APPENDIX D

DESCRIPTION OF VEGETATION 

MACROGROUPS

MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

APPENDIX D

DESCRIPTION OF VEGETATION 

MACROGROUPS

Introduction 

This appendix provides descriptions of the subset of 

macrogroups that comprise the majority of the BLM’s 

proposed vegetation treatments, as referenced in Table 

4-9 of this PEIS. Table D-1 provides a list of all the 

vegetation macrogroups occurring on BLMadministered lands in the western U.S., as well as their 

associated classes, subclasses, formations, and 

divisions.

The macrogroup is a middle-level classification in the 

hierarchy of the revised United States National 

Vegetation Classification1

. The middle-level 

classifications are based on plant physiognomy, 

biogeography, and floristics. The macrogroup level 

classification is based on “combinations of moderate 

sets of diagnostic plant species and diagnostic growth 

forms that reflect biogeographic differences.” 

The ecological context of the macrogroup level is subcontinental to regional differences in mesoclimate, 

geology, substrates, hydrology, and disturbance 

regimes. An example of a scientific name for a 

macrogroup is the Pseudotsuga menziesii-Quercus 

garryana-Pinus ponderosa-Arbutus menziesii

(Douglas-fir-Oregon white oak-ponderosa pine-Pacific 

madrone) macrogroup. The colloquial name for this 

macrogroup is Northern Vancouverian Montane and 

Foothill Forest. 

In order to match the geographical breakdown in the 

2007 PEIS, the macrogroup descriptions in this section 

are presented by ecoregion. Descriptions for 

macrogroups found in more than one ecoregion are 

repeated, where applicable. Descriptions come directly 

from the U.S. National Vegetation Classification web 

site.

1 Available at: http://usnvc.org/. 

Marine Ecoregion

Californian-Vancouverian Foothill 

and Valley Forest and Woodland

These forests occur along the Pacific Coast lowlands 

from southern California to southern British Columbia. 

They occur inland from the coast, in the dry interior 

lowland valleys, some on the east side of the Cascades, 

and are drought-tolerant. These forests are not part of 

the Temperate Coastal Rainforest. Dominant species 

within this macrogroup are Pseudotsuga menziesii, 

Pinus ponderosa, Quercus garryana, Quercus kelloggii 

(California black oak), Lithocarpus densiflorus 

(tanoak), Umbellularia californica (California laurel), 

and Arbutus menziesii. 

Vancouverian Lowland and Montane 

Rainforest

This macrogroup consists of tall forests 164 to 328 feet 

(50 to 100 meters) dominated by evergreen needleleaved trees of the Pacific Northwest coast, limited to 

the coast, in lowland valleys, and lower mountain 

slopes (below subalpine snow pack) of the Coastal and 

Cascade Ranges. Forests include those influenced by 

salt spray exposure, the interior forests of the 

windward and leeward Coast and Cascade Ranges, and 

cool temperate lower montane forests where winter 

snowpack typically lasts for 2 to 6 months, sometimes 

referred to as the “rain-on-snow” zone because of the 

common occurrence of major winter rainfall on an 

established snowpack. Climate is wet, mild maritime. 

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-1 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS

 
BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides

MACROGROUP DESCRIPITONS

D-2 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS

Table D-1 

Vegetation Classification System for Western States

Formation Class Formation Subclass Formation Division Macrogroup

Forest and

Woodland Temperate Forest

Warm Temperate Forest

Southwestern North American 

Warm Temperate Forest

California Forest and Woodland

Californian-Vancouverian 

Foothill and Valley Forest and

Woodland

Comanchian Forest and

Woodland

Madrean Warm Lowland 

Evergreen Woodland

Madrean Warm Montane Forest 

and Woodland

Southwestern North American 

Warm Temperate Scrub and

Woodland

Southern Plains Scrub Woodland 

and Shrubland

Cool Temperate Forest

Western North American Cool 

Temperate Forest

Southern Vancouverian Montane 

and Foothill Forest

Vancouverian Lowland and

Montane Rainforest

Northern Rocky Mountain 

Lower Montane and Foothill 

Forest

Rocky Mountain Subalpine and

High Montane Conifer Forest

Sierra Madre High Montane 

Forest

Southern Rocky Mountain 

Lower Montane Forest

Vancouverian Subalpine Forest

Western North American Cool 

Temperate Woodland and Scrub

Intermountain Singleleaf 

Pinyon-Western Juniper 

Woodland

Rocky Mountain Two-Needle 

Pinyon-Juniper Woodland
BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides

D-3 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS

MACROGROUP DESCRIPITONS

Table D-1 (Cont.) 

Vegetation Classification System for Western States

Formation Class Formation Subclass Formation Division Macrogroup

Forest and

Woodland (cont.)

Temperate Forest (Cont.) Temperate Flooded and Swamp 

Forest

Western North American 

Flooded and Swamp Forest

Rocky Mountain and Great 

Basin Flooded and Swamp 

Forest

Vancouverian Flooded and

Swamp Forest

Southwestern North American 

Warm Temperate Flooded and

Swamp Forest

Warm Mediterranean and Desert 

Riparian, Flooded and Swamp 

Forest

Western North American Warm 

Temperate Ruderal Flooded and

Swamp Forest

Boreal Forest

Lowland and Montane Boreal 

Forest North American Boreal Forest

North American Subalpine and

Subarctic Woodland

Western North American Boreal 

Conifer and Hardwood Forest

Boreal Flooded and Swamp 

Forest

North American Boreal Flooded 

and Swamp Forest

North American Boreal Flooded 

Forest

North American Boreal Swamp 

Forest

Western Boreal Flooded and 

Swamp Scrub and Forest 

Shrubland and

Grassland

Mediterranean Scrub and

Grassland

Mediterranean Scrub California Scrub

California Chaparral

California Coastal Scrub

Mediterranean Grassland and

Forb Meadow

California Grassland and

Meadow

California Annual and Perennial 

Grassland

California Ruderal Grassland 

and Meadow
BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides

MACROGROUP DESCRIPITONS

D-4 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS

Table D-1 (Cont.) 

Vegetation Classification System for Western States

Formation Class Formation Subclass Formation Division Macrogroup

Shrubland and

Grassland (Cont.)

Temperate and Boreal 

Shrubland and Grassland

Temperate Grassland, Meadow 

and Shrubland

Western North American 

Grassland and Shrubland

Northern Rocky MountainVancouverian Montane and

Foothill Grassland and

Shrubland

Northern Vancouverian Lowland 

and Montane Grassland and

Shrubland

Rocky Mountain-Vancouverian 

Subalpine and High Montane 

Mesic Grass and Forb Meadow

Southern Rocky Mountain 

Montane Grassland and

Shrubland

Southern Vancouverian Lowland 

Grassland and Shrubland

Great Plains Grassland and

Shrubland

Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie 

and Shrubland

Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie 

and Shrubland

Western North American 

Interior Sclerophyllous 

Chaparral Shrubland

Cool Interior Chaparral

Warm Interior Chaparral

Boreal Grassland, Meadow and

Shrubland

North American Boreal 

Grassland, Meadow and

Shrubland

North American Boreal 

Shrubland and Grassland

Temperate and Boreal Scrub and

Herb Coastal Vegetation

Pacific North American Coast 

Scrub and Herb Vegetation

Cool Pacific Coastal Beach, 

Dune and Bluff Vegetation

Warm Pacific Coastal Beach, 

Dune and Bluff Vegetation

Temperate and Boreal Bog and

Fen North American Bog and Fen

North American Boreal Bog and

Fen

North Pacific Bog and Fen

Rocky Mountain Subalpine and

Montane Fen
BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides

D-5 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS

MACROGROUP DESCRIPITONS

Table D-1 (Cont.) 

Vegetation Classification System for Western States

Formation Class Formation Subclass Formation Division Macrogroup

Shrubland and

Grassland (Cont.)

Temperate and Boreal 

Shrubland and Grassland 

(Cont.)

Temperate and Boreal 

Freshwater Wet Meadow and

Marsh

Western North American 

Freshwater Wet Meadow and

Marsh

Western North American Boreal 

Wet Meadow and Marsh

Western North American 

Lowland Freshwater Wet 

Meadow, Marsh and Shrubland

Western North American 

Montane Wet Meadow and Low 

Shrubland

Western North American 

Ruderal Wet Meadow and

Marsh

Western North American Vernal 

Pool

Southwestern North American 

Warm Desert Freshwater Marsh

Warm Desert Freshwater 

Shrubland, Meadow and Marsh

Salt Marsh

Temperate and Boreal Pacific 

Coastal Salt Marsh

North American Pacific Coastal 

Salt Marsh

North American Western 

Interior Brackish Marsh

Cool Semi-Desert AlkalineSaline Wetland

Warm Semi-Desert and

Mediterranean Alkaline-Saline 

Wetland

Semi-Desert Warm Semi-Desert Scrub and

Grassland

Warm Semi-Desert Scrub and

Grassland

North American Warm Desert 

Scrub and Grassland

Apacherian-Chihuahuan SemiDesert Grassland and Steppe

Chihuahuan Desert Scrub

Mojave-Sonoran Semi-Desert 

Scrub

North American Warm Desert 

Alkaline-Saline Semi-Desert 

Scrub

North American Warm Desert 

Xero-Riparian
BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides

MACROGROUP DESCRIPITONS

D-6 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS

Table D-1 (Cont.) 

