DESCRIPTIONS OF SYSTEMS, MAPPING SUBSYSTEMS, AND VEGETATION TYPES FOR TEXAS Lee Elliott 14 January 2014 The following descriptions cover the systems that have been identified for the legend for all the phases of the Ecological Systems Classification and Mapping Project in support of the Texas Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Many of these descriptions were drafted from System descriptions available from NatureServe (http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/). Most System descriptions were modified, and all Vegetation Type descriptions were generated from discussions regarding these cover types. These brief narratives generally focus on ‘typical’ type concepts, and mapped vegetation types often circumscribe more variation on the ground than what is described here. For each system, a number of cover types, or “Vegetation Types” were described. A common name is given for each Vegetation Type, and this name is used in the table of contents and for the map legend. Additionally, a second name is provided which more directly ties the Vegetation Type to the system of which it is a part. A numeric identifier is also provided. This identifier represents the identifier used by NatureServe for the system. For the Vegetation Type, a digit suffix is provided to distinguish the various cover types within the system. In parentheses directly following the common name of the Vegetation Type, a number is provided. This number represents the numeric code used to track the Vegetation Types during the mapping process. TABLE OF CONTENTS Forests, Woodlands and Savannas .......................................................................................................... 16 Bastrop Lost Pines Forest and Woodland ............................................................................................... 16 Bastrop Lost Pines: Loblolly Pine Forest (101) .................................................................................. 16 Bastrop Lost Pines: Loblolly Pine - Oak Forest (103) ........................................................................ 17 Bastrop Lost Pines: Loblolly Pine Slope Forest (121) ............................................................................ 17 Bastrop Lost Pines: Loblolly Pine - Oak Slope Forest (123) .............................................................. 17 Bastrop Lost Pines: Hardwood Slope Forest (124) ............................................................................. 18 Central and South Texas Coastal Fringe Forest and Woodland ............................................................. 18 Coastal and Sandsheet: Deep Sand Live Oak Forest and Woodland (6402) ...................................... 20 Coastal and Sandsheet: Deep Sand Live Oak - Mesquite Woodland (6403) ...................................... 20 Coastal and Sandsheet: Deep Sand Live Oak Shrubland (6405) ........................................................ 20 Coastal and Sandsheet: Deep Sand Live Oak Swale Marsh (6407) .................................................... 20 Crosstimbers Oak Forest and Woodland ................................................................................................ 21 Crosstimbers: Live Oak Forest and Woodland (502) ......................................................................... 22 Crosstimbers: Post Oak - Juniper Woodland (503) ............................................................................. 22 Crosstimbers: Post Oak Woodland (504) ............................................................................................ 22 1 Crosstimbers: Savanna Grassland (507) ............................................................................................. 23 Crosstimbers: Juniper Slope Forest (521) ........................................................................................... 23 Crosstimbers: Hardwood - Juniper Slope Forest (523) ....................................................................... 23 Crosstimbers: Oak - Hardwood Slope Forest (524) ............................................................................ 24 Crosstimbers: Sandyland Oak Woodland (534) .................................................................................. 24 East-Central Texas Plains Post Oak Savanna and Woodland ................................................................. 25 Post Oak Savanna: Live Oak Motte and Woodland (602) .................................................................. 26 Post Oak Savanna: Post Oak - Redcedar Motte and Woodland (603) ................................................ 27 Post Oak Savanna: Post Oak - Live Oak Motte and Woodland (633) ................................................ 27 Post Oak Savanna: Post Oak Motte and Woodland (604) .................................................................. 27 Post Oak Savanna: Post Oak - Yaupon Motte and Woodland (613) .................................................. 28 Post Oak Savanna: Savanna Grassland (607) ..................................................................................... 28 Post Oak Savanna: Live Oak Shrubland (605) ................................................................................... 29 Post Oak Savanna: Redcedar Slope Forest (621) ................................................................................ 29 Post Oak Savanna: Oak - Redcedar Slope Forest (623) ...................................................................... 29 Post Oak Savanna: Live Oak Slope Forest (622) ................................................................................ 29 Post Oak Savanna: Post Oak - Live Oak Slope Forest (643) .............................................................. 29 Post Oak Savanna: Oak - Hardwood Slope Forest (624) .................................................................... 30 Edwards Plateau Dry-Mesic Slope Forest and Woodland ...................................................................... 30 Edwards Plateau: Ashe Juniper Slope Forest (901) ............................................................................ 31 Edwards Plateau: Live Oak Slope Forest (902) .................................................................................. 31 Edwards Plateau: Oak - Ashe Juniper Slope Forest (903) .................................................................. 31 Edwards Plateau: Oak - Hardwood Slope Forest (904) ...................................................................... 32 Edwards Plateau Limestone Savanna and Woodland ............................................................................. 33 Edwards Plateau: Ashe Juniper Motte and Woodland (1101) ............................................................ 34 Edwards Plateau: Live Oak Motte and Woodland (1102) .................................................................. 34 Edwards Plateau: Deciduous Oak - Evergreen Motte and Woodland (1103) ..................................... 35 Edwards Plateau: Oak - Hardwood Motte and Woodland (1104) ...................................................... 35 Edwards Plateau: Post Oak Motte and Woodland (1114) ................................................................... 35 Edwards Plateau: Savanna Grassland (1107) ...................................................................................... 36 Edwards Plateau Mesic Canyon (not mapped) ....................................................................................... 37 Edwards Plateau Bigtooth Maple Mesic Canyon (not mapped) ........................................................ 37 Edwards Plateau Mixed Deciduous Mesic Canyon (not mapped) ...................................................... 38 Llano Uplift Acidic Forest, Woodland, and Glade ................................................................................. 38 Llano Uplift: Live Oak Woodland (1602) .......................................................................................... 39 Llano Uplift: Post Oak Woodland (1604) ........................................................................................... 39 2 Llano Uplift Acidic Glade (not mapped) ............................................................................................ 39 Llano Uplift: Mesquite / Whitebrush Shrubland (1606) ..................................................................... 40 Llano Uplift: Grassland (1607) ........................................................................................................... 40 Madrean Encinal ..................................................................................................................................... 40 Trans-Pecos: Gray Oak Savanna and Woodland (10702) ................................................................... 41 Trans-Pecos: Mixed Oak Savanna and Woodland (10703) ................................................................ 41 Madrean Juniper Savanna ....................................................................................................................... 41 Trans-Pecos: Juniper Savanna and Woodland (10805) ...................................................................... 42 Madrean Lower Montane Pine - Oak Forest and Woodland .................................................................. 42 Trans-Pecos: Ponderosa/Arizona Pine Woodland (10901) ................................................................. 43 Trans-Pecos: Ponderosa/Arizona Pine - Oak Woodland (10903) ....................................................... 43 Trans-Pecos: Mountain