong> texture to other herbaceous<br />
map classes. Depending on the soil color <strong>and</strong> vegetative cover, the color of the map class varied<br />
from a light red to a light brown. The vegetation was patchy with low total herbaceous cover in areas.<br />
Where the herbaceous cover was present, the grasses had a homogenous texture.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Bouteloua gracilis Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 7)<br />
Management map class Blue Grama Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 17<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 28<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 8 (0.1% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
33.6 ha / 83.0 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
261.1 ha / 645.1 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park<br />
0.1% park l<strong>and</strong> cover<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 87.1%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 0.0, producer 0.0<br />
Group map class accuracy user 69.3 (60.8 - 76.7), producer 44.9 (38.0 - 51.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 40.0 (22.3 - 60.7), producer 27.3 (14.8 - 44.7)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
9 2003 relevés, 21 1996 relevés, 2 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B22 Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Location: Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> occurred in a few small patches throughout the<br />
mapping area, including the northwestern corner around Pilot Rock, the area near the northern headquarters<br />
office, central neck area, <strong>and</strong> in the southern portion of the park.<br />
Photosignature: Individual grass species were not identifiable <strong>and</strong> together they combined into one solid<br />
color, varying from light green to brown. Depending on the soil color, the herbaceous cover was more or<br />
less prominent. The texture could be patchy depending on the total vegetation cover.<br />
G25<br />
Figure.G43..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B22,.<br />
Blue.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G44..Photosignature.for.map.class.B22,.<br />
Blue.Grama.-.Galleta.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Bouteloua gracilis - Pleuraphis jamesii Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 7)<br />
Management map class Blue Grama Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 17<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 31<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 4 (0.1% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
145.0 ha / 358.3 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
544.1 ha / 1344.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.4%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 73.4%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 33.3 (14.2 - 30.2), producer 18.8 (7.8 - 38.8)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 69.3 (60.8 - 76.7), producer 44.9 (38.0 - 51.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 40.0 (22.3 - 60.7), producer 27.3 (14.8 - 44.7)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
3 2003 relevés, 13 1996 relevés, 16 AA observation<br />
sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G26<br />
B23 Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Figure.G45..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B23,.<br />
Galleta.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>..<br />
Figure.G46..Photosignature.for.map.class.B23,.<br />
Galleta.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>..<br />
Location: Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> was located throughout the park <strong>and</strong> project<br />
environs. This map class was most abundant in the central <strong>and</strong> southern parts of the park <strong>and</strong> was more<br />
abundant in both size <strong>and</strong> number of map units in the park environs than inside the park boundary. It was<br />
often found on s<strong>and</strong>y soils.<br />
Photosignature: This photosignature had a smooth texture <strong>and</strong> depending on its cover, the color appeared<br />
as a green to grayish color. This map class was difficult to distinguish from the other herbaceous<br />
map classes <strong>and</strong> was most commonly identified from the field data collection <strong>and</strong> extrapolated from these<br />
locations. This type commonly occurred in areas adjacent to the Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Pleuraphis jamesii - Sporobolus airoides Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 7)<br />
Management map class Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 8)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 253<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 535<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 97 (0.7% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
1586.0 ha / 3919.2 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
4143.3 ha / 10238.3 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 4.2%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 61.7%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 55.2 (40.2 - 69.3), producer 37.2 (26.2 - 49.8)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 69.3 (60.8 - 76.7), producer 44.9 (38.0 - 51.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 73.0 (66.9 - 78.3), producer 64.0 (58.0 - 69.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
4 2003 relevés, 29 1996 relevés, 45 AA observation<br />
sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B24 Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Location: Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> was limited to the southern half of<br />
the project boundary <strong>and</strong> was mostly located in Dry Wash <strong>and</strong> its side drainages. In some cases it was not<br />
distinguishable <strong>and</strong> was likely included in the Wash Complex map class.<br />
Photosignature: This map class had a light yellow signature with a feathery look to the vegetation. It<br />
typically occurred along linear corridors, following washes. It was sometimes difficult to distinguish from<br />
the adjacent riparian vegetation <strong>and</strong> may have been included into the Wash Complex map class. This map<br />
class was mainly identified from field data <strong>and</strong> extrapolated out to adjacent areas.<br />
G27<br />
Figure.G47..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B24,.<br />
Giant.S<strong>and</strong>reed.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G48..Photosignature.for.map.class.B24.<br />
Giant.S<strong>and</strong>reed.Desert.Wash.Shrub.Herbaceous.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Calamovilfa gigantea Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Wash Complex (1 of 6)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Number of map units in park 18<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 32<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 15 (13.6% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
17.7 ha / 43.7 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
33.0 ha / 81.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 46.4%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
user 0.0, producer NS<br />
Group map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.7 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 70.2 (61.5 - 77.7), producer 80.8 (72.2 - 87.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.5 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
3 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G28<br />
B25 New Mexico Saltbush / Alkali Sacaton – Galleta Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Figure.G49..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B25,.<br />
New.Mexico.Saltbush./.Alkali.Sacaton.–.Galleta.<br />
Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G50..Photosignature.for.map.class.B25,.<br />
New.Mexico.Saltbush./.Alkali.Sacaton.–.Galleta.<br />
Shrub.Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Location: New Mexico Saltbush / Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> had the largest<br />
area mapped of any of the map classes <strong>and</strong> occurred throughout the park <strong>and</strong> the environs. This map class<br />
tended to favor clay <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong>y clay soils; however, it also appeared less commonly in s<strong>and</strong> dunes or in<br />
heavy s<strong>and</strong>y soils.<br />
Photosignature: This photosignature appeared to have a light tan to brownish gray color. The texture<br />
appeared smooth <strong>and</strong> individual shrubs <strong>and</strong> grasses were not easily identifiable. This map class was typically<br />
used in badl<strong>and</strong>s areas where the vegetation was more than sparse (2-15% cover), where the area<br />
appeared to have a shrub component, <strong>and</strong> where the soils do not mask the vegetation.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Atriplex obovata / Sporobolus airoides - Pleuraphis<br />
jamesii Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe (1 of<br />
5)<br />
Management map class Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 8)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 607<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 712<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 117 (0.3% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
9218.0 ha / 22778.2 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