Vegetation Classification System for Western States

Formation Class Formation Subclass Formation Division Macrogroup

Semi-Desert 

(Cont.)

Cool Semi-Desert Scrub and

Grassland

Cool Semi-Desert Scrub and

Grassland

Western North American Cool 

Semi-Desert Scrub and

Grassland

Great Basin and Intermountain 

Dry Shrubland and Grassland

Great Basin and Intermountain 

Dwarf Sage Shrubland and

Steppe

Great Basin and Intermountain 

Tall Sagebrush Shrubland and

Steppe

Great Basin and Intermountain 

Xero-Riparian Scrub

Great Basin Saltbrush Scrub

Polar and High 

Montane 

Vegetation

Temperate and Boreal Alpine 

Vegetation

Alpine Scrub, Forb Meadow and

Grassland

Western North American Alpine 

Scrub, Forb Meadow and

Grassland

Rocky Mountain Alpine Scrub, 

Forb Meadow and Grassland

Sierra Madre Alpine Scrub, 

Forb Meadow and Grassland

Vancouverian Alpine Scrub, 

Forb Meadow and Grassland

Tundra

Dwarf-Shrub, Herb and

Nonvascular Tundra Arctic Tundra North American Arctic Tundra

Tundra Wet Meadow Arctic Tundra Wet Meadow Arctic Tundra Wet Meadow

Aquatic Vegetation Freshwater Aquatic 

Vegetation Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation North American Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation

Western North American 

Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation

Source: Developed by the BLM based on the Federal Geographic Data Committee Vegetation Subcommittee’s National Vegetation Classification Standard, Version 2 (Federal 

Geographic Data Committee 2008).
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

Forests along the immediate coast experience 

uniformly wet and mild climate, where precipitation 

averages 79 to 118 inches (2,000 to 3,000 millimeters) 

per year, with frequent fog and low clouds during 

warmer months, and additional precipitation from fog 

drip can be significant. Away from the coast, climate is 

still mild but with more moisture and temperature 

extremes. Major forest tree species are Pseudotsuga

menziesii, Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock), 

Thuja plicata (western redcedar), Abies amabilis

(Pacific silver fir), Chamaecyparis nootkatensis 

(Alaska cedar), and Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce). 

The deciduous broad-leaved trees Alnus rubra (red 

alder) and Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple) are 

abundant on recently disturbed sites. Pinus contorta

(lodgepole pine) is common along the ocean. Abies

grandis (grand fir) and Pinus monticola (western white 

pine) occur sporadically and Sequoia sempervirens 

(redwood), Umbellularia californica, and 

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Port Orford cedar) are 

found in southern Oregon and northern California.

Southern Vancouverian Lowland 

Grassland and Shrubland

This macrogroup is found from Vancouver Island 

down the Pacific Coast to San Francisco. It occurs 

along the coast on coastal terraces and ridgeline balds 

in the Coast Ranges, the Klamath Mountains, and at 

low elevations on the lee side of the coastal mountains 

in the northern part of the range. Steep slopes on 

coastal bluffs and headlands are typical occurrences of 

this macrogroup, though sometimes it can be found on 

relatively level ridgelines. Attributable to shallow soils, 

steep slopes, sunny aspect, and/or upper slope position, 

these sites are dry and marginal for tree establishment 

and growth except in favorable microsites. The 

vegetation is grassland with some dwarf-shrubs, which 

can occur as small patches but are usually in a matrix 

with the herbaceous vegetation. Bunchgrasses are often 

dominant and may include Calamagrostis nutkaensis 

(Pacific reedgrass), Festuca rubra (red fescue), 

Festuca roemeri (Roemer’s fescue), or Danthonia

californica (California oatgrass). Dwarf-shrub species 

imbedded in the herbaceous cover often include 

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (kinnikinnick), Arctostaphylos

Columbiana (hairy manzanita), Arctostaphylos

nevadensis (pinemat manzanita), Gaultheria shallon 

(salal), Juniperus communis (common juniper), Rubus

spectabilis (salmonberry), and Vaccinium ovatum 

(California huckleberry). Occasionally, scattered 

stunted trees, such as Picea sitchensis, Pseudotsuga

menziesii or Quercus garryana, can be present.

Mediterranean Ecoregion

California Forest and Woodland

This macrogroup consists of savannas, woodlands, and 

forests dominated by Californian endemic oak and 

conifer species. These woodlands occur almost entirely 

within California below 8,000 ft (2,450 m). They 

include the oak woodlands of Quercus agrifolia 

(California live oak), Quercus lobata (valley oak), and 

Quercus douglasii (blue oak). Stands include rare 

endemic evergreen coniferous forests limited to the 

coast including Hesperocyparis macrocarpa (Monterey 

cypress), Cupressus sargentii (Sargent’s cypress), 

Pinus muricata (Bishop pine), and Pinus torreyana

(Torrey pine), as well as the more widespread, rugged 

Pinus sabiniana (California foothill pine) and Pinus 

coulteri (Coulter pine).

Californian-Vancouverian Foothill 

and Valley Forest and Woodland

These forests occur along the Pacific Coast lowlands 

from southern California to southern British Columbia. 

They occur inland from the coast, in the dry interior 

lowland valleys, some on the east side of the Cascades, 

and are drought-tolerant. These forests are not part of 

the Temperate Coastal Rainforest. Dominant species 

within this macrogroup are Pseudotsuga menziesii, 

Pinus ponderosa, Quercus garryana, Quercus

kelloggii, Lithocarpus densiflorus, Umbellularia

californica, and Arbutus menziesii.

Southern Vancouverian Montane and 

Foothill Forest

This macrogroup includes forests and woodlands of 

foothill and lower montane elevations of the southern 

Cascade and Klamath Mountains, the Modoc Plateau, 

and the Sierra Nevada, Peninsula, and Transverse 

Ranges. This macrogroup covers a broad range of 

elevation and latitude, and for the most part occurs in 

relatively dry habitats. It includes dry montane Pinus 

jeffreyi (Jeffrey pine)-Pinus ponderosa woodlands; 

Sierran mixed conifer woodlands dominated by 

Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus ponderosa, Calocedrus

decurrens (Incense cedar), Abies concolor (white fir), 

Abies magnifica (California red fir), Pinus lambertiana 

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-7 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

(sugar pine), Pinus jeffreyi, or Sequoiadendron

giganteum (giant sequoia); mixed conifer woodlands 

tolerant of serpentine soils; and the forests on the east 

side of the Sierra Nevada, on the Modoc Plateau and in 

the Warner Mountains that are dominated by Pinus

monticola and/or Abies concolor var. lowiana (Sierra 

white fir) where Pinus ponderosa is often present, but 

Pseudotsuga menziesii is notably absent.

California Chaparral

This macrogroup is composed of evergreen 

sclerophyllous shrubland that dominates the 

cismontane side of the coastal mountain ranges from 

about San Francisco south to Ensanada in Baja 

California, and east into the foothills of the Sierra 

Nevada. It reaches its greatest extent in the Transverse 

and Peninsular ranges of central and southern 

California but is also an important part of the western 

foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Chaparral occurs from 

sea level to 4,921 feet (1,500 meters). Chaparral is 

closely associated with the Mediterranean climate 

pattern of winter rain and summer drought. Within that 

climate regime it can be found under a wide range of 

rainfall and temperature conditions, but over 60 percent 

of the current distribution is in areas that receive 

between 10 and 30 inches (250 and 750 millimeters) of 

annual precipitation, and where average January daily 

temperature falls between 41 and 59 °F (5 and 15 °C), 

indicating that summer drought stress may limit

chaparral shrub seedling establishment and that injury 

to adult shrubs from winter freezes may impose 

species-specific distributional limits. Chaparral soils 

tend to be shallow and rocky. Substrates include 

fractured sandstones and shales, coarse-grained 

decomposed granitic soils, fine-grained weathered 

volcanics, and mafic substrates such as serpentines and 

gabbros. These substrates add to the landscape 

diversity and have substantial effects on plant species 

diversity. The diversity of shrubs in chaparral includes 

shrub species such as Adenostoma fasciculatum 

(chamise), Ceanothus cuneatus (buckbrush), 

Ceanothus megacarpus (bigpod ceanothus), Ceanothus

crassifolius (hoaryleaf ceanothis), several species of 

Arctostaphylos (manzanita), and Cercocarpus

montanus (alderleaf mountain mahogany).

