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You are here >1Up Info > Wildlife, Animals, and Plants > Plant Species > Shrub > Species: Artemisia nova | Black Sagebrush
 

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BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

SPECIES: Artemisia nova | Black Sagebrush
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : Black sagebrush is a small, spreading, native, aromatic, evergreen shrub. Heights usually range from 6 to 18 inches (1.5 to 4.5 dm) but occasionally reach up to 30 inches (76 cm) on productive sites [41]. Although plants may have an upright habit, typically the branches are decumbent and arise from a spreading base. Black sagebrush has a shallower, more fibrous root system than big sagebrush [37]. As a result, annual growth depends largely on soil moisture content near the ground surface. Distinguishing black sagebrush from low sagebrush (Artemisia arbuscula), basin big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. tridentata), and Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis) is often difficult [7,24,61]. Leaf gland visibility is a morphological character useful in eliminating taxonomic confusion in the field [36]. Black sagebrush exhibits tiny, black leaf glands which protrude well beyond the leaf hairs when viewed with a 10X hand lens [17]; apparently these glands are inconspicuous in low sagebrush and the three subspecies of big sagebrush. RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : Phanerophyte Chamaephyte REGENERATION PROCESSES : Black sagebrush regenerates almost exclusively from seed. Although layering has been documented on a road cut in Utah [41], vegetative reproduction is quite rare. Numerous, wind-dispersed achenes are typically shed in October. Abundant seed is produced annually, but production is directly related to site characteristics and may be highly variable from year to year [5]. Seeds require no dormancy breaking treatment and usually germinate the spring following dispersal. Bare mineral soil is needed for successful germination. Establishment can occur even on fairly severe sites during good years. Seeds will remain viable up to 2 years under proper storage conditions [50]. SITE CHARACTERISTICS : Black sagebrush is usually associated with areas with little soil profile development in desert valleys and on west and south exposures along the lower slopes of the high desert foothills. Typical sites consist of the dry, shallow, gravelly, well-drained soils of alluvial fans, sills, mountain slopes, and wind-blown ridges. It occurs most abundantly at elevations between 4,900 to 7,000 feet (1,470 to 2,100 m) where annual precipitation ranges between 7 and 18 inches (18 and 46 cm). Many of the soils supporting black sagebrush are derived from limestone, particularly along the edges of its range [16]. Shultz [48] reports this species occurring on shallow lithosols overlying bedrock. Plants may form dense stands and dominate large areas or may be associated with a large variety of both grasses and shrubs. In communities where black and low sagebrush species occur together, black sagebrush occupies the warmer, more xeric and more calcareous sites; more mesic sites with deeper soils support basin big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. tridentata) and Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis). With the exception of bud sage (A. spinescens), black sagebrush is more closely associated with salt desert habitats than any other Artemisia species. In the southern Great Basin stands of black sagebrush are surrounded by salt desert vegetation and are replaced by shadscale and other salt desert shrubs when sites become too saline or dry [13,40]. Elevational ranges for several western states are as follows [2,23,25,28,31,59,62,67]: from 2,050 to 9,800 feet (625 to 2,988 m) in CO 5,000 to 7,000 feet (1,524 to 2,134 m) in ID 4,000 to 6,600 feet (1,220 to 2,012 m) in MT 5,904 to 7,544 feet (1,800 to 2,300 m) in NV 7,200 to 8,200 feet (2,195 to 2,500 m) in NM 4,000 to 4,000 feet (1,220 to 1,220 m) in OR 4,592 to 8,987 feet (1,400 to 2,740 m) in UT 5,000 to 7,000 feet (1,524 to 2,134 m) in WY SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : Mature, self-perpetuating stands of black sagebrush are considered to be indicators of climax conditions. Seedlings are present during early seral stages and plants coexist with later arriving species. Long-established, black sagebrush stands in Nevada have recently undergone invasion by both Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) and singleleaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla). This invasion, which accelerated around 1921, has been attributed to the combined effects of overgrazing, fire suppression, and climatic change [13]. SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : The phenology of black sagebrush is similar to low sagebrush (A. arbuscula) but earlier. The general pattern in Wyoming is described by Beetle [5]. Growth is initiated in April, with new leaves being produced from May throughout most of the summer. Flower heads first appear in July, but blooming does not occur until September; they may be numerous one year and particularly sparse in another. Seed dispersal takes place in October. Late spring leaves and summer leaves persist through the winter. Decreases in soil moisture and amounts of precipitation have a significant impact on the phenology of this species. Moisture rapidly infiltrates the coarse, shallow soils of most sites and is either immediately utilized by the plant or lost through evaporation [37]. The carbohydrate reserve cycle in black sagebrush shows no pronounced trend [22]. Generally there is a gradual buildup of root reserves from a seasonal low in March to floral bud development in August. Immediately afterwards a prolonged decline occurs which lasts until September. Data is inconsistent on the buildup of reserves through initial flower opening and fruit set. Over the winter, approximately one-half of the root reserves and one-quarter of the crown reserves are lost; twigs appear to be significant carbohydrate storage areas. Average dates for the phenological development of black sagebrush on similar sites in Wyoming have been documented by Kleinman [37] and are presented below. He indicates that dates for full bloom and seed dissemination are somewhat predicatable. Growth initiation May 20 Full bloom September 15 Seed dissemination November 5

Related categories for Species: Artemisia nova | Black Sagebrush

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Information Courtesy: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory. Fire Effects Information System

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