11046.0 ha / 27295.3 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 24.2%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 16.5%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 40.0 (27.7 - 54.9), producer 19.4 (12.5 - 28.8)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 41.8 (34.7 - 49.2), producer 38.1 (31.5 - 45.1)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 73.0 (66.9 - 78.3), producer 64.0 (58.0 - 69.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
12 2003 relevés, 17 1996 relevés, 62 AA observation<br />
sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B26 Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Location: Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> occurred in the northwestern<br />
<strong>and</strong> north central sections of the mapping area. It was with heavily abundant in the neck of the mapping<br />
area <strong>and</strong> scattered throughout the southern half of the mapping area. It commonly occurred on s<strong>and</strong><br />
dunes, in disturbance areas, or on terraces.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was distinguished by the small, green, speckled appearance of Ericameria<br />
nauseosa <strong>and</strong> the moderate herbaceous cover. The herbaceous cover tended to have a light brown/yellowish<br />
hue with a patchy distribution. Bouteloua gracilis likely is a dominant component to the herbaceous<br />
understory; however, it could not be distinguished from the other herbaceous cover on the imagery.<br />
G29<br />
Figure.G51..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B26,.<br />
Rubber.Rabbitbrush./.Blue.Grama.Shrub.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G52..Photosignature.for.map.class.<br />
B26,.Rubber.Rabbitbrush./.Blue.Grama.Shrub.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Ericameria nauseosa / Bouteloua gracilis Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune (1 of<br />
2)<br />
Management map class Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 8)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune (1 of<br />
2)<br />
Number of map units in park 236<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 338<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 105 (1.6% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
850.7 ha / 2102.2 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
1530.3 ha / 3781.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 2.2%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 44.4%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 6.9 (2.3 - 18.8), producer 40.0 (14.3 - 72.8)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 36.7 (26.4 - 48.5), producer 78.3 (61.6 - 89.0)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 73.0 (66.9 - 78.3), producer 64.0 (58.0 - 69.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 36.7 (26.4 - 48.5), producer 81.8 (65.1 - 92.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 6 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G30<br />
B27 Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Figure.G53..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B27,.<br />
Russian.Thistle.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G54..Photosignature.for.map.class.B27,.<br />
Russian.Thistle.S<strong>and</strong>.Dune.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Location: Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> was located in several small map units throughout the<br />
project boundary. It was most frequent south of the neck area <strong>and</strong> north of The Flattops. This map class<br />
occurred most commonly on unstable surfaces, such as active s<strong>and</strong> dunes <strong>and</strong> areas with s<strong>and</strong>y soils <strong>and</strong><br />
recent human disturbance. It was also found along roadsides <strong>and</strong> on pipeline corridors.<br />
Photosignature: The l<strong>and</strong>scape features of this map class were often easier to distinguish than the<br />
vegetation. S<strong>and</strong> dunes <strong>and</strong> human disturbance areas with s<strong>and</strong>y soils that are dominated by herbaceous<br />
cover tended to be classified as this map class. This map class appeared to have a blotchy texture due to<br />
the barren spaces between the vegetation. Where these areas were vegetated, the herbaceous cover had a<br />
distinctive golden-yellow to light brown color.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Salsola tragus S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune (1 of<br />
2)<br />
Management map class Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong> (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune (1 of<br />
2)<br />
Number of map units in park 37<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 39<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 7 (1.9% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
95.9 ha / 236.9 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
100.7 ha / 248.9 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.3%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 4.8%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 50.0 (32.7 - 67.3), producer 55.6 (36.9 - 72.8)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 36.7 (26.4 - 48.5), producer 78.3 (61.6 - 89.0)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 50.0 (32.7 - 67.3), producer 55.6 (36.9 - 72.8)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 36.7 (26.4 - 48.5), producer 81.8 (65.1 - 92.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
2 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 13 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B28 Whipple Cholla - Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Location: Whipple Cholla / Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong> was restricted to one small map<br />
unit on the northern project boundary on Chinde Mesa. <strong>Mapping</strong> was based on field data from the classification<br />
relevés.<br />
Photosignature: This type was difficult to distinguish on the photos from other herbaceous vegetation<br />
with various shrubby components. Many occurrences were small inclusions in a matrix of Rubber Rabbitbrush<br />
/ Blue Grama or other types of shrub herbaceous vegetation.<br />
G31<br />
Figure.G55..Ground.photo.for.map.class.<br />
B28,.Whipple.Cholla.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrub.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G56..Photosignature.for.map.class.<br />
B28,.Whipple.Cholla.-.Alkali.Sacaton.Shrub.<br />
Herbaceous.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Opuntia whipplei - Sporobolus airoides Shrub Herbaceous<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 7)<br />
Management map class Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s (1 of 8)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 0<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 1<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 0 (0.0% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
0.0 ha / 0.0 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
0.6 ha / 1.6 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 100.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy user 69.3 (60.8 - 76.7), producer 44.9 (38.0 - 51.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 73.0 (66.9 - 78.3), producer 64.0 (58.0 - 69.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
1 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G32<br />
B29 Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Figure.G57..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B29,.<br />
Arizona.Siltbush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Location: Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong>, one of the most common map classes in the badl<strong>and</strong>s of<br />
the park, occurred in large areas. It occurred in the northern half of the northern wilderness area, <strong>and</strong> to<br />
the south from The Tepees all the way into the southern project environs. It most commonly occurred on<br />
white, grey blue, <strong>and</strong> reddish clay soil <strong>and</strong> in areas with periodic sheet flow.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was most commonly identified by the washed out striations in the white<br />
<strong>and</strong> grey blue to reddish clay soils. The low total vegetation cover <strong>and</strong> the strong color signature of the<br />
soils made it difficult to pick out the vegetation on the aerial photos. Where the vegetation could be seen,<br />
it appeared as small, light, grey brown specks with very large <strong>and</strong> irregular spaces between plants.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Zuckia br<strong>and</strong>egeei Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 5)<br />
Management map class Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 180<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 213<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 37 (0.3% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
2165.3 ha / 5350.7 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
2685.0 ha / 6634.8 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 5.68%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 19.4%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 13.3 (6.1 - 26.6), producer 33.3 (15.9 - 56.9)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 60.2 (51.5 - 68.4), producer 62.4 (53.5 - 70.5)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 71.0 (62.7 - 78.0), producer 72.5 (64.6 - 79.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
17 2003 relevés, 12 1996 relevés, 12 AA observation<br />
sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G58..Photosignature.for.map.class.B29,.<br />
Arizona.Siltbush.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.