Cool Interior Chaparral

This macrogroup consists of chaparral that occurs on 

side slopes between low-elevation desert landscapes 

and higher pinyon-juniper woodlands of the western 

and central Great Basin on steep, exposed slopes with 

rocky and/or shallow soils, and among montane forests 

above 4,550 feet (1,500 meters), from the southern 

Cascades of Oregon to the Peninsular Ranges of 

California into Baja California, Mexico, where much 

annual precipitation occurs as snow. These hardy 

shrublands have open canopies with little undergrowth 

and are dominated by evergreen or winter-deciduous 

shrubs. Dominant shrubs include Arctostaphylos

glandulosa (Eastwood’s manzanita), Arctostaphylos

nevadensis, Arctostaphylos patula (greenleaf 

manzanita), Arctostaphylos pungens (pointleaf 

manzanita), Ceanothus cordulatus (whitethorn 

ceanothus), Ceanothus diversifolius (pinemat), 

Ceanothus greggii (desert ceanothus), Ceanothus

integerrimus (deerbrush), Ceanothus pinetorum 

(Coville ceanothus), Ceanothus sanguineus (redstem 

ceanothus; in Oregon), Ceanothus velutinus 

(snowbrush ceanothus), Cercocarpus intricatus 

(litteleaf mountain mahogany), Cercocarpus montanus

var. glaber (birchleaf mountain mahogany), 

Chrysolepis sempervirens (=Castanopsis empervirens; 

bush chinquapin), Eriogonum fasciculatum (Eastern 

Mojave buckwheat), Garrya flavescens (ashy siltassel), 

Holodiscus discolor (=Holodiscus microphyllus; 

oceanspray), Prunus emarginata (bitter cherry), 

Prunus subcordata (Klamath plum), Prunus virginiana 

(chokecherry), Purshia stansburiana (Stansbury 

cliffrose), Quercus garryana var. breweri (Brewer’s 

oak), Quercus turbinella (Sonoran scrub oak), and 

Rhus trilobata (skunkbush sumac). Most of these 

chaparral species are fire-adapted, resprouting 

vigorously after burning or producing fire-resistant 

seeds.

California Annual and Perennial 

Grassland

This macrogroup is found in Mediterranean California 

from 30 to 3.600 feet (10 to 1,200 meters), with cool, 

wet winters and hot, dry summers, receiving on 

average 20 inches (50 centimeters; range 10 to 30 

inches [25 to 100 centimeters]) of precipitation per 

year, mainly as winter rain. It is found with finetextured soils, moist or even waterlogged in winter, but 

very dry in summer. Historically, these grasslands were 

common among oak savanna and woodland and 

probably experienced similar frequent fire regimes. 

Today they are limited to small relictual, remnant and 

restored stands. These communities are best 

represented on xeric to mesic ultramafic (a type of 

igneous rock) sites where alien annual grasses are less 

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-8 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

well-adapted. Wet ultramafic sites may contain stands 

of Muhlenbergia rigens (deergrass) or Leymus

triticoides (beardless wildrye). Characteristic plant 

species include a dominance by native, cool-season 

bunchgrasses Nassella pulchra (purple needlegrass), 

Nassella cernua (nodding needlegrass), Nassella lepida 

(foothill needlegrass), Aristida species (threeawn), 

Agoseris heterophylla (annual agoseris), Elymus

glaucus (blue wildrye), Leymus triticoides (beardless 

wildrye), Festuca californica (California fescue), 

Melica californica (California melicgrass), and Poa

secunda (=Poa scabrella; Sandberg bluegrass), and 

native forbs such as Achyrachaena mollis (blow 

wives), Bloomeria crocea (common goldenstar), 

Triteleia ixioides (=Brodiaea lutea; prettyface), 

Chlorogalum pomeridianum (wavyleaf soap plant), 

Clarkia purpurea (winecup clarkia), Dodecatheon

jeffreyi (Sierra shootingstar), Achillea millefolium var. 

borealis (=Achillea borealis; boreal yarrow), and 

Castilleja attenuata (=Orthocarpus attenuatis; 

attenuate Indian paintbrush).

California Ruderal Grassland and 

Meadow

This macrogroup encompasses the non-nativedominated annual grasslands found in California. They 

occur on the coastal plains, in the Central Valley, in the 

foothills and in disturbed rural and urban areas. 

California annual grassland is found on a wide variety 

of soils, sometimes in complex mosaics. Most are 

noncalcic Mollisols, medium to heavy texture, about 

1.6 feet (0.5 meters) deep. Native graminoid and forb 

species can be present with low or insignificant cover. 

The overwhelming dominance of introduced species is 

undeniable. Non-native species make up 50 to 96 

percent of the foliar cover. Dominant introduced 

graminoid species include Avena fatua (wild oat), 

Bromus diandrus (ripgut brome), Bromus hordeaceus 

(soft brome), Bromus madritensis (compact brome), 

Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum (=Lolium

multiflorum; Italian ryegrass), Taeniatherum caputmedusae (medusahead rye), and Aegilops triuncialis 

(barbed goatgrass). Introduced forb species include 

Erodium botrys (longbeak stork’s bill), Erodium

cicutarium (redstem stork’s bill), Medicago

polymorpha (burclover), Geranium dissectum (cutleaf 

geranium), Hypochaeris glabra (smooth cat’s ear), and 

Carduus pycnocephalus (Italian plumeless thistle). 

There are many more species that can be dominant.

Subtropical Desert Ecoregion

Madrean Warm Montane Forest and 

Woodland

This woodland and forest group occurs in mountains 

and plateaus in the Sierra Madre Occidentale and 

Sierra Madre Orientale in Mexico, Trans-Pecos Texas, 

southern New Mexico and Arizona, generally south of 

the Mogollon Rim. These forests and woodlands are 

composed of Madrean pines (Pinus arizonica [Arizona 

pine], Pinus engelmannii [Apache pine], Pinus

leiophylla [Chihuahuan pine], Pinus strobiformis 

[Southwestern white pine]) or madrones (Arbutus

arizonica [Arizona madrone], Arbutus xalapensis 

[Texas madrone]) and evergreen oaks (Quercus

arizonica [Arizona white oak], Quercus emoryi 

[Emory oak], Quercus gravesii [Chisos red oak], 

Quercus grisea [gray oak], Quercus hypoleucoides 

[silverleaf oak], or Quercus rugosa [netleaf oak]) 

intermingled with patchy shrublands on most midelevation slopes 4,790 to 7,546 feet (1,460 to 2,300 

meters). In northern stands, Pinus ponderosa

dominates with Madrean oak species. This group also 

includes Hesperocyperis arizonica (Arizona cypress)-

dominated stands with Quercus hypoleucoides or 

Quercus rugosa in the understory. Other tree species 

may include Juniperus deppeana (alligator juniper), 

Juniperus flaccida (drooping juniper), Pinus

cembroides (Mexican pinyon), Pinus discolor (border 

pinyon), and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Subcanopy and 

shrub layers may include typical encinal (found in oak 

groves) and chaparral species, such as Agave spp. 

(agave), Arctostaphylos pringlei (Pringle manzanita), 

Arctostaphylos pungens (pointleaf manzanita), Garrya

wrightii (Wright’s silktassel), Nolina spp. (beargrass), 

and Quercus turbinella. Some stands have moderate 

cover of perennial graminoids, such as Muhlenbergia

emersleyi (bullgrass), Muhlenbergia longiligula 

(longtongue muhly), Muhlenbergia virescens 

(screwleaf muhly), and Schizachyrium cirratum (Texas 

bluestem).

Warm Interior Chaparral

This macrogroup occurs prominently across central 

Arizona (Mogollon Rim) and western New Mexico, 

south into mountains in the northwestern Chihuahuan 

region and Madrean Occidentale in northern Mexico, 

and north into extreme southwestern Utah and southern 

Nevada. It also occurs in mountains in the Sonoran and 

western Mojave Deserts, and extends from northeast 

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-9 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

Kern County, California, and south into Baja Norte, 

Mexico. Stands are found on foothills, xeric mountain 

slopes and canyons in hotter and drier habitats and 

often dominate along the mid-elevation transition zone 

between desert scrub and montane woodlands 3,281 to 

7,218 feet (1,000 to 2,200 meters). Sites are often steep 

and rocky. Parent materials are varied and include 

basalt, diabases, gneiss, schist, shales, slates, 

sandstones, and more commonly, limestone and 

coarse-textured granitic substrates. The vegetation is 

characterized by a moderate to dense evergreen shrub 

layer dominated by sclerophyllous shrubs such as 

Quercus turbinella and Ceanothus greggii. Other 

common shrubs from the eastern portion of its range 

(Arizona and New Mexico) include Quercus toumeyi 

(Toumey oak), Cercocarpus montanus var. 

paucidentatus (hairy mountain mahogany), Garrya

wrightii, Purshia stansburiana, Rhus trilobata (Tucker 

oak), with Arctostaphylos pungens and Arctostaphylos

pringlei at higher elevations. In desert chaparral stands 

in the western part of the range, Quercus john-tuckeri 

(Tucker oak), Quercus cornelius-mulleri (Muller oak), 

Quercus berberidifolia (scrub oak), Arctostaphylos

patula, Arctostaphylos glauca (bigberry manzanita), 

Rhus ovate (sugar sumac), Cercocarpus montanus var. 

glaber, Garrya flavescens, Juniperus californica 

(California juniper), and Nolina parryi (Parry’s 

beargrass) characterize this shrubland.

