A Preliminary Vegetation Classification of the Tombstone, Arizona, Vicinity
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AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF EDMUNDO GARCIA-MOYA for theDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Name) (Degree) ANIMAL SCIENCE in (RANGELAND RESOURCES) presented onfi,?,(2;2-01) / Yj) Qi (Major) (Date) Title: A PRELIMINARY VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION OF THE TOMBSTONE, ARIZONA, VICINITY Redacted for Privacy Abstract approved: C. E. Poulton The need for classifying vegetation in a more precise wayis evident.Also, there is a need to provide a hierarchicalclassification scheme that will match changes in image characteristics as one moves through the scales from spaceto conventional aerial photo- graphy.Such refined classifications of vegetation are thefirst steps toward a better understanding of the potentialities andlimitations of a specified area which help in the detection of analogousenvironmental conditions for resource allocation and management purposes.These needs become more urgent as use and competitionfor natural resources and land increases.The first approximation of a classification scheme may meet these needs for a test site inthe Tombstone, Arizona, vicinity.This classification task was accomplished by the use of a "hierarchical- polythetic-agglomerative" package using presence-absence data and standardized cover esti- mates, The following tentative associations and a variant were found upon division of the original data into groups of convenient size to meet the limitations of the programs: Association A (Panicum hirticaule/Tidestromia lanuginosa- Boerhaavia coulteri) la (a variant of Association A) Association B (Rhus microphylla-Dalea formosa) Association C (Gutierrezia sarothrae/Eriogonum abertianum) Association D (Menodora scabra/Tridens grandiflorus) Association E (Hilaria belangeri) Association F (Gilia rigidula-Rhynchosia texana) Association G (Hilaria mutica/Eriochloa gracilis/Crotalaria pumila) Association H (Haplopappus tenuisectus /Eragrostis lehmanniana) As sociation I(Ayenia pusilla/Eragrostis intermedia) Association J(Cnidoscolus angustidens) Association K (typical association lacking character species) of Alliance III (Fouquieria splendens-Acacia constricta-Aloysia wrightii) Association L (Agave palmeri-Agave parryi/Haplopappus laricifolius) Association M (Mortonia scabrella) These were grouped by the classification into units of higher rank.Association (A),(B), and the variant (la) grouped into an alliance with the character species, Acacia vernicosa-Larrea tridentata-Flourensia cernua,Associations (C),(D),(E), and (F) grouped into the Yucca elata/Bouteloua eriopoda Alliance; and Associ- ations (I),(J), and (K) were held together in an Alliance by the char- acter species, Fouquieria splendens-Acacia constricta-Aloysia wrightii. Validity of the character and differential species as association and subassociation "identifiers" was tested by the use of stepwise discriminant analysis. Two hierarchical levels and two runs per group were carried out using this analysis. A perfect discrimination between or among the groups was found at all levels except one. Species identified as differential or character species in the classifica- tion process were found to be the best discriminants.This suggests that the vegetation units identified by these species are valid. The "hierarchical-polythetic-agglomerative" approach to vege- tation classification provides the kind of framework which is compatible with the classical phytosociological techniques of vegetation study.It eliminates, however, the cumbersome task of hand sorting and tabulation and increases the capacity of complex operations as well as introduction of more systematic and thorough evaluation into the analysis.This approach of classifying vegetation appears to be suited for survey-type studies in areas where vegetation information is limited and the need exists for an initial classification in order to begin more comprehensive quantitative studies.This does not pre- clude using the method for other purposes.Because it is a hierarchical method, one can go into as much classification detail as is dictated by the purpose of the vegetation study.This last feature is well suited to the use of the results in interpretation of multiscale photography so important in the field of resource analysis. Research needs to be done to answer the very fundamental question of why Euclidean distance (as a measure of similarity) and Ward's method (as a sorting strategy) provided a more adequate hierarchical classification scheme when presence and absence data are used rather than standardized values.Research is needed on the most effective criteria to divide large data sets into groups of the appropriate size. Results of this classification now need to be tested by practical field use in the recognition of ecosystems and their mapping on