B30 New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Location: New Mexico Saltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> was a very common map class. It was characteristically<br />
found on bentonite clay soils in the badl<strong>and</strong>s, but it occurred throughout the entire project boundary.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was often the default map class assigned to the vegetated badl<strong>and</strong>s in<br />
the project boundary. It occurred on all of the various badl<strong>and</strong> soils <strong>and</strong> occurred throughout the project<br />
boundary. The vegetation cover ranged from a low to moderate cover. In most areas, the vegetation was<br />
not easily identified due to its sparseness <strong>and</strong> the strong soil signature masking the vegetation. In some<br />
areas Atriplex obovata appeared as small specks with large spaces between plants <strong>and</strong> a light greenish/<br />
gray color.<br />
G33<br />
Figure.G59..Ground.photo.for.map.class.<br />
B30,.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G60..Photosignature.for.map.class.<br />
B30,.New.Mexico.Saltbush.Badl<strong>and</strong>.Sparse.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Atriplex obovata Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe (1 of<br />
5)<br />
Management map class Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 770<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 624<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 162 (0.7% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
6815.6 ha / 16841.7 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
5497.4 ha / 13584.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 14.4%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 19.3%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 16.1 (8.1 - 29.6), producer 17.9 (9.0 - 32.4)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 41.8 (34.7 - 49.2), producer 38.1 (31.5 - 45.1)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 71.0 (62.7 - 78.0), producer 72.5 (64.6 - 79.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
11 2003 relevés, 15 1996 relevés, 33 AA observation<br />
sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G34<br />
B31 Slender Buckwheat Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Figure.G61..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B31,.<br />
Slender.Buckwheat.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Location: Slender Buckwheat Sparse Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong> <strong>Vegetation</strong> occurred in small patches throughout<br />
the project area. It was most common in the park badl<strong>and</strong> environments near Headquarters Mesa <strong>and</strong> near<br />
The Flattops <strong>and</strong> the Crystal Forest in the south. It commonly occurred on the white <strong>and</strong>/or light-colored<br />
pinkish soils in the badl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was most commonly identified by the light colored soils of the badl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
The white <strong>and</strong> pink soils commonly washed out most of the vegetation signature, making it difficult to<br />
identify the vegetation. The total vegetation cover was always sparse to low cover. Where the vegetation<br />
could be seen, it appeared as small, light brown <strong>and</strong> green specks with very large spaces between plants.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Eriogonum leptophyllum Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 5)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Rim Complex (1 of 4)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 20<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 21<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 4 (0.7% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
113.3 ha / 280.0 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
114.0 ha / 281.8 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.3%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.6%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 38.9 (22.7 - 58.0), producer 50.0 (30.0 - 70.1)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 60.2 (51.5 - 68.4), producer 62.4 (53.5 - 70.5)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 72.4 (63.9 - 79.5), producer 77.8 (69.0 - 84.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
6 2003 relevés, 4 1996 relevés, 10 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G62..Photosignature.for.map.class.B31,.<br />
Slender.Buckwheat.Sparse.<strong>Vegetation</strong>.
B32 Torrey’s Jointfir – Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Location: Torrey’s Jointfir – Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> occurred widely throughout the park,<br />
with the greatest concentration of map units located on the tops of s<strong>and</strong>stone mesas <strong>and</strong> plateaus.<br />
Photosignature: Artemisia bigelovii, a gray green dwarf shrub, had a uniform, gray green, smooth speckled<br />
signature. It tended to occur in a regular pattern. In some areas it was difficult to identify Artemisia<br />
bigelovii; however, the bedrock striations of the s<strong>and</strong>stone tended to indicate this map class. It also tended<br />
to occur on the lighter white-to-gray clay soils. Ephedra torreyana does not have a strong signature <strong>and</strong><br />
was not reliably identified on the aerial photos.<br />
G35<br />
Figure.G63..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B32,.<br />
Torrey’s.Jointfir.–.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Sparse.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Figure.G64..Photosignature.for.map.class.B32.<br />
Torrey’s.Jointfir.–.Bigelow’s.Sagebrush.Sparse.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
Ephedra torreyana – Artemisia bigelovii Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Group map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub Steppe (1 of<br />
5)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Rim Complex (1 of 4)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 516<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 668<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 236 (1.8% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
2119 ha / 5237 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
3227 ha / 7975 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 66%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 34%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 56.7 (41.9 – 70.4), producer 17.9 (9.0 – 32.4)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 41.8 (34.7 – 49.2), producer 38.1 (31.5 – 45.1)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 72.4 (63.9 - 79.5), producer 77.8 (69.0 - 84.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
12 2003 relevés, 12 1996 relevés, 38 AA observation<br />
sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G36<br />
B33 Airstrip<br />
Figure.G65..Photosignature.for.map.class.B33,.<br />
Airstrip.<br />
Location: Southwest of the south park entrance, southwestern corner of study area, outside of park<br />
boundaries.<br />
Photosignature: This map unit appeared as two bladed dirt strips perpendicular to each other, running<br />
northeast-southwest <strong>and</strong> northwest-southeast.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Transportation (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Airstrip (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Transportation (1 of 1)<br />
Number of map units in park 0<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 1<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 0<br />
Area of map class in park 0<br />
Total area of map class<br />
2.6 ha / 6.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 100%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B34 Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Photosignature: The map class was identified on colorful clay soils without any speckles of vegetation.<br />
Location: This was the most common non-vegetated map class in the badl<strong>and</strong>s within the project boundary.<br />
It occurred throughout the project boundary in areas that had less than 2% vegetation cover.<br />
G37<br />
Figure.G66..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B34,.<br />
Barren.Badl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Figure.G67..Photosignature.for.map.class.B34,.<br />
Barren.Badl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 5)<br />
Management map class Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 364<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 440<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 133 (0.6% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
4664.9 ha / 11527.3 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
5587.5 ha / 13807.1 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 12.3%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 16.5%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 87.5 (74.9 - 94.3), producer 53.8 (42.6 - 64.7)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 60.2 (51.5 - 68.4), producer 62.4 (53.5 - 70.5)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 71.0 (62.7 - 78.0), producer 72.5 (64.6 - 79.5)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G38<br />
B35 Barren Wash<br />
Figure.G68..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B35,.<br />
Barren.Wash.<br />
Location: This map class occurred in the project boundary in s<strong>and</strong>y wash bottoms washes that have no to<br />
little vegetation. It occurred mainly in areas where periodic water flow limits vegetation establishment. The<br />
ground photo shows the barren wash bottom with adjacent vegetation.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was identified in wash bottoms as a light brownish, tan color without any<br />
speckles of vegetation.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Management map class Barren Wash (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Number of map units in park 35<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 47<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 5 (0.3% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
319.4 ha / 789.1 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
498.7 ha / 1232.4 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.8%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 36.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 70.8 (54.1 - 83.3), producer 85.0 (67.8 - 93.8)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.7 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 70.8 (54.1 - 83.3), producer 85.0 (67.8 - 93.8)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.5 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G69..Photosignature.for.map.class.B35,.<br />
Barren.Wash.