Chihuahuan Desert Scrub

This macrogroup typically occurs as invasive upland 

shrublands that are concentrated in the extensive desert 

grassland in foothills and piedmonts of the Chihuahuan 

Desert, extending into the Sky Island region to the 

west. Substrates are typically derived from alluvium, 

often gravelly without a well-developed argillic or 

calcic soil horizon that would limit infiltration and 

storage of winter precipitation in deeper soil layers. 

Prosopis spp. (mesquite) and other deep-rooted shrubs 

exploit this deep-soil moisture that is unavailable to 

grasses and cacti. Vegetation is typically dominated by 

Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite) or Prosopis

velutina (velvet mesquite) and succulents. Other desert 

scrub species that can codominate include Acacia

neovernicosa (viscid acacia), Acacia constricta 

(whitethorn acacia), Juniperus monosperma (oneseed 

juniper), or Juniperus coahuilensis (redberry juniper). 

Larrea tridentata (creosote bush) is typically absent or 

has low cover. Grass cover is typically low and 

composed of desert grasses such as Dasyochloa

pulchella (=Erioneuron pulchellum; low woollygrass), 

Muhlenbergia porteri (bush muhly), Muhlenbergia

setifolia (curlyleaf muhly), and Pleuraphis mutica 

(tobosagrass).

Southern Plains Scrub Woodland and 

Shrubland

This macrogroup ranges from the High Plains, Rolling 

Plains, and Red Bed Plains of Texas and Oklahoma, 

south into parts of the Edwards Plateau and 

Chihuahuan Desert regions of Texas. The open to 

closed canopy is dominated or codominated by 

Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa (honey mesquite). 

Associated species can include Ziziphus obtusifolia 

(lotebush), Quercus fusiformis (Texas live oak), 

Sideroxylon lanuginosum (gum bully), Aloysia

gratissima (whitebrush), Mahonia trifoliolata 

(algerita), Yucca glauca (soapweed yucca), Opuntia

spp. (pricklypear), Acacia greggii (catclaw acacia), 

Mimosa spp. (mimosa), Rhus lanceolata (prairie 

sumac), Nassella leucotricha (Texas wintergrass), 

Bouteloua curtipendula (sideoats grama), Bouteloua

gracilis (blue grama), Bouteloua hirsute (hairy grama), 

Buchloe dactyloides (buffalograss), Schizachyrium

scoparium (little bluestem), Ruellia nudiflora 

(Runyon’s wild petunia), Croton monanthogynus 

(prairie tea), Rhynchosia senna (Texas snoutbean), and 

Indigofera miniata (coastal indigo).

Subtropical Steppe Ecoregion

Rocky Mountain Two-Needle PinyonJuniper Woodland

These woodlands are composed of Pinus edulis 

(twoneedle pinyon), Juniperus osteosperma (Utah 

juniper), or Juniperus monosperma. Pinus edulis

and/or Juniperus osteosperma-dominated woodlands 

occur on dry mountains and foothills of the Colorado 

Plateau region. Juniperus monosperma-dominated 

woodlands have an understory of perennial grasses 

such as Bouteloua gracilis and Pleuraphis jamesii

(James’ galleta) and other herbaceous species typical 

of the shortgrass prairie. These woodlands occur along 

the east and south foothill slopes of the southern Rocky 

Mountains and into the plains of southeastern Colorado 

and northern and central New Mexico. Pinus edulis

and/or Juniperus monosperma-dominated woodlands 

exist on dry mountains and foothills in southern 

Colorado east of the Continental Divide, and in 

mountains and plateaus of northern and central New 

Mexico.

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-10 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie and 

Shrubland

The shortgrass prairie in this macrogroup is dominated 

by the shortgrasses Bouteloua gracilis and Buchloe

dactyloides. Shrublands in this macrogroup are 

dominated by Prosopis glandulosa. The shortgrass 

prairies occur on flat to rolling uplands. The surface 

soil may be sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or loamy clay. 

The subsoil is often finer than the surface soil. The 

shortgrass prairies are characterized by a moderate to 

dense sod of short grasses with scattered mid grasses 

and forbs. The foliage of these species is 3 to 7 inches 

(7 to 19 centimeters) tall, while the flowering stalks of 

Bouteloua gracilis may reach 18 inches (45 

centimeters). The mid grasses are usually stunted by 

the arid conditions and often do not exceed 2.3 feet 

(0.7 meters). Other short graminoids found in this 

community are Bouteloua hirsuta (hairy grama), Carex 

duriuscula (needleleaf sedge), Carex inops ssp. 

heliophila (sun sedge), and Carex filifolia (threadleaf 

sedge; in Nebraska). Several mid grasses occur 

regularly, such as Aristida purpurea (purple threeawn),

Bouteloua curtipendula, Pascopyrum smithii (western 

wheatgrass), Schizachyrium scoparium, Elymus 

elymoides (squirreltail), Sporobolus cryptandrus (spike 

dropseed), Hesperostipa comata (=Stipa comata; 

needle and thread), and Vulpia octoflora (sixweeks 

fescue). Forbs such as Astragalus spp. (milkweed), 

Gaura coccinea (scarlet beeblossom), Machaeranthera 

pinnatifida var. pinnatifida (lacy tansyaster), Opuntia 

polyacantha (plains pricklypear), Plantago patagonica 

(woolly plantain), Psoralidium tenuiflorum (slimflower 

scurfpea), Ratibida columnifera (upright prairie 

coneflower), and Sphaeralcea coccinea (scarlet 

globemallow) are common throughout the shortgrass 

prairies.

Apacherian-Chihuahuan Semi-Desert 

Grassland and Steppe

This macrogroup occurs in the northern Chihuahuan 

Desert and adjacent Sky Islands and Sonoran Desert, 

extending into limited areas of the southern Great 

Plains on alluvial flats, loamy plains, and basins 

sometimes extending up into lower piedmont slopes 

and broad mesas. Included in this macrogroup are the 

mesic grasslands that occur in relatively small 

depressions or swales and along drainages that receive 

runoff from adjacent areas. Occupying low topographic 

positions, these sites generally have deep, fine-textured 

soils that are neutral to slightly or moderately 

saline/alkaline. Vegetation is characterized by a 

moderately dense to dense graminoid layer of perennial 

grasses that is typically dominated by Pleuraphis

mutica or with Bouteloua eriopoda (black grama) 

codominant (more historically) or Bouteloua gracilis

on broad alluvial plains and flats. In mesic swales and 

depressions and along drainages, Sporobolus airoides 

(alkali sacaton), Sporobolus wrightii (big sacaton), and 

Pleuraphis mutica (tobosa swales) dominate, 

sometimes with other mesic graminoids such as 

Pascopyrum smithii or Panicum obtusum (vine 

mesquite). Sporobolus airoides is more common in 

alkaline soils and along drainages. In degraded stands, 

Scleropogon brevifolius (burrograss), Dasyochloa

pulchella, or Aristida spp. may co-dominate. 

Pleuraphis jamesii can become important in northern 

stands and Bouteloua gracilis in the Great Plains and 

on degraded stands. Scattered shrub or succulent 

species can be present, especially on degraded sites and 

along drainages and in depressions.

Warm Interior Chaparral

This macrogroup occurs prominently across central 

Arizona (Mogollon Rim) and western New Mexico, 

south into mountains in the northwestern Chihuahuan 

region and Madrean Occidentale in northern Mexico, 

and north into extreme southwestern Utah and southern 

Nevada. It also occurs in mountains in the Sonoran and 

western Mojave Deserts, and extends from northeast 

Kern County, California, and south into Baja Norte, 

Mexico. Stands are found on foothills, xeric mountain 

slopes and canyons in hotter and drier habitats, and 

often dominate along the mid-elevation transition zone 

between desert scrub and montane woodlands at 3,281 

to 7,218 feet (1,000 to 2,200 meters). Sites are often 

steep and rocky. Parent materials are varied and 

include basalt, diabases, gneiss, schist, shales, slates, 

sandstones, and more commonly, limestone and 

coarse-textured granitic substrates. The vegetation is 

characterized by a moderate to dense evergreen shrub 

layer dominated by sclerophyllous shrubs such as 

Quercus turbinella and Ceanothus greggii. Other 

common shrubs from the eastern portion of its range 

(Arizona and New Mexico) include Quercus toumeyi, 

Cercocarpus montanus var. paucidentatus, Garrya

wrightii, Purshia stansburiana, Rhus trilobata, with

Arctostaphylos pungens and Arctostaphylos pringlei at 

higher elevations. In desert chaparral stands in the 

western part of the range, Quercus john-tuckeri, 

Quercus cornelius-mulleri, Quercus berberidifolia, 

Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos glauca, Rhus

ovata, Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-11 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

(=Cercocarpus betuloides), Garrya flavescens, 

Juniperus californica, and Nolina parryi characterize 

this shrubland.

Chihuahuan Desert Scrub

This macrogroup typically occurs as invasive upland 

shrublands that are concentrated in the extensive desert 

grassland in foothills and piedmonts of the Chihuahuan 

Desert, extending into the Sky Island region to the 

west. Substrates are typically derived from alluvium, 

often gravelly without a well-developed argillic or 

calcic soil horizon that would limit infiltration and 

storage of winter precipitation in deeper soil layers. 

