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Potential Vegetation and Holdridge Life Zones Across the Northern Sierra Nevada

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Potential Vegetation and Holdridge Life Zones Across the Northern Sierra Nevada University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1976 Potential vegetation and Holdridge life zones across the northern Sierra Nevada Bruce Allen Sanford The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Sanford, Bruce Allen, "Potential vegetation and Holdridge life zones across the northern Sierra Nevada" (1976). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 6835. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/6835 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. POTENTIAL VEGETATION AND HOLDRIDGE LIFE ZONES ACROSS THE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA By Bruce A. Sanford B.S., University of Minnesota, 1967 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 1976 Approved by: iainnan. Board of Exa^ners Dea^, Graduate School S Ç JŸ.7C. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: EP37636 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT OiMMtation PuMiahing UMI EP37636 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Sanford, Bruce A., M.A., 1976 Geography Potential Vegetation and Eoldridge Life Zones Across the Northern Sierra Nevada (57 pp.) Director: John M. Crowley — This study involves an application of the Eoldridge model along a transect across the northern Sierra Nevada. The model, devel­ oped by Leslie R. Eoldridge, was designed to predict or infer vegetation from climatic data. The model incorporates only climatic factors for which data are available on a global scale. These factors are heat, precipitation, and the évapotranspiration ratio. The model assumes a direct relationship between climate and vegetation, and disregards all other environmental factors. The study transect is a forty-kilometer-wide strip extending from Sacramento, California, to Lovelock, Nevada, along the route of Interstate 80. Along the transect, great differences in tem­ perature, precipitation, and vegetation are found over a relatively short distance. Weather stations, within and near the transect, were the sources of the climatic data. One map was constructed of the potential vegetation of the transect and another was made of the "natural life zones" resulting from the application of the Eoldridge model. The two maps were then compared to determine the ability of the model to infer vege­ tation in a temperate area. The model failed to accurately predict the vegetation in approximately one-half of the transect. This poor performance is considered unacceptable and may be due to the following shortcomings which were found to be present within the model: (1) The model does not take into account the seasonal attributes of precipitation. (2) The model lacks life zones that would accommodate grassland vegetation, except perhaps short-grass steppe. (3) Eoldridge did not clearly illustrate or describe the vegetation types that are named on the model. The conclusions reached by this application of the Eoldridge model provide no evidence to recommend its further use in temperate areas. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to gratefully acknowledge the guidance provided by Dr. John M. Crowley. Without Dr. Crowley's expertise and patience, this thesis might never have been completed. H i Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................... iii LIST OF T A B L E S ..................................................... vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................... vii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ............................................... 1 Purpose of the Study The Study Area Location Physiographic Regions Climate Previous Vegetation Studies Climatic Data Accessibility II. THE POTENTIAL VEGETATION ZONES Existing Studies of the Vegetation Lodgepole Pine Subalpine Parkland Red Fir Forest Mixed Conifer Forest California Oakwoods California Grassland Juniper Steppe Sagebrush Steppe Shadscale-Greasewood Desert III. THE HOLDRIDGE M O D E L ...................................... 23 Components of the Model Heat Precipitation Potential Evapotranspiration Ratio Applying the Model Critique of the Model Merits Shortcomings iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. IV. THE HOLDRIDGE LIFE ZONES .................................. 38 Sources of the Climatic Data Determination of the Life Zones Spatial Association of Potential and Inferred Vegetation Subalpine Moist Forest Montane Moist Forest Montane Wet Forest Lower Montane Moist Forest Dry Forest Thorn Steppe Montane Steppe Montane Desert Bush Montane Desert Lower Montane Desert V. CONCLUSION................................................. 53 BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................... 55 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table 1. California Stations .......................................... 39 2. Nevada Stations .......................................... 40 3. Range of Life Zones Within the Tr a n s e c t ........................ 42 4. Percentage of Holdridge Zones Occupied by Potential Vegetation Units .............. ............................. 44 VI. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Transect Location .............................. .............. 4 2. The Holdridge Life Zone M o d e l ..................................25 3. Latitudinal Regions and Altitudinal Belts ................... 27 4. Grassland Vegetation Types .................................... 35 Plate I. Potential Vegetation Across the Northern Sierra Nevada II. Holdridge Life Zones Across the Northern Sierra Nevada yii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Study Leslie R. Holdridge, an ecologist, developed a model designed to predict or infer vegetation from climatic data. His model was first published in an article in Science entitled "Determination of World Plant Formations from Simple Climatic Data" (Holdridge, 1947). The Holdridge model assumes a direct relationship between climate and vegetation, and disregards all other environmental factors. Weather station data concerning temperature, precipitation, and humidity are incorporated in the model to determine the plant formation of a given area. In this way, a "global categorization" of vegetation can be accomplished (Holdridge, 1964, p. 9). While its possible utility went largely unrecognized by North American geographers and ecologists, Holdridge was refining and field testing his original model in the American tropics. The application of this system has been directed primarily toward Latin America. The Organization of American States has used it to map large areas in the tropics and subtropics, with emphasis on Costa Rica, and to estimate agricultural potential. Harris (1973, p. A190) stated, "The Holdridge system shows potential promise of being a very useful tool in classifying life Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. zones in sparsely populated areas, but it badly needs evaluation." He indicated that, in the case of Costa Rica and the rest of the American tropics, the identification of key associations is made extremely difficult because of the many species of plants that are present. A more valid application of the model might be made in a temperate environment where the number of plant species is considerably less and plant indicators are more obvious. If the Holdridge model is to be used to infer or predict vegetation on a world scale, the use of the model cannot be limited to one region. The purpose of this thesis is to apply the model in temperate mountains that exhibit great differences in temperature, precipitation, and vegetation over a relatively short distance, and where previous studies of the potential vegetation of the area can be used for verification. Kuchler (1964, pp. 1-2) defines potential vegetation as . , the vegetation that would exist today if man were removed from
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