appropriate scales of remote sensing imagery. To aid the practical user of this information, a dichotomous key to the phytosociological classes was developed.This requires the recognition of8species to make classifications at alliance level and 32species to achieve the association separations. A key for subassociation level was not prepared because the practical value of this level is somewhat in doubt. A Preliminary Vegetation Classification of the Tombstone, Arizona, Vicinity by Edmundo Garcia-Moya A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 1972 APPROVED: Redacted for Privacy Professor '- "cology in charge of major Redacted for Privacy rcirector,Rangeland Resources Program Redacted for Privacy Dean of Graduate School. Date thesis is presented March 6, 1972 Typed by Mary Jo Stratton for Edmundo Garcia-Moya ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In this age of specialization,it is very difficult for one person to claim full recognition for any research that is done; rather, many people share in the recognition for they have contributed time, ideas, and suggestions. It is not possible to cite all the people and institutions who have made this research possible, and whose help is deeply appreciated. However, I would like to extend special acknowledgements to: Dr. C. E. Poulton for having given me the opportunity to do graduate work under his direction and for his unselfish guidance and advice while a graduate student and during the execution of this present work. Drs. W. W. Chilcote, A. H. Winward, C. T. Dyrness, and Mr. W. H. C. Schallig with appreciation for their valuable comments and suggestions during the manuscript stages of this thesis. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration for having provided the funds for the research through the Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture. The Forestry Remote Sensing Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, for broadening the contacts and horizon of the research program by serving as coordinator of a most comprehensive multiuniversity-agency research effort in remote sensing. The 0.5. U. Computer Center for making funds availablein the initial stages of the analysis of the data. Dr. W. T. Pyott for making the computer programsavailable to me and his invaluable assistancethroughout. Dr. C. T. Mason, J r. ,Curator of the Herbarium, University of Arizona, Tucson, for helping me in the identificationof plant species- - a crucial part of this project. My wife for her patience, understanding, andhelp while working on this project. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1 DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA 4 Location 4 Climate 4 Physiography, Geology, and Soils 6 Vegetation 9 Land Use 10 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 13 Phytosociology 13 Prior Vegetational Investigations 14 The Fidelity Concept 16 The Association Concept 18 Numerical Taxonomy 20 PROCEDURES 30 Field Methods 30 Data Analysis 34 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 46 Alliance I (Acacia vernicosa-Larrea tridentata- Flourensia cernua) 47 Association A (Panicum. hirticaule/ Tidestromia lanuginosa-Boerhaavia coulteri) 53 Association B (Rhus microphylla-Dalea formosa) 53 The Variant la 55 Alliance II (Yucca elata/Bouteloua eriopoda) 57 Association C (Gutierrezia sarothrae / Eriogonum abertianum) 61 Association D (Menodora scabra/ Tridens grandiflorus) 61 Association E (Hilaria belangeri) 62 Association F (Gilia rigidula- Rhynchosia texana) 63 page Interrelationships Among Phytosociological Categories 64 Alliance III (Fouquieria splendens-Acacia constricta-Aloysia wrightii 66 Association I (Ayenia pusi/la/ Eragrostis intermedia) 70 Association J (Cnidoscolus angustidens) 71 Association K (Typical Association) 73 Problems in Blocking Differential Species 75 Association G (Hilaria mutica /Eriochloa gracilis /Crotalaria pumila) 79 Association H (Haplopappus tenuisectus Eragrostis Lehmanniana) 81 Association L (Agave palmeri-Agave parryi/Haplopappus laricifolius) 84 Association M (Mortonia scabrella) 85 The Proportionate Random Sample 89 Stepwise Discriminant Analysis (SDA) 96 The Chihuahuan Desert (CD) Data Set 97 The Brush land (BR) Data Set 101 The Dragoons (DR) Data Set 109 The Andesite Hills (AH) Data Set 117 The Mule Mountains (MU) Data Set 124 The Kendall Ranch and Tobosa Bottoms (KR) Data Set 125 The Grassland (GR) Data Set 133 The Tombstone Hills (TH) Data Set 137 The Limestone Hills (LH) Data Set 140 Proportionate Random Sample (PRS) Data Set 143 Evaluation of the Stepwise Discriminant Analysis 145 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 153 RECOMMENDATIONS 163 BIBLIOGRAPHY 166 APPENDICES 174 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Number of observations taken in the different delineations made on frame no. 81 of U. S. G. S. photography taken in October, 1968, over the study area at an average scale of 1:222, 400. 31 2