Prosopis spp. and other deep-rooted shrubs exploit this 

deep-soil moisture that is unavailable to grasses and 

cacti. Vegetation is typically dominated by Prosopis

glandulosa or Prosopis velutina and succulents. Other 

desert scrub species that can codominate include 

Acacia neovernicosa, Acacia constricta, Juniperus

monosperma, or Juniperus coahuilensis. Larrea

tridentata is typically absent or has low cover. Grass 

cover is typically low and composed of desert grasses 

such as Dasyochloa pulchella (=Erioneuron

pulchellum), Muhlenbergia porteri, Muhlenbergia

setifolia, and Pleuraphis mutica.

Southern Plains Scrub Woodland and 

Shrubland

This macrogroup ranges from the High Plains, Rolling 

Plains, and Red Bed Plains of Texas and Oklahoma, 

south into parts of the Edwards Plateau and 

Chihuahuan Desert regions of Texas. The open to 

closed canopy is dominated or codominated by 

Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa. Associated 

species can include Ziziphus obtusifolia, Quercus

fusiformis, Sideroxylon lanuginosum, Aloysia

gratissima, Mahonia trifoliolata, Yucca glauca, 

Opuntia spp., Acacia greggii, Mimosa spp., Rhus

lanceolata, Nassella leucotricha, Bouteloua

curtipendula, Bouteloua gracilis, Bouteloua hirsuta, 

Buchloe dactyloides, Schizachyrium scoparium, 

Ruellia nudiflora, Croton monanthogynus, Rhynchosia

senna, and Indigofera miniata.

Temperate Desert Ecoregion

Northern Rocky Mountain Lower 

Montane and Foothill Forest

This macrogroup consists of Pinus ponderosa

woodlands and “wooded steppes,” located in the 

foothills of the northern Rocky Mountains in the 

Columbia Plateau region and west along the foothills 

of the Modoc Plateau and Eastern Cascades into 

southern interior British Columbia. It also occurs east 

across Idaho into the eastern foothills of the Montana 

Rockies. These woodlands and wooded steppes occur 

at the lower treeline/ecotone between grasslands or 

shrublands and more mesic coniferous forests, 

typically on warm, dry, exposed sites. These 

woodlands and wooded steppes receive winter and 

spring rains, and thus have a greater spring “green-up” 

compared with the drier woodlands in the central 

Rockies. However, sites are often too droughty to 

support a closed tree canopy. Elevations range from 

less than 1,640 feet (500 meters) in British Columbia to 

5,249 feet (1,600 meters) in the central Idaho 

mountains. Occurrences are found on all slopes and 

aspects; however, moderately steep to very steep slopes 

or ridgetops and plateaus are most common. These 

woodlands and wooded steppes generally occur on 

most geological substrates, from weathered rock to 

glacial deposits to eolian deposits. Characteristic soil 

features include good aeration and drainage, coarse 

textures, circumneutral to slightly acidic pH, an 

abundance of mineral material, and periods of drought 

during the growing season.

The Pinus ponderosa woodlands have a shrubby or 

grassy understory, whereas the Pinus ponderosa

wooded steppes have widely spaced, scattered Pinus

ponderosa trees over generally shrubby but sparse 

understories. The woodlands are generally firemaintained, whereas the wooded steppes are often too 

dry and with vegetation too widely spaced to be able to 

carry fire. Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa is the 

predominant conifer; Pseudotsuga menziesii or Pinus

flexilis (limber pine) can be present in the tree canopy 

but are usually absent. The understory can be shrubby, 

with Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush), 

Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, 

Cercocarpus ledifolius (curl-leaf mountain mahogany), 

Physocarpus malvaceus (mallow ninebark), Purshia

tridentata (antelope bitterbrush), Symphoricarpos

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-12 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

oreophilus (mountain snowberry) or Symphoricarpos

albus (common snowberry), Amelanchier alnifolia 

(Saskatoon serviceberry), and Rosa spp. (rose) being 

common species. In transition areas with sagebrush 

steppe, Purshia tridentata, Artemisia tridentata ssp. 

wyomingensis (Wyoming big sagebrush), Artemisia

tridentata ssp. tridentata (basin big sagebrush), and 

Artemisia tripartita (threetip sagebrush) can be 

common in fire-protected sites such as rocky areas. 

Deciduous shrubs, such as Physocarpus malvaceus, 

Symphoricarpos albus, or Spiraea betulifolia (white 

spirea), can be abundant in more northerly sites or 

more moist climates. Herbaceous vegetation in the 

wooded steppes is predominantly fire-resistant grasses 

and forbs that resprout after surface fires; shrubs, 

understory trees and downed logs are uncommon. The 

wooded steppes support grasses such as 

Pseudoroegneria spicata (bluebunch wheatgrass), 

Hesperostipa spp. (needle and thread), Achnatherum

spp. (needlegrass), dry Carex (sedge) species (Carex

inops [long-stolon sedge]), Elymus elymoides, Festuca

idahoensis (Idaho fescue), or Festuca campestris 

(rough fescue). 

Southern Rocky Mountain Lower 

Montane Forest

These forests are dominated by Pinus ponderosa, either 

solely or mixed with Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus

edulis, Pinus contorta, Populus tremuloides (quaking 

aspen), and Juniperus spp. (juniper). Ponderosa pine 

forests with a mixture of other tree species have a 

typically shrubby understory composed of Artemisia

nova (black sagebrush), Artemisia tridentata, 

Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, 

Cercocarpus montanus, Purshia stansburiana, Purshia

tridentata, Quercus gambelii (Gambel oak), 

Symphoricarpos spp., Prunus virginiana, Amelanchier

alnifolia, and Rosa spp. Common grasses in the 

understory include Pseudoroegneria spicata, 

Pascopyrum smithii, and species of Hesperostipa, 

Achnatherum, Festuca, Muhlenbergia, and Bouteloua. 

Ponderosa pine forests dominated solely by ponderosa 

pine have a grass-dominated understory composed of 

Festuca arizonica (Arizona fescue), Muhlenbergia

virescens, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Andropogon

gerardii (big bluestem), Schizachyrium scoparium, 

Festuca idahoensis, Piptatherum micranthum 

(littleseed ricegrass), and Bouteloua gracilis. 

Intermountain Singleleaf PinyonWestern Juniper Woodland

These woodlands are composed of Pinus monophylla 

(singleleaf pinyon), Juniperus osteosperma, or 

Juniperus occidentals (western juniper). Woodlands 

composed of scattered Juniperus osteosperma trees 

exist on dry foothills and sandsheets of the Colorado 

Plateau and eastern Great Basin. Juniperus

osteosperma woodlands have an understory dominated 

by grasses such as Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa

comata, and Pleuraphis jamesii. Woodlands dominated 

by Pinus monophylla form an open to dense tree layer, 

often with the wider ranging Juniperus osteosperma. 

These woodlands exist on dry mountain ranges of the 

Great Basin region and eastern foothills of the Sierra 

Nevada. Woodlands dominated by Juniperus

occidentalis are largely restricted to the Columbia 

Plateau region and Pinus monophylla is not present.

Rocky Mountain Two-Needle PinyonJuniper Woodland

These woodlands are composed of Pinus edulis, 

Juniperus osteosperma, or Juniperus monosperma. 

Pinus edulis and/or Juniperus osteosperma-dominated 

woodlands occur on dry mountains and foothills of the 

Colorado Plateau region. Juniperus monospermadominated woodlands have an understory of perennial 

grasses such as Bouteloua gracilis and Pleuraphis

jamesii and other herbaceous species typical of the 

shortgrass prairie. These woodlands occur along the 

east and south foothill slopes of the southern Rocky 

Mountains and into the plains of southeastern Colorado 

and northern and central New Mexico. Pinus edulis

and/or Juniperus monosperma-dominated woodlands 

exist on dry mountains and foothills in southern 

Colorado east of the Continental Divide, and in 

mountains and plateaus of northern and central New 

Mexico.

Northern Rocky MountainVancouverian Montane and Foothill 

Grassland and Shrubland

This macrogroup is composed of shrublands in the 

lower montane and foothill regions around the 

Columbia Basin and north and east into the Northern 

Rockies, and dry grasslands occurring in the canyons 

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-13 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

and valleys of the northern Great Basin and Columbia 

Basin, particularly along the Snake River canyon, the 

lower foothill slopes of the Blue Mountains, and along 

the main stem of the Columbia River in eastern 

Washington.

The shrublands typically occur below treeline, within 

the matrix of surrounding low-elevation grasslands and 

sagebrush shrublands, usually on steep slopes of 

canyons on all aspects. Rhus glabra (smooth sumac), 

Amelanchier alnifolia, Prunus emarginata, Prunus

virginiana, Rosa spp., Symphoricarpos oreophilus, and 

Holodiscus discolor are the most common dominant 

shrubs, occurring alone or in any combination. 