B36 Park Facilities<br />
Location: This map class occurred in areas where the park had developed infrastructure. The map class<br />
describes National Park Service buildings, housing, <strong>and</strong> visitor-use buildings.<br />
Photosignature: This map class appeared in developed areas within the park as tall structures in the form<br />
of buildings or other park infrastructure.<br />
G39<br />
Figure.G70..Photosignature.for.map.class.B36,.Park.<br />
Facilities.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Park Facilities (1 of 2)<br />
Management map class Park Facilities (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Park Facilities (1 of 2)<br />
Number of map units in park 21<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 21<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 15 (10.5% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
16.0 ha / 39.5 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
16.0 ha / 39.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G40<br />
B37 Park Sites<br />
Figure.G71..Photosignature.for.map.class.B37,.Park.<br />
Sites.<br />
Location: This map class identified the tourist site at the archeological site of the Puerco River pueblo.<br />
Photosignature: This map class appeared as linear lines that form old building structures with walls outlining<br />
the prehistoric pueblo.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Park Facilities (1 of 2)<br />
Management map class Park Sites (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Park Facilities (1 of 2)<br />
Number of map units in park 2<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 2<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 1 (5.4% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
0.8 ha / 1.9 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
0.8 ha / 1.9 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B38 Railroad<br />
Location: This map class identified the railroad that goes east/west through the project area.<br />
Photosignature: This map class appeared as two linear tracks with a fence line paralleling the linear <br />
tracks.<br />
G41<br />
Figure.G72..Photosignature.for.map.class.B38,.<br />
Railroad.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Transportation (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Railroad (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Transportation (1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 2<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 2<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 0 (0.0% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
2.3 ha / 5.7 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
5.2 ha / 12.9 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 56.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G42<br />
B39 Residences<br />
Figure.G73..Photosignature.for.map.class.B39,.<br />
Residences.<br />
Location: This map class appeared outside of the park boundary in the project environs. This map class<br />
was not very common <strong>and</strong> occurred mainly in small map units.<br />
Photosignature: This map class typically appeared as square/rectangular houses or buildings. These structures<br />
stood out due to their regularity <strong>and</strong> height.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Residential (1 of 1)<br />
Management map class Residences (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Residential (1 of 1)<br />
Number of map units in park 1<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 23<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 22 (76.8% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
0.1 ha / 0.2 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
2.4 ha / 6.0 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 96.9%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B40 Roads<br />
Location: This map class occurred throughout the entire project boundary. The main paved road runs<br />
north <strong>and</strong> south, bisecting the park.<br />
Photosignature: This map class appeared as a dark linear feature in areas where the roads are paved.<br />
In the unpaved areas, the roads appeared un-vegetated. Often a two-track could be seen on the photos<br />
where cars drive on unpaved ground.<br />
G43<br />
Figure.G74..Photosignature.for.map.class.B40,.<br />
Roads.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Transportation (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Roads (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Transportation (1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 23<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 52<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 17 (1.6% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
143.6 ha / 354.9 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
217.6 ha / 537.6 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.4%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 34.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G44<br />
B41 Run-off Control Feature<br />
Figure.G75..Photosignature.for.map.class.B41,.Runoff.Control.Feature.<br />
Location: These features were found in <strong>and</strong> alongside washes <strong>and</strong> in other areas of high erosion potential.<br />
They were apparently constructed to divert water into particular areas to protect culverts <strong>and</strong> other<br />
structures.<br />
Photosignature: These features were identified by their location <strong>and</strong> shape, i.e. linear, raised areas along<br />
drainages.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Agriculture (1 of 2)<br />
Management map class Run-off Control Feature (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Agriculture (1 of 2)<br />
Number of map units in park 2<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 2<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 2 (100.0% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
