HARDWOODS 



Vegetation 

 The portions of the western hardwoods with- 

 in continental United States include forests in 

 which 50 percent or more of the stand is hard- 

 wood species, except where western white pine, 

 sugar pine, or redwood comprise 20 percent 

 or more in which case the ecosystem would be 

 classified as white pine or redwood. The vege- 

 tation is a forest of low to medium tall broad- 

 leaf deciduous or evergreen trees, sometimes 

 with an admixture of low to medium tall needle- 

 leaf evergreens, often with an understory of 

 grass and shrubs. In the California and Oregon 

 portions dominant species include Oregon white 

 oak, Coulter pine, digger pine, coast live oak, 

 canyon live oak, blue oak, valley oak, and 

 interior live oak. In California this ecosystem 

 lies mainly between the annual grasslands and 

 the chaparral and mixed conifer zones. The 

 portion in the widely scattered Rocky Moun- 

 tain and plains states is primarily quaking 

 aspen stands with a highly variable understory 

 of grasses, forbs, and shrubs. In many areas 

 where the aspen stands are inclusions within 

 sagebrush or conifer types, they are very im- 

 portant sources of food and cover for various 

 wildlife species. Cottonwood becomes dominant 

 on plains, more or less replacing aspen. 



Kiichler Communities 



K-22 



K-26 



K-7 



K-11 



K-13 



Oregon oakwoods 

 California oakwoods 

 Red fir forest (serai stage) 

 Douglas-fir forests (serai stages) 

 Grand fir-Douglas-fir forests (serai 

 stages) 

 K-14 Western spruce-fir forest (serai 



stage) 

 K-19 Spruce-fir-Douglas-fir forest (serai 



stages) 

 K-20 Southwestern spruce-fir forest (serai 

 stages) 



Kare and Endangered Species 

 San Joaquin kit fox 

 Tule elk 



Area Economically Depressed 

 20 percent 



GREAT PLAINS 

 SHINNERY 



Vegetation 

 Shinnery vegetation is a midgrass prairie 

 with open to dense stands of broadleaf decid- 

 uous shrubs and occasional needleleaf low trees 

 and shrubs. The major shrub species are shin 

 oak, Havard's oak, redberry juniper, and mes- 

 quite. Little bluestem and side-oats grama are 

 the most common grass species. Sand bluestem 



is sometimes locally common. Sandsage and 

 small soapweed are the most common forbs 

 (low shrubs). 



Kiichler Communities 

 K-64 Shinnery 



Rare and Endangered Species 

 Lesser prairie chicken 



Area Economically Depressed 

 5 percent 



TEXAS SAVANNA 



Vegetation 

 This is a high-shrub savanna ecosystem with 

 a dense to very open community of broadleaf, 

 deciduous and evergreen low trees and shrubs 

 and needleleaf, evergreen low trees and shrubs. 

 The grass varies from short to medium and 

 the herbaceous vegetation varies from dense to 

 open. Mesquite is the most widespread woody 

 plant. Others are acacia, oaks, juniper, and 

 ceniza along the Rio Grande valley and bluffs. 

 Species of prickly pear cactus are widespread. 

 The herbaceous plants are mainly such grasses 

 as bluestems, three awn species, buffalograss, 

 gramas, and curly mesquite and tobosa on the 

 Edwards Plateau. 



Kiichler Co-mmunities 

 K-38 Ceniza shrub 

 K-54 Mesquite-acacia savanna 

 K-55 Mesquite-liveoak savanna 

 K-77 Juniper-oak savanna 

 K-78 Mesquite-oak savanna 



Area Economically Depressed 

 40 percent 



PLAINS GRASSLANDS 



Vegetation 

 Grasses with low stature and warm season 

 growth predominate with a minor interspersion 

 of forbs and shrubs. Vast stretches of this eco- 

 system are dominated almost exclusively by 

 blue grama, with buffalo grass as a companion 

 in many areas. However, the eastern half of 

 the north half of this ecosystem is dominated 

 by western wheatgrass and needlegrass. The 

 occasional shrubs include juniper, silver sage- 

 brush, silver buffaloberry, and skunkbush 

 sumac in the northern reaches and rabbit brush 

 and mesquite in the southern part. Forbs are 

 generally quite common, but many are ephem- 

 erals. 



Kiichler Communities 



K-57 Grama-needlegrass-wheatgrass 



K-58 Grama-buffalo grass 



K-59 Wheatgrass-needlegrass 



K-60 Wheatgrass-bluestem-needlegrass 



K-61 Wheat grass-grama-buffalo grass 



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