Occurrences in central and eastern Wyoming can 

include Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana (mountain 

big sagebrush) and Cercocarpus montanus, but neither 

of these are dominant, and where they occur the stands 

are truly mixes of shrubs, often with Amelanchier

alnifolia, Prunus virginiana, and others being the 

predominant taxa. Festuca idahoensis, Festuca

campestris, Calamagrostis rubescens (pinegrass), 

Carex geyeri (Geyer’s sedge), Aristida purpurea, 

Koeleria macrantha (prairie junegrass), 

Pseudoroegneria spicata, and Poa secunda are the 

most important grasses. Geum triflorum (old man’s 

whiskers), Potentilla gracilis (slender cinquefoil), 

Lomatium triternatum (nineleaf biscuitroot), 

Balsamorhiza sagittata (arrowleaf balsamroot), and 

species of Eriogonum (buckwheat), Phlox (phlox), and 

Erigeron (fleabane) are important forbs.

The grasslands are found on steep open slopes, from 

300 to 5,000 feet (90 to 1,525 meters). Soils are 

derived from residuum and have patchy, thin, windblown surface deposits. Slope failures are common 

occurrences. The grasslands are dominated by patchy 

graminoid cover, cacti, and some forbs. Aristida

purpurea var. longiseta (Fendler threeawn), 

Sporobolus cryptandrus, Poa secunda, 

Pseudoroegneria spicata, Festuca idahoensis, and 

Opuntia polyacantha are common species. Deciduous 

shrubs Rhus glabra, Symphoricarpos spp., 

Physocarpus malvaceus, Holodiscus discolor, and 

Ribes spp. (gooseberry) are infrequent native species 

that can increase with fire exclusion.

Southern Rocky Mountain Montane 

Grassland and Shrubland

This macrogroup is composed of shrublands dominated 

by Amelanchier utahensis (Utah serviceberry), 

Cercocarpus montanus, or Quercus gambelii. Stands 

dominated by one or another of these shrubs often 

intergrade with each other. This macrogroup is found 

in the mountains, plateaus, foothills, and canyon slopes 

of the southern Rocky Mountains and Colorado 

Plateau, and on outcrops and canyon slopes in the 

western Great Plains. It ranges from the southern and 

central Great Plains, southwest to southern New 

Mexico, extending north into Wyoming, and west into 

the Intermountain West region. These shrublands occur 

between 4,921 and 9,514 feet (1,500 and 2,900 meters) 

and are usually associated with exposed sites, rocky 

substrates, and dry conditions, which limit tree growth. 

Where Cercocarcus montanus dominates pure stands 

in parts of Wyoming and Colorado, Quercus gambelii

is absent. Quercus gambelii is typically dominant on 

the more mesic and higher elevation sites from 6,562 to 

9,514 feet (2,000 to 2,900 meters). On stands where 

Quercus gambelii is dominant, other vegetation 

typically includes Amelanchier alnifolia, Amelanchier

utahensis, Artemisia tridentata, Cercocarpus

montanus, Prunus virginiana, Purshia stansburiana, 

Purshia tridentata, Robinia neomexicana (New 

Mexico locust), Symphoricarpos oreophilus, or 

Symphoricarpos rotundifolius (mountain snowberry). 

On stands where Cercocarpus montanus is dominant, 

other vegetation typically includes Amelanchier

utahensis, Purshia tridentata, Rhus trilobata, Ribes

cereum (wax currant), Symphoricarpos oreophilus, or 

Yucca glauca. Grasses are represented by species of 

Muhlenbergia (muhly), Bouteloua, Hesperostipa, and 

Pseudoroegneria spicata.

Great Basin and Intermountain Dry 

Shrubland and Grassland

This macrogroup consists of shrubland-steppe and 

grasslands. The shrubland-steppe occurs throughout the 

Colorado Plateau, Arizona-New Mexico Mountains, 

west to the Mojave Desert, and north to the Wyoming 

Basin, on alluvial flats and fans, talus slopes, plateaus, 

and bluffs. Slopes range from gentle to steep, and 

substrates are variable and include sandstone talus, 

fine-textured alluvium, sand, clay, loams, cinder, 

cobbles, and coarse gravels. These shrubland-steppes 

can either be shrub-dominated, dwarf shrub-dominated, 

or grass dominated with a sparse shrub layer. Common 

shrubs include Atriplex canescens (fourwing saltbush), 

Eriogonum corymbosum (crispleaf buckwheat), 

Ericameria nauseosa (rubber rabbitbrush), Ephedra

viridis (Mormon tea), Ephedra torreyana (Torrey’s 

jointfir), Krascheninnikovia lanata (winterfat), 

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus (yellow rabbitbrush), 

Tetradymia canescens (spineless horsebrush), and 

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-14 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

Gutierrezia sarothrae (broom snakeweed). Herbaceous 

species include Pleuraphis jamesii, Bromus tectorum 

(cheatgrass), Achnatherum hymenoides (Indian 

ricegrass), Aristida purpurea, and Hesperostipa

comata.

The grasslands are semi-arid to arid and are located 

throughout the intermountain western U.S. They occur 

on sites over an elevational range of about 3,609 to 

10,794 feet (1,100 to 3,290 meters) in most of the 

range, and 1,148 to 1,394 feet (350 to 425 meters) in 

the Columbia Basin on a variety of landforms, 

including swales, playas, mesas, alluvial flats, and 

plains. These grasslands constitute a matrix over large 

areas of intermountain basins, and also can occur as 

large patches in mosaics with semi-desert shrublands. 

Substrates are often well-drained sandy or loam soils 

derived from sedimentary parent materials, but are 

quite variable and can include fine-textured soils 

derived from igneous and metamorphic rocks. The 

dominant perennial bunchgrasses and shrubs of these 

grasslands are all drought-resistant plants. Dominant or 

codominant species are Achnatherum hymenoides, 

Achnatherum lettermanii (Letterman’s needlegrass), 

Achnatherum nelsonii (Columbia needlegrass), 

Achnatherum speciosum (desert needlegrass), 

Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa

comata, Pleuraphis jamesii, Poa cusickii (Cusick’s 

bluegrass), Poa secunda, and Pseudoroegneria spicata. 

Scattered shrubs and dwarf-shrubs often are present, 

especially Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, 

Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Atriplex spp. 

(saltbush), Coleogyne spp. (coleogyne), Ephedra spp. 

(jointfir), Gutierrezia sarothrae, and 

Krascheninnikovia lanata, which are the typical 

dominant species of adjacent shrublands.

Great Basin and Intermountain Tall 

Sagebrush Shrubland and Steppe

This macrogroup consists of shrublands and shrubsteppe that is widely distributed from the Great Basin, 

Columbia River Basin, Colorado Plateau, northern 

Rocky Mountains, and northwestern Great Plains, as 

far east as the Dakotas, at elevations as low as 1,640 

feet (500 meters) in the northwestern Great Plains to 

8,202 feet (2,500 meters) in the Rocky Mountains and 

Colorado Plateau. This macrogroup occurs on flat to 

steeply sloping upland slopes on alluvial fans and 

terraces, toe slopes, lower and middle slopes, draws, 

badlands, and foothills. Sites with little slope tend to 

have deep soils, whereas those with steeper slopes have 

shallow to moderately deep soils. Climate ranges from 

arid in the western Great Basin to subhumid in the 

northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, with 

much of the precipitation falling primarily as snow. 

The amount and reliability of growing-season moisture 

increase eastward and with increasing elevation. Stands 

are dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. 

wyomingensis and Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata

and, in some cases, codominated by Amelanchier

utahensis, Atriplex canescens, Ephedra nevadensis 

(Nevada jointfir), Ephedra viridis, Ericameria

nauseosa, or Sarcobatus vermiculatus (greasewood). 

Other common shrubs include Artemisia frigida 

(prairie sagewort), Atriplex confertifolia (shadscale 

saltbush), Atriplex gardneri (Gardner’s saltbush), 

Chrysothamnus spp. (rabbitbrush), Ericameria spp. 

(rabbitbrush), Grayia spinosa (spiny hopsage), 

Krascheninnikovia lanata, Peraphyllum ramosissimum 

(wild crab apple), Prunus virginiana, Purshia

tridentata, Symphoricarpos longiflorus (desert 

snowberry), and Tetradymia spp. (horsebrush). The 

herbaceous layer can be sparse to strongly dominated 

by graminoids including Achnatherum hymenoides, 

Achnatherum lettermanii, Achnatherum pinetorum 

(pine needlegrass), Achnatherum thurberianum 

(Thurber’s needlegrass), Bouteloua gracilis, Bromus

tectorum, Carex filifolia, Elymus albicans (Montana 

wheatgrass), Elymus elymoides, Elymus lanceolatus 

(thickspike wheatgrass), Festuca idahoensis, 

Hesperostipa comata, Leymus ambiguous (Colorado 

wildrye), Pleuraphis jamesii, Poa fendleriana 

(muttongrass), Poa secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata, 

Sporobolus airoides, and Sporobolus cryptandrus.