0.5 ha / 1.3 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
0.5 ha / 1.3 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B42 S<strong>and</strong><br />
Location: This map class appeared mainly in the northern half of the project boundary.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was used in areas where there was a lot of s<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> the vegetation was<br />
sparse to absent. The s<strong>and</strong> appeared as a light brown, reddish color <strong>and</strong> did not have any speckling of<br />
vegetation.<br />
G45<br />
Figure.G76..Photosignature.for.map.class.B42,.<br />
S<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong> (1 of 5)<br />
Management map class S<strong>and</strong> / Mudflat (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
Steppe (1 of 17)<br />
Number of map units in park 2<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 2<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 1 (9.3% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
2.8 ha / 6.9 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
2.8 ha / 6.9 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 0.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 100.0 (42.5 - 100.0), producer 100.0 (42.5 -<br />
100.0)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 60.2 (51.5 - 68.4), producer 62.4 (53.5 - 70.5)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 100.0 (42.5 - 100.0), producer 100.0 (42.5 -<br />
100.0)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 93.0 (90.1 - 95.0), producer 77.2 (73.3 - 80.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G46<br />
B43 Stock Ponds<br />
Figure.G77..Photosignature.for.map.class.B43,.<br />
Stock.Ponds.<br />
Location: This map class appeared outside of the park boundary in the project environs. This map class<br />
was not very common <strong>and</strong> often occurred in small patches.<br />
Photosignature: This map class typically appeared as round depressions in the soil. The vegetation was<br />
commonly not present or present with low cover. The stock tanks tended to have a light hue due to the<br />
extra salinity in the soil.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Agriculture (1 of 2)<br />
Management map class Stock Ponds (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Agriculture (1 of 2)<br />
Number of map units in park 0<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 25<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 19 (42.9% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
0.0 ha / 0.0 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
8.8 ha / 21.8 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.0%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 100.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park
B44 Vegetated Rim Complex<br />
Location: This map class occurred on the mesa rims, commonly in long linear patches.<br />
Photosignature: This map class was identified by a mixed signature of various dwarf-shrub <strong>and</strong> herbaceous<br />
species adjacent to the mesa rims. The signature was not consistent <strong>and</strong> appeared to have a mixed<br />
tone, texture, <strong>and</strong> color.<br />
G47<br />
Figure.G78..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B44,.<br />
Vegetated.Rim.Complex.<br />
Figure.G79..Photosignature.for.map.class.B44,.<br />
Vegetated.Rim.Complex.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Rim Complex (1 of 4)<br />
Macrogroup map class Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong> (1 of 3)<br />
Number of map units in park 36<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 55<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 8 (0.9% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
167.4 ha / 413.6 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
223.2 ha / 551.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 0.4%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 25.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 42.9 (28.8 - 58.2), producer 52.2 (35.7 - 68.2)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 52.9 (41.6 - 64.0), producer 73.0 (59.7 - 83.1)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 72.4 (63.9 - 79.5), producer 77.8 (69.0 - 84.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 52.9 (41.6 - 64.0), producer 77.1 (63.8 - 86.6)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries
G48<br />
B45 Vegetated Wash Complex<br />
Figure.G80..Ground.photo.for.map.class.B45,.<br />
Vegetated.Wash.Complex.<br />
Location: This map class occurred on the banks of washes, often in linear patches. This map class extended<br />
throughout the entire project boundary.<br />
Photosignature: This map class appeared as a mixed signature of various shrub <strong>and</strong> herbaceous species<br />
within drainages. It was a combination of multiple map classes, <strong>and</strong> the photointerpreters used it only<br />
when the associated plant communities were not distinguishable on the photos as distinct map units.<br />
Vegetated wash communities tended to vary in height, color, tone, <strong>and</strong> texture.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Management map class Vegetated Wash Complex (1 of 6)<br />
Macrogroup map class Inter-Mountain Basins Wash (1 of 6)<br />
Number of map units in park 363<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 478<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 140 (1.8% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
1385.8 ha / 3424.5 ac<br />
Total area of map class<br />
1873.2 ha / 4628.7 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park 3.6%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs 26.0%<br />
Base map class accuracy user 67.9 (52.3 - 80.2), producer 50.0 (37.1 - 62.9)<br />
