Ecological Response Units of the Southwestern United States
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United States Department Ecological Response Units of Agriculture of the Southwestern United States Forest Service Southwestern Region Maximilian Wahlberg F. Jack Triepke DRAFT 2014 Wayne Robbie Steve H. Stringer FR-R3-XX-XX Don Vandendriesche Esteban Muldavin Jim Malusa Summary Wahlberg, M.M., F.J. Triepke, W.A. Robbie, S.H. Strenger, D. Vandendriesche, E.H. Muldavin, and J.R Malusa. 2013. Ecological Response Units of the Southwestern United States. USDA Forest Service Forestry Report FR-R3-XX-XX. Southwestern Region, Regional Office, Albuquerque, NM. 201 pp. In the Southwest, the US Forest Service has developed a framework of ecosystem types, or “Ecological Response Units”, to facilitate landscape analysis and strategic planning. The framework represents all major ecosystem types of the region, and a coarse stratification of biophysical themes. Ecological Response Units (ERUs) are map unit constructs, technical groupings of finer vegetation classes of the National Vegetation Classification. The suite of vegetation classes that make up any given ERU share similar disturbance dynamics, plant species dominants, and theoretical succession sequence (potential vegetation). The ERU framework includes 31 terrestrial units, and 8 associated subclasses (additionally, 12 provisional subclasses are proposed), along with 21 riparian units. Key Words Ecosystem stratification, ecosystem unit, reference condition, landscape analysis, strategic planning, southwestern ecology. The Authors Acknowledgements Max Wahlberg is acting Regional Analyst for the USDA The authors gratefully acknowledge the work Forest Service Southwestern Region in Albuquerque, New of the many individuals who have worked to Mexico, and Forest Ecologist for the Prescott National classify vegetation of the southwest including, Forest. David E. Brown, Charles H. Lowe, Charles P. Pase, Robert DeVelice, John Ludwig, Will Moir, Jack Triepke is Regional Ecologist for the Forest Service Frank Ronco, and several other pioneering Southwestern Region, also conducting research at the phytosociologists of the region. University of New Mexico. Special thanks and recognition are extended to Wayne Robbie is Regional Soil Scientist and Inventory and Bob Davis, Director & Robert Trujillo, Assistant Monitoring Coordinator for the Forest Service Southwestern Director of Ecosystem Assessment and Region.Steve Strenger is New Mexico Team Leader for the Planning for the USDA Forest Service Terrestrial Ecological Unit Inventory Coordinator for the Southwestern Region along with Reuben Forest Service Southwestern Region Don Vandendriesche is Weisz, George Robertson, Matt Turner, & Vegetation Application Program Manager for the Forest Michelle Aldridge for their contributions and Service Southwestern Region. support in the preparation of this document. Esteban Muldavin is Research Associate Professor at the University of New Mexico, and Ecology Coordinator with Natural Heritage New Mexico. Jim Malusa is Research Specialist with the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. i Cover Photos by Maximillian Wahlberg: Upper Left: Juniper Grass ERU with understory fire, Coronado National Forest. Upper Right: Montane / Subalpine Grassland ERU on the Smokey Bear Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest. Center: Open characteristic Ponderosa Pine-Bunchgrass ERU in the Gila Wilderness, Gila National Forest. Lower Left: Fall foliage in the Mixed Conifer with Aspen ERU on the San Francisco Peaks, Coconino National Forest. Lower Right: Chihuahuan Desert Scrub ERU at the base of the Chirihcaua Mountains near Rodeo, NM. ii Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Ecological Response Unit Concepts .............................................................................................................. 4 Relationship of Ecological Response Units to other Ecosystem Stratifications ............................................ 5 Biotic Communities of the Southwest ...................................................................................................... 5 LANDFIRE Biophysical Settings and NatureServe Ecological Systems ...................................................... 8 Terrestrial Ecological Unit Inventory ........................................................................................................ 8 National Vegetation Classification ............................................................................................................ 9 Descriptions for Upland Ecological Response Units ................................................................................... 11 Forest Ecological Response Units: ................................................................................................. 14 Spruce-Fir Ecological Response Unit ................................................................................. 14 Bristlecone Pine Ecological Response Unit ....................................................................... 21 Mixed Conifer with Aspen Ecological Response Unit ....................................................... 23 Mixed Conifer—Frequent Fire Ecological Response Unit ................................................. 28 Ponderosa Pine Forest Ecological Response Unit ............................................................. 33 Ponderosa Pine—Evergreen Oak Ecological Response Unit ............................................. 39 Woodland Ecological Response Units: .............................................................................. 44 Juniper Grass Ecological Response Unit............................................................................ 44 PJ Sagebrush Ecological Response Unit ............................................................................ 48 PJ Evergreen Shrub Ecological Response Unit .................................................................. 51 PJ Woodland Ecological Response Unit ............................................................................ 55 PJ Grass Ecological Response Unit .................................................................................... 58 Madrean Encinal Woodland Ecological Response Unit .................................................... 62 Madrean Pinyon-Oak Woodland Ecological Response Unit ............................................. 65 Grassland Ecological Response Units: ............................................................................................ 69 Montane / Subalpine Grassland Ecological Response Unit .............................................. 69 Colorado Plateau / Great Basin Grassland Ecological Response Unit .............................. 71 Semi-Desert Grassland Ecological Response Unit ............................................................ 74 Shrubland Ecological Response Units: ........................................................................................... 79 Alpine and Tundra Ecological Response Unit ................................................................... 79 Gambel Oak Shrubland Ecological Response Unit ............................................................ 81 iii Mountain Mahogany Mixed Shrubland Ecological Response Unit ................................... 83 Interior Chaparral Ecological Response Unit .................................................................... 85 Sagebrush Shrubland Ecological Response Unit ............................................................... 87 Intermountain Salt Scrub Ecological Response Unit ......................................................... 89 Sandsheet Shrubland Ecological Response Unit ............................................................... 91 Chihuahuan Desert Scrub Ecological Response Unit ........................................................ 93 Chihuahuan Salt Desert Scrub Ecological Response Unit ................................................. 96 Mojave-Sonoran Desert Scrub Ecological Response Unit ................................................. 98 Sonora-Mojave Mixed Salt Desert Scrub Ecological Response Unit ............................... 101 Great Plains Ecological Response Units: ...................................................................................... 103 Shortgrass Prairie Ecological Response Unit ................................................................... 103 Mixed-Grass Prairie Ecological Response Unit ............................................................... 106 Shinnery Oak Ecological Response Unit .......................................................................... 109 Sandsage Ecological Response Unit ................................................................................ 111 Riparian Ecological Response Units: ............................................................................................ 113 References ................................................................................................................................................ 115 Appendix A—ERU-Biophysical Setting / Ecolgocial System ...................................................................... 120 Appendix B – Crosswalk between ERUs and National Vegetation Classification Groups ......................... 127 Appendix C – Development of Computed Values for Forest and Woodland ERUs .................................. 132 Appendix D – Ecological Response Units across Soutwestern Climate Gradients:..................................