Temperate Steppe Ecoregion

Northern Rocky Mountain Lower 

Montane and Foothill Forest

This macrogroup consists of Pinus ponderosa

woodlands and “wooded steppes,” located in the 

foothills of the northern Rocky Mountains in the 

Columbia Plateau region and west along the foothills 

of the Modoc Plateau and Eastern Cascades into 

southern interior British Columbia, and east across 

Idaho into the eastern foothills of the Montana 

Rockies. These woodlands and wooded steppes occur 

at the lower treeline/ecotone between grasslands or 

shrublands and more mesic coniferous forests, 

typically on warm, dry, exposed sites. These 

woodlands and wooded steppes receive winter and 

spring rains, and thus have a greater spring “green-up” 

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-15 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

compared with the drier woodlands in the central 

Rockies. However, sites are often too droughty to 

support a closed tree canopy. Elevations range from 

less than 1,640 feet (500 meters) in British Columbia to 

5,249 feet (1,600 meters) in the central Idaho 

mountains. Occurrences are found on all slopes and 

aspects; however, moderately steep to very steep slopes 

or ridgetops and plateaus are most common. These 

woodlands and wooded steppes generally occur on 

most geological substrates, from weathered rock to 

glacial deposits to eolian deposits. Characteristic soil 

features include good aeration and drainage, coarse 

textures, circumneutral to slightly acidic pH, an 

abundance of mineral material, and periods of drought 

during the growing season.

The Pinus ponderosa woodlands have a shrubby or 

grassy understory, whereas the Pinus ponderosa

wooded steppes have widely spaced, scattered Pinus

ponderosa trees over generally shrubby but sparse 

understories. The woodlands are generally firemaintained, whereas the wooded steppes are often too 

dry and with vegetation too widely spaced to be able to 

carry fire. Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa is the 

predominant conifer; Pseudotsuga menziesii or Pinus

flexilis can be present in the tree canopy but are usually 

absent. The understory can be shrubby, with Artemisia

tridentata, Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos uvaursi, Cercocarpus ledifolius, Physocarpus malvaceus, 

Purshia tridentata, Symphoricarpos oreophilus or 

Symphoricarpos albus, Amelanchier alnifolia, and 

Rosa spp. being common species. In transition areas 

with sagebrush steppe, Purshia tridentata, Artemisia

tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, Artemisia tridentata ssp. 

tridentata, and Artemisia tripartita can be common in 

fire-protected sites such as rocky areas. Deciduous 

shrubs, such as Physocarpus malvaceus, 

Symphoricarpos albus, or Spiraea betulifolia, can be 

abundant in more northerly sites or more moist 

climates. Herbaceous vegetation in the wooded steppes 

is predominantly fire-resistant grasses and forbs that 

resprout after surface fires; shrubs, understory trees and 

downed logs are uncommon. The wooded steppes 

support grasses such as Pseudoroegneria spicata, 

Hesperostipa spp., Achnatherum spp., dry Carex

species (Carex inops), Elymus elymoides, Festuca

idahoensis, or Festuca campestris.

Also included are Pinus ponderosa woodlands that 

occur along the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains 

and into the Great Plains. These woodlands are 

variable, ranging from very sparse patches of trees on 

drier sites, to nearly closed-canopy forest stands on 

north slopes or in draws where available soil moisture 

is greater. They occur primarily on gentle to steep 

slopes along escarpments, buttes, canyons, rock

outcrops or ravines and can grade into surrounding 

mixed grass prairie. Soils typically range from welldrained loamy sands to sandy loams formed in 

colluvium, weathered sandstone, limestone, scoria, or 

eolian sand. These woodlands are primarily dominated

by Pinus ponderosa, but can include a sparse to 

relatively dense understory of Juniperus scopulorum 

(Rocky Mountain juniper), Thuja occidentalis 

(arborvitae), or Cercocarpus species (mountain 

mahogany) with just a few scattered trees. Deciduous 

trees are an important component in some areas 

(western Dakotas, Black Hills) and are sometimes 

codominant with Pinus ponderosa, including Fraxinus

pennsylvanica (green ash), Betula papyrifera (paper 

birch), Quercus macrocarpa (bur oak), Ulmus

Americana (American elm), Acer negundo (boxelder), 

and Populus tremuloides. Important or common shrub 

species with Pinus ponderosa can include 

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Mahonia repens (creeping 

barberry), Yucca glauca, Symphoricarpos spp., Prunus

virginiana, Juniperus communis, Juniperus

horizontalis (creeping juniper), Amelanchier alnifolia, 

Rhus trilobata, and Physocarpus monogynus (mountain 

ninebark). The herbaceous understory can range from 

sparse to a dense layer with species typifying the 

surrounding mixed grass prairie, with mixed grass 

species common such as Andropogon gerardii, 

Bouteloua curtipendula, Carex inops ssp. heliophila, 

Carex filifolia, Danthonia intermedia (timber 

oatgrass), Koeleria macrantha, Nassella viridula 

(green needlegrass), Oryzopsis asperifolia (roughleaf 

ricegrass), Pascopyrum smithii, Piptatherum

micranthum, and Schizachyrium scoparium.

Southern Rocky Mountain Lower 

Montane Forest

These forests are dominated by Pinus ponderosa, either 

solely or mixed with Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus

edulis, Pinus contorta, Populus tremuloides, and 

Juniperus spp. Ponderosa pine forests with a mixture 

of other tree species have a typically shrubby 

understory composed of Artemisia nova, Artemisia

tridentata, Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos uvaursi, Cercocarpus montanus, Purshia stansburiana, 

Purshia tridentata, Quercus gambelii, Symphoricarpos

spp., Prunus virginiana, Amelanchier alnifolia, and 

Rosa spp. Common grasses in the understory include 

Pseudoroegneria spicata, Pascopyrum smithii, and 

species of Hesperostipa, Achnatherum, Festuca, 

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-16 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

Muhlenbergia, and Bouteloua. Ponderosa pine forests 

dominated solely by ponderosa pine have a grassdominated understory composed of Festuca arizonica, 

Muhlenbergia virescens, Pseudoroegneria spicata, 

Andropogon gerardii, Schizachyrium scoparium, 

Festuca idahoensis, Piptatherum micranthum, and 

Bouteloua gracilis. 

Intermountain Singleleaf PinyonWestern Juniper Woodland

These woodlands are composed of Pinus monophylla, 

Juniperus osteosperma, or Juniperus occidentalis. 

Woodlands composed of scattered Juniperus

osteosperma trees exist on dry foothills and sandsheets 

of the Colorado Plateau and eastern Great Basin. 

Juniperus osteosperma woodlands have an understory 

dominated by grasses such as Bouteloua gracilis, 

Hesperostipa comata, and Pleuraphis jamesii. 

Woodlands dominated by Pinus monophylla form an 

open to dense tree layer, often with the wider ranging 

Juniperus osteosperma. These woodlands exist on dry 

mountain ranges of the Great Basin region and eastern 

foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Woodlands dominated 

by Juniperus occidentalis are largely restricted to the 

Columbia Plateau region and Pinus monophylla is not 

present.

Rocky Mountain Two-Needle PinyonJuniper Woodland

These woodlands are composed of Pinus edulis, 

Juniperus osteosperma, or Juniperus monosperma. 

Pinus edulis and/or Juniperus osteosperma-dominated 

woodlands occur on dry mountains and foothills of the 

Colorado Plateau region. Juniperus monospermadominated woodlands have an understory of perennial 

grasses such as Bouteloua gracilis and Pleuraphis

jamesii and other herbaceous species typical of the 

shortgrass prairie. These woodlands occur along the 

east and south foothill slopes of the southern Rocky 

Mountains and into the plains of southeastern Colorado 

and northern and central New Mexico. Pinus edulis

and/or Juniperus monosperma-dominated woodlands 

exist on dry mountains and foothills in southern 

Colorado east of the Continental Divide, and in 

mountains and plateaus of northern and central New 

Mexico.

Northern Rocky MountainVancouverian Montane and Foothill 

Grassland and Shrubland

This macrogroup is composed of shrublands in the 

lower montane and foothill regions around the 

Columbia Basin and north and east into the Northern 

Rockies, and various types of grasslands. The 

grasslands are geographically extensive in this 

ecoregion, with one type of grassland being a dry 

grassland occurring in the canyons and valleys of the 

northern Great Basin and Columbia Basin particularly 

along the Snake River canyon, the lower foothill slopes 

of the Blue Mountains, and along the main stem of the 

Columbia River in eastern Washington, another 

grassland type commonly referred to as the Palouse 

Prairie in the Blue Mountains of Oregon and north into 

the Okanagan and Fraser Plateaus of British Columbia 

and the Canadian Rockies, and another grassland type 

located in the mountains and large valleys of 

northwestern Wyoming and western Montana, and east 

into the central Montana mountain “islands” foothills 

and the Rocky Mountain Front and Big and Little Belt 

Ranges.

The shrublands typically occur below treeline, within 

the matrix of surrounding low-elevation grasslands and 

sagebrush shrublands, usually on steep slopes of 

canyons on all aspects. Rhus glabra, Amelanchier

alnifolia, Prunus emarginata, Prunus virginiana, Rosa

spp., Symphoricarpos oreophilus, and Holodiscus

discolor are the most common dominant shrubs, 

occurring alone or in any combination. Occurrences in 

central and eastern Wyoming can include Artemisia

tridentata ssp. vaseyana and Cercocarpus montanus, 

but neither of these are dominant, and where they occur 

the stands are truly mixes of shrubs, often with 

Amelanchier alnifolia, Prunus virginiana, and others 

being the predominant taxa. Festuca idahoensis, 

Festuca campestris, Calamagrostis rubescens, Carex

geyeri, Aristida purpurea, Koeleria macrantha, 

Pseudoroegneria spicata, and Poa secunda are the 

most important grasses. Geum triflorum, Potentilla

gracilis, Lomatium triternatum, Balsamorhiza

sagittata, and species of Eriogonum, Phlox, and 

Erigeron are important forbs.