Group map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.7 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Management map class accuracy user 70.2 (61.5 - 77.7), producer 80.8 (72.2 - 87.2)<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy user 66.3 (57.5 - 73.9), producer 69.4 (60.7 - 76.9)<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Figure.G81..Photosignature.for.map.class.B45,.<br />
Vegetated.Wash.Complex.
B46 Commercial Development<br />
Location: Turnoff from Highway 189 to south entrance of park, <strong>and</strong> along Highway 189 at western<br />
boundary of study area.<br />
Photosignature: This map class represents retail stores, residences, <strong>and</strong> parking lots in the park environs.<br />
The areas were detected by shape <strong>and</strong> known location.<br />
Figure.G82..Photosignature.for.map.class.B46,.<br />
Commercial.Development.<br />
Plant communities<br />
NA<br />
Group map class Development (1 of 1)<br />
Management map class Commercial Development (1 of 1)<br />
Macrogroup map class Development (1 of 1)<br />
Number of map units in park 1<br />
Number of map units in park & environs 6<br />
Number of map units less than 0.5 ha 5 (64.3% of total map class area)<br />
Area of map class in park<br />
< .5 ha<br />
Total area of map class<br />
1.4 ha / 3.5 ac<br />
Proportion of l<strong>and</strong> cover in park < .5%<br />
Proportion of map class in project environs > 99.5%<br />
Base map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Group map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Management map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Macrogroup map class accuracy<br />
Not assessed<br />
Documentation for base map class<br />
0 2003 relevés, 0 1996 relevés, 0 AA observation sites<br />
Appendix G: Map Class summaries<br />
G49
Appendix H: Accuracy Assessment Data<br />
Appendix H<br />
Accuracy assessment data<br />
Appendix H consists of four contingency tables, also known as error matrices, showing the accuracy<br />
assessment for the base map classes (H-1), group map classes (H-2), macrogroup map classes (H-3), <strong>and</strong><br />
management map classes (H-4). Each table includes rows representing the map classes for polygons in the<br />
vegetation map database (<strong>Vegetation</strong> Map Database Map Class), <strong>and</strong> columns representing the accuracy<br />
assessment made in the field for that polygon (Field Assessment Map Class). A perfect correspondence<br />
between the map <strong>and</strong> the field is indicated by a tally in the matrix where the row <strong>and</strong> column intersect for<br />
the same map class. For example, in Table H-1, the intersection of row <strong>and</strong> column B32 shows a tally of 17,<br />
indicating that in the field accuracy assessment, six of the polygons on the map were found to be the same<br />
map class in the field as that mapped. The contingency table also shows the source of error in the map. In<br />
row B32, the table shows that the field crew found some of the the polygons mapped as B32 to be actually<br />
other map classes. Column B32 indicates that some areas not mapped as B32, were found to be map unit B32<br />
in the field.<br />
The number of correctly mapped polygons, as determined in the accuracy assessment, occur on the shaded<br />
diagonal of the contingency table. User <strong>and</strong> producer accuracy, 90% confidence intervals for each, overall<br />
accuracy, Kappa accuracy, <strong>and</strong> Kappa accuracy st<strong>and</strong>ard error are reported. The Kappa accuracy <strong>and</strong><br />
st<strong>and</strong>ard error do not include vegetation map database map classes that were not field assessed.<br />
Each table is accompanied by a key code for the map classes. In the example given above, B32 is Torrey’s<br />
Jointfir Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse Shrubl<strong>and</strong>.<br />
For each table, the following notations are used:<br />
● NTF - None that fits; the assessment in the field did not match any existing map classes.<br />
● NA - Not applicable; unable to compute confidence intervals because there were no polygons assessed as<br />
correct in the field.<br />
● N/S - Not sampled; unable to compute producer or user accuracy assessment since the polygons were not<br />
sampled.<br />
Note: Due to their size, Tables H-1 <strong>and</strong> H-4 are spread across two pages <strong>and</strong> should be read accordingly. The<br />
keys for Tables H-1 <strong>and</strong> H-4 appear on the page that follows the table.<br />
H1
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table H-1. Contingency table: Base map classes.<br />
Field assessment map class<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> map database map class<br />
Map<br />
code<br />
B32 B3 B4 B16 B44 B27 B29 B34 B30 B24 B31 B35 B5 B7 B42 B12 B45 B19<br />
B32 17 2 1 1 1<br />
B3 6<br />
B4 2 8<br />
B16 2 1 1 2 2 2 1<br />
B44 5 4 12 2 2 1 1<br />
B27 1 10 1 1<br />
B29 1 4 12 3 1<br />
B34 1 28 2 1<br />
B30 1 1 1 13 5 1 2<br />
B24 2<br />
B31 1 5 2 1 1 7<br />
B35 1 3 2 17<br />
B5 1 0<br />
B7 0<br />
B42 0 1 2<br />
B12 2 11 1 1<br />
B45 1 2 1 2 2 19<br />
B19 6<br />
B18 1 1 1 5<br />
B20<br />
B22 1<br />
B21<br />
B23 1 2 1<br />
B9 3<br />
B10<br />
B11 2 1 1 1<br />
B25 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4<br />
B26 4 6 1 2 1 6<br />
B14 1 4<br />
B1<br />
B6<br />
B15 1 2 1 7<br />
B8 2 1 1 2<br />
B13 1 1<br />
B17 1<br />
B2 1<br />
Number of samples 10 38 6 9 5 23 18 12 52 28 2 14 20 2 7 0 17 38 40<br />
Producer accuracy<br />
/ omission error<br />
(%correct)<br />
NTF 44.7 100.0 88.9 20.0 52.2 55.6 33.3 53.8 17.9 100.0 50.0 85.0 0.0 0.0 N/S 64.7 50.0 15.0<br />
90% confidence<br />
interval (-)<br />
NTF 32.3 68.9 62.3 4.6 35.7 36.9 15.9 42.6 9.0 42.5 30.0 67.8 N/A N/A N/S 44.9 37.1 8.0<br />
90% confidence<br />
interval (+)<br />
NTF 57.9 100.0 97.5 56.5 68.2 72.8 56.9 64.7 32.4 100.0 70.1 93.8 N/A N/A N/S 80.5 62.9 26.5<br />
Overall accuracy = 40.6% Kappa index = 42.2% St<strong>and</strong>ard error = 0.22<br />
H2