The dry grasslands are found on steep open slopes, 

from 300 to 5,000 feet (90 to 1,525 meters). Soils are 

derived from residuum and have patchy, thin, windBLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-17 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

blown surface deposits. Slope failures are common 

occurrences. The grasslands are dominated by patchy 

graminoid cover, cacti, and some forbs. Aristida

purpurea var. longiseta, Sporobolus cryptandrus, Poa

secunda, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Festuca idahoensis, 

and Opuntia polyacantha are common species. 

Deciduous shrubs Rhus glabra, Symphoricarpos spp., 

Physocarpus malvaceus, Holodiscus discolor, and 

Ribes spp. are infrequent native species that can 

increase with fire exclusion. The Palouse Prairie 

grasslands are found on rolling topography composed 

of loess hills and plains lying over basalt plains. The 

climate of these grasslands has warm to hot, dry 

summers and cool, wet winters. Annual precipitation is 

high, ranging between 15 and 30 inches (38 and 76 

centimeters). Soils are typically deep, well-developed, 

and old. The remaining grasslands outside of the 

Palouse Prairie area are influenced by shorter summers, 

colder winters, and young soils derived from recent 

glacial and alluvial material. In the eastern portion of 

the range in Montana, winter precipitation is replaced 

by a large spring peak in precipitation. Elevations 

range from 984 to 5,413 feet (300 to 1,650 meters), 

ranging from small meadows to large open parks 

surrounded by conifers in the lower montane, to 

extensive foothill and valley grasslands below the 

lower treeline. Many of these valleys may have been 

primarily sage-steppe with patches of grassland in the 

past, but because of land-use history post-settlement 

(herbicide, grazing, fire suppression, pasturing) they 

have been converted to grassland-dominated areas. 

Soils are relatively deep, fine-textured, often with 

coarse fragments, and non-saline, often with a 

biological soil crust. The most important species are 

cool-season perennial bunchgrasses and forbs (greater 

than 25 percent cover), sometimes with a sparse (less 

than 10 percent cover) shrub layer. Festuca campestris

and Festuca idahoensis are dominants, and 

Pseudoroegneria spicata occurs as a codominant, as 

well as a diversity of other native grasses. Forb 

diversity is typically high in both mesic and dry aspects 

of these grasslands.

Southern Rocky Mountain Montane 

Grassland and Shrubland

This macrogroup is composed of shrublands dominated 

by Amelanchier utahensis, Cercocarpus montanus, or 

Quercus gambelii. Stands dominated by one or another 

of these shrubs often intergrade with each other. This 

macrogroup is found in the mountains, plateaus, 

foothills, and canyon slopes of the southern Rocky 

Mountains and Colorado Plateau, and on outcrops and 

canyon slopes in the western Great Plains. It ranges 

from the southern and central Great Plains, southwest 

to southern New Mexico, extending north into 

Wyoming, and west into the Intermountain West 

region. These shrublands occur between 4,921 and 

9,514 feet (1,500 and 2,900 meters) and are usually 

associated with exposed sites, rocky substrates, and dry 

conditions, which limit tree growth. Where 

Cercocarcus montanus dominates pure stands in parts 

of Wyoming and Colorado, Quercus gambelii is 

absent. Quercus gambelii is typically dominant on the 

more mesic and higher elevation sites from 6,562 to 

9,514 feet (2,000 to 2,900 meters). On stands where 

Quercus gambelii is dominant, other vegetation 

typically includes Amelanchier alnifolia, Amelanchier

utahensis, Artemisia tridentata, Cercocarpus

montanus, Prunus virginiana, Purshia stansburiana, 

Purshia tridentata, Robinia neomexicana, 

Symphoricarpos oreophilus, or Symphoricarpos

rotundifolius. On stands where Cercocarpus montanus

is dominant, other vegetation typically includes 

Amelanchier utahensis, Purshia tridentata, Rhus

trilobata, Ribes cereum, Symphoricarpos oreophilus, 

or Yucca glauca. Grasses are represented by species of 

Muhlenbergia, Bouteloua, Hesperostipa, and 

Pseudoroegneria spicata.

Great Plains Shortgrass Prairie and 

Shrubland

The shortgrass prairie in this macrogroup is dominated 

by the shortgrasses Bouteloua gracilis and Buchloe

dactyloides. Shrublands in this macrogroup are 

dominated by Prosopis glandulosa. The shortgrass 

prairies occur on flat to rolling uplands. The surface 

soil may be sandy loam, loam, silt loam, or loamy clay. 

The subsoil is often finer than the surface soil. The 

shortgrass prairies are characterized by a moderate to 

dense sod of short grasses with scattered mid grasses 

and forbs. The foliage of these species is 3 to 7 inches 

(7 to 19 centimeters) tall, while the flowering stalks of 

Bouteloua gracilis may reach 18 inches (45 

centimeters). The mid grasses are usually stunted by 

the arid conditions and often do not exceed 2.3 feet 

(0.7 meters). Other short graminoids found in this 

community are Bouteloua hirsuta, Carex duriuscula, 

Carex inops ssp. heliophila, and Carex filifolia (in 

Nebraska). Several mid grasses occur regularly, such 

as Aristida purpurea, Bouteloua curtipendula, 

Pascopyrum smithii, Schizachyrium scoparium, Elymus 

elymoides, Sporobolus cryptandrus, Hesperostipa 

comata, and Vulpia octoflora. Forbs such as Astragalus

spp., Gaura coccinea, Machaeranthera pinnatifida var.

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-18 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS
MACROGROUP DESCRIPTIONS 

pinnatifida, Opuntia polyacantha, Plantago 

patagonica, Psoralidium tenuiflorum, Ratibida 

columnifera, and Sphaeralcea coccinea are common 

throughout the shortgrass prairies.

Great Plains Mixedgrass Prairie and 

Shrubland

This macrogroup consists of mesic and dry mixed grass 

prairies, which extend from Kansas and New Mexico 

north through western Nebraska and eastern Colorado, 

northward through Wyoming and the western Dakotas 

into eastern and central Montana, west to the Rocky 

Mountain Front Range in Montana and Wyoming. The 

mesic mixed grass prairies are a mixture of mostly 

mixed grass prairie with some tallgrass prairie, on 

mostly moderate to gentle slopes, usually at the base of 

foothill slopes (for example the hogbacks of the Rocky 

Mountain Front Range, where it typically occurs as a 

relatively narrow elevational band between montane 

woodlands and shrublands and the shortgrass steppe). 

It also occurs east on the Front Range piedmont 

alongside the Chalk Bluffs near the ColoradoWyoming border, out into the Great Plains on the 

Palmer Divide in Colorado, and on piedmont slopes 

below mesas and foothills in northeastern New 

Mexico. Soil texture is the defining environmental 

descriptor; soils are primarily mesic, fine and medium 

textured, and do not include sands, sandy soils, or 

sandy loams. Graminoids typically comprise the 

greatest amount of canopy cover and include 

Pascopyrum smithii, Nassella viridula, Andropogon

gerardii, and Festuca idahoensis (in Montana). Other 

species include Schizachyrium scoparium, 

Muhlenbergia montana (mountain muhly), Sporobolus

cryptandrus, Sorghastrum nutans (Indiangrass), 

Pseudoroegneria spicata, Bouteloua gracilis, and 

Bouteloua curtipendula. Shrub species such as 

Symphoricarpos spp., Artemisia frigida, and Artemisia

cana (silver sagebrush) also can occur. With intensive 

grazing, cool-season exotic species such as Poa

pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), Bromus inermis 

(smooth brome), and Bromus japonicus (Japanese 

brome) can increase in dominance. Shrub species such 

as Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) can also 

increase in dominance with fire suppression.

The dry mixed grass prairies occur on flat to rolling 

topography with deep, sandy loam to loam, coarsetextured soils. The vegetation is dominated by 

moderate to moderately dense medium-tall grasses and 

scattered shrubs. Dominant species include 

Hesperostipa comata, Carex inops ssp. heliophila, and 

Carex filifolia. Calamovilfa longifolia (prairie 

sandreed) is often found with high cover values on 

sandier soils, and Koeleria macrantha cover increases 

on degraded sites. Other common species include 

Hesperostipa neomexicana (New Mexico 

feathergrass), Hesperostipa curtiseta (shortbristle 

needle and thread), and Schizachyrium scoparium. 

Common woody species include Dasiphora fruticosa

spp. floribunda (shrubby cinquefoil), Rhus trilobata, 

and Juniperus horizontalis.

BLM Vegetation Treatments Three New Herbicides D-19 January 2016

Final Programmatic EIS