Appendix H: Accuracy Assessment Data<br />
Number of<br />
samples<br />
User accuracy/<br />
commission error<br />
(% correct)<br />
90% Confi dence<br />
intervals<br />
B18 B20 B22 B21 B23 B9 B10 B11 B25 B26 B14 B1 B6 B15 B8 B13 B17 B2 - +<br />
1 3 3 1 30 56.7 41.9 70.4<br />
6 100.0 68.9 100.0<br />
2 12 66.7 43.1 84.1<br />
11 9.1 2.1 32.3<br />
1 28 42.9 28.8 58.2<br />
1 2 1 1 1 1 20 50.0 32.7 67.3<br />
2 7 30 13.3 6.1 26.6<br />
32 87.5 74.9 94.3<br />
1 6 31 16.1 8.1 29.6<br />
2 100.0 42.5 100.0<br />
1 18 38.9 22.7 58.0<br />
1 24 70.8 54.1 83.3<br />
1 0.0 N/A N/A<br />
0 N/S N/S N/S<br />
2 5 0.0 N/A N/A<br />
1 1 2 1 9 2 31 35.5 23.0 50.3<br />
1 28 67.9 52.3 80.2<br />
5 4 1 16 37.5 20.8 57.8<br />
5 1 2 2 7 25 20.0 10.1 35.8<br />
2 0 2 4 0.0 N/A N/A<br />
3 2 3 9 33.3 14.2 30.2<br />
2 0 1 2 5 0.0 N/A N/A<br />
1 2 16 6 29 55.2 40.2 69.3<br />
4 1 13 2 2 6 31 41.9 28.6 56.6<br />
1 1 100.0 27.0 100.0<br />
1 4 3 6 19 21.1 9.8 39.5<br />
1 1 2 12 30 40.0 27.7 54.9<br />
1 3 2 1 1 1 29 6.9 2.3 18.8<br />
11 1 11 1 0 1 30 0.0 N/A N/A<br />
2 2 100.0 42.5 100.0<br />
1 1 100.0 27.0 100.0<br />
1 6 1 19 31.6 17.3 50.4<br />
3 1 1 2 12 5 30 40.0 26.7 54.9<br />
1 1 1 5 17 2 29 58.6 43.5 72.3<br />
0 1 0.0 N/A N/A<br />
1 9 11 81.8 57.3 93.8<br />
37 0 16 1 43 16 5 6 62 5 0 3 1 7 45 27 6 9<br />
Total number of<br />
samples: 630<br />
13.5 N/S 18.8 0.0 37.2 81.3 20.0 66.7 19.4 40.0 N/S 66.7 100.0 85.7 26.7 63.0 0.0 100.0<br />
Total samples where<br />
6.7 N/S 7.8 N/A 26.2 61.2 4.6 34.7 12.5 14.3 N/S 25.4 27.0 54.8 17.4 47.2 N/A N/A the field classification<br />
<strong>and</strong> the map classification<br />
25.3 N/S 38.8 N/A 49.8 92.2 56.5 88.3 28.8 72.8 N/S 92.2 100.0 96.7 38.9 76.4 N/A N/A<br />
matched: 256<br />
H3
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Key to base map class codes in Table H-1<br />
B1<br />
B2<br />
B3<br />
B4<br />
B5<br />
B6<br />
B7<br />
B8<br />
B9<br />
B10<br />
B11<br />
B12<br />
B13<br />
B14<br />
B15<br />
B16<br />
B17<br />
B18<br />
B19<br />
B20<br />
B21<br />
B22<br />
B23<br />
B24<br />
B25<br />
B26<br />
B27<br />
B29<br />
B30<br />
B31<br />
B32<br />
B34<br />
B35<br />
B42<br />
B44<br />
B45<br />
Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Copperweed / Alkali Sacaton Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Drummond Goldenweed / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Four-wing Saltbush / Galleta Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Greasewood / New Mexico Saltbush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Greasewood / Shrubby Seepweed Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Iodine Bush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Rubber Rabbitbrush Desert Wash Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage Colorado Plateau Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Snakeweed - (Prickly Pear) / Galleta Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Tamarisk Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Three-leafed Sumac - Mormon Tea Talus Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Winter-fat / Blue Grama Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Alkali Sacaton - Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Black Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue Grama Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Blue Grama - Galleta Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Giant S<strong>and</strong>reed Desert Wash Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New Mexico Saltbush / Galleta - Alkali Sacaton Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Rubber Rabbitbrush / Blue Grama Shrub Herbaceous <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Arizona Siltbush Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
New Mexico Saltbush Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Slender Buckwheat Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Torrey’s Jointfir Bigelow’s Sagebrush Sparse Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Barren Badl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Barren Wash<br />
S<strong>and</strong><br />
Vegetated Rim Complex<br />
Vegetated Wash Complex<br />
H4
Appendix H: Accuracy Assessment Data<br />
Table H-2. Contingency table: Group map classes.<br />
Field assessment map class<br />
Number of samples<br />
User accuracy/commission<br />
error (% correct)<br />
90% Confi dence intervals<br />
Map<br />
code<br />
<br />
G2 2<br />
G11 1<br />
G10 2<br />
G5 1<br />
G9 1<br />
G6 2<br />
G8<br />
G7 1<br />
G14<br />
G3<br />
Number of 10<br />
samples<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> map database map class<br />
G2 G11 G10 G5 G9 G6<br />
27 8 9 2<br />
3 53 27 3<br />
4 17 51 40<br />
1 8 18 12<br />
1 20 1 61 2<br />
8 6 24<br />
1 5 6 1 3<br />
1<br />
1 5 3 9 1<br />
1<br />
37 85 134 23 136 28<br />
G8<br />
1<br />
1<br />
4<br />
4<br />
1<br />
5<br />
59<br />
10<br />
85<br />
G7 G14 G3 - +<br />
2 51 52.9 41.6 64.0<br />
88 60.2 51.5 68.4<br />
4 122 41.8 34.7 49.2<br />
1 4 49 36.7 26.4 48.5<br />
1 88 69.3 60.8 76.7<br />
6 51 47.1 36.0 58.4<br />
1 13 89 66.3 57.7 73.9<br />
9 1 22 40.9 25.6 58.2<br />
40 59 67.8 57.2 76.8<br />
11 72 9<br />
1 9 11 81.8 57.3 93.8<br />
Producer<br />
accuracy/<br />
omission error<br />
(%correct)<br />
90%<br />
confidence<br />
interval (-)<br />
NTF<br />
NTF<br />
73.0 62.4 38.1 78.3 44.9 85.7<br />
59.7 53.5 31.5 61.6 38.0 71.7<br />
69.4<br />
60.7<br />
81.8 55.6 100.0<br />
57.3 45.9 76.9<br />
Total number of samples:<br />
630<br />
Total correct: 351<br />
90%<br />
confidence<br />
interval (+)<br />
NTF<br />
83.1 70.5 45.1 89.0 51.9 93.4<br />
76.9<br />
93.8 64.8 100.0<br />
Overall accuracy = 55.7% Kappa index = 49.9% St<strong>and</strong>ard error = 0.02<br />
Key to group map class codes in Table H-2<br />
G2<br />
G3<br />
G5<br />
G6<br />
G7<br />
G8<br />
G9<br />
G10<br />
G11<br />
G14<br />
Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Wash<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong><br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Shrub-Steppe<br />
Inter-Mountain Basins Shale Badl<strong>and</strong><br />
Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
H5
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Table H-3. Contingency table: Macrogroup map classes.<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> map database map class<br />
Map<br />
code<br />
MG2<br />
MG8<br />
MG5<br />
MG6<br />
MG9<br />
MG7<br />
MG12<br />
MG3<br />
Number of<br />
samples<br />
Producer<br />
accuracy/<br />
omission error<br />
(%correct)<br />
90%<br />
confidence<br />
interval (-)<br />
90%<br />
confidence<br />
interval (+)<br />
Field assessment map class<br />
MG2 MG8 MG5 MG6 MG9 MG7 MG12 MG3<br />
2 27 19 1 2<br />
4 5 277 2 6 4<br />
1 21 18 4 1 4<br />
2 14 24 5 6<br />
1 14 1 59 1 13<br />
1 1 10 9 1<br />
1 14 3 1 40<br />
1 1 9<br />
10 35 359 22 28 85 11 71 9<br />
NTF 77.1 77.2 81.8 85.7 69.4 81.8 56.3 100.0<br />
NTF 63.8 73.3 65.1 71.7 60.7 57.3 46.6 76.9<br />
NTF 86.6 80.6 92.6 93.4 76.9 93.8 65.6 100.0<br />
Number of samples<br />
User accuracy/commission<br />
error (% correct)<br />
90% Confi dence intervals<br />
- +<br />
51 52.9 41.6 64.0<br />
88 60.2 51.5 68.4<br />
122 41.8 34.7 49.2<br />
49 36.7 26.4 48.5<br />
88 69.3 60.8 76.7<br />
51 47.1 36.0 58.4<br />
89 66.3 57.7 73.9<br />
22 40.9 25.6 58.2<br />
Total number of samples:<br />
630<br />
Total correct: 463<br />
Overall accuracy = 73.5% Kappa index = 62.9% St<strong>and</strong>ard error = 0.02<br />
Key to macrogroup map class codes in Table H-3<br />
MG2 Colorado Plateau Mixed Bedrock <strong>and</strong> Tablel<strong>and</strong><br />
MG3 Colorado Plateau Pinyon-Juniper Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
MG5 Inter-Mountain Basins Active <strong>and</strong> Stabilized Dune<br />
MG6 Inter-Mountain Basins Greasewood Flat<br />
MG7 Inter-Mountain Basins Riparian Woodl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
MG8 Inter-Mountain Basins Semi-Desert Grassl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Steppe<br />
MG9 Inter-Mountain Basins Wash<br />
MG12 Southern Colorado Plateau S<strong>and</strong> Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
H6
Table H-4. Contingency table: Management map classes.<br />
Field assessment map class<br />
Number of<br />
samples<br />
User accuracy/<br />
commission error<br />
(% correct)<br />
90%<br />
Confi dence<br />
intervals<br />
H7<br />
Map<br />
code<br />
MN6 MN7 MN23 MN19 MN20 MN3 MN4 MN24 MN2 MN5 MN11 MN9 MN10 MN21 MN12<br />
MN6 6<br />
MN7 8 2 2<br />
MN23 3 63 6 2 8 1 4<br />
MN19 1 10 1 4 2 2<br />
MN20 2<br />
MN3 1 5 66 2 17 2<br />
MN4 6 17 1<br />
MN24 1 3 1 59 5 1 1 13<br />
MN2 2 6 7 10 6 119 7 2 1 3<br />
MN5 9 6<br />
MN11 2 5 14 24 6<br />
MN9 2<br />
MN10 1<br />
MN21 4 1 10 3 1 40<br />
MN12 1 1 9<br />
Number of samples 9.0 6.0 9.0 81.0 18.0 2.0 91.0 20.0 73.0 186.0 22.0 28.0 3.0 1.0 72.0 9.0<br />
Producer<br />
NTF 100.0 88.9 77.8 55.6 100.0 72.5 85.0 80.8 64.0 27.3 85.7 66.7 100.0 55.6 100.0<br />
accuracy/omission<br />
error (%correct)<br />
90% confidence NTF 68.9 62.3 69.0 36.9 42.5 64.6 67.8 72.2 58.0 14.8 71.7 25.4 27.0 45.9 76.9<br />
interval (-)<br />
90% confidence<br />
interval (+)<br />
NTF 100.0 97.5 84.2 72.8 100.0 79.5 93.8 87.2 69.5 44.7 93.4 92.2 100.0 64.8 100.0<br />
<strong>Vegetation</strong> map database map class<br />
Overall accuracy = 68.6% Kappa index = 64.1% St<strong>and</strong>ard error = 0.02<br />
- +<br />
6 100.0 68.9 100.0<br />
12 66.7 43.1 84.1<br />
87 72.4 63.9 79.5<br />
20 50.0 32.7 67.3<br />
2 100.0 42.5 100.0<br />
93 71.0 62.7 78.0<br />
24 70.8 54.1 83.3<br />
84 70.2 61.5 77.7<br />
163 73.0 66.9 78.3<br />
15 40.0 22.3 60.7<br />
51 47.1 36.0 58.4<br />
2 100.0 42.5 100.0<br />
1 100.0 27.0 100.0<br />
59 67.8 57.3 76.8<br />
11 81.8 57.3 93.8<br />
Total number of samples:<br />
630<br />
Total correct: 432<br />
Appendix H: Accuracy Assessment Data
<strong>Vegetation</strong> <strong>Classification</strong> <strong>and</strong> Distribution <strong>Mapping</strong> <strong>Report</strong>: Petrified Forest National Park<br />
Key to management map class codes in Table H-4<br />
MN2<br />
MN3<br />
MN4<br />
MN5<br />
MN6<br />
MN7<br />
MN9<br />
MN10<br />
MN11<br />
MN12<br />
MN19<br />
MN20<br />
MN21<br />
MN23<br />
MN24<br />
Alkali Sacaton Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Badl<strong>and</strong> Sparse <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
Barren Wash<br />
Blue Grama Steppe <strong>and</strong> Mixed Grassl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
Blue Sage Dwarf-shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Cliff-rose - Crispleaf Buckwheat Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Cottonwood / Rubber Rabbitbrush Woodl<strong>and</strong><br />
Coyote Willow Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Greasewood Flats<br />
One-seed Juniper / Bigelow’s Sagebrush Shrubl<strong>and</strong><br />
Russian Thistle S<strong>and</strong> Dune <strong>Vegetation</strong><br />
S<strong>and</strong> / Mudflat<br />
S<strong>and</strong>sage - Fourwing Saltbush Colorado Plateau<br />
Vegetated Rim Complex<br />
Vegetated Wash Complex<br />
H8
The Department of the Interior protects <strong>and</strong> manages the nation’s natural resources <strong>and</strong> cultural heritage; provides scientific <strong>and</strong><br />
other information about those resources; <strong>and</strong> honors its special responsibilities to American Indians, Alaska Natives, <strong>and</strong> affiliated<br />
Isl<strong>and</strong> Communities.<br />
NPS 110/100710, November 2009
National Park Service<br />
U.S. Department of the Interior<br />
Natural Resource Program Center<br />
1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 150 <br />
Fort Collins, Colorado 80525<br />
www.nature.nps.gov<br />
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