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Pinyon–juniper woodland
Pinyon–juniper woodland, also spelled piñon–juniper woodland, is a biome found mid-elevations in arid regions of the Western United States, characterized by being an open forest dominated by low, bushy, evergreen junipers, pinyon pines, and their associates. At lower elevations, junipers often predominate and trees are spaced widely, bordering on and mingling with grassland or shrubland, but as elevation increases, pinyon pines become common and trees grow closer, forming denser canopies. Historically, pinyon-juniper woodland provided a vital source of fuel and food (particularly piñon nuts) for indigenous peoples of the American Southwest. The nuts continue to be a traditional indigenous food, and because nut-collecting was also adopted by the Spanish in the 1500s, the nuts are also traditionally harvested by some Hispanic communities.
As of the early 2020s,[update] pinyon-juniper ecosystems have been under pressure from heavy natural gas extraction in southern Colorado and New Mexico. They have also been historically destroyed by land managers in the United States in favor of livestock pasture, due to a lack of perceived economic value. Pinyon-juniper woodlands also face threats from severe droughts caused or exacerbated by climate change, both through direct damage from heat and lack of moisture and through exacerbated insect attacks and wildfires. In some areas of New Mexico, more than 90% of piñon pines in a woodland have died due to long-term drought and insect attacks. However, in other areas the ecosystem is expanding, and while animals face threats from the woodlands becoming less diverse and productive, it is debated whether pinyon-juniper woodlands are gaining or losing territory overall.
Both pinyon pine and juniper species reproduce exclusively through seed production, and produce most of their seeds during mast years, which occur about every three to five years. The seeds produced by the pinyon pines in mast cycles are the primary influence on population growth in the habitat; in lean years some animals move away in a nomadic fashion. Birds and small mammals in the ecosystem are the main distribution method for these seeds. An important example is the pinyon jays, a keystone species that is the primary distribution mechanism for pinyon pine seeds, having formed a mutualistic relationship with the trees. These birds are the only species capable of re-establishing pinyon pines after major disruptions like fires and beetle infestations, and according to Audubon are critical to the ecosystem's survival.
Pinyon-juniper woodlands support a number of native species including the pinyon mouse and the pinyon jay. The woodlands also serve as refuges for desert and mountain animals attempting to escape heat or cold; few animals other than the pinyon jay stay in the ecosystem year-round. However, it serves as important habitat for a number of endangered species, including Woodhouse's scrub jay and the gray vireo.
Pinyon–juniper woodland has three major subtypes based on vegetation: pinyon-juniper savannah, pinyon-juniper wooded shrubland, and pinyon-juniper persistent woodland.
Pinyon-juniper savannahs are dominated by grasses and forbs, with dense undergrowth and savannah-like sparser trees. Monsoon summer rains are common in pinyon-juniper savannahs, since they favor the growth of warm-season grasses. Common grass species are blue grama, other species of grama grass, new mexico muhly, curlyleaf muhly, and needle and thread grass.
Pinyon-juniper persistent woodlands are dominated by trees, with a variety of tree ages, often in areas with winter or bi-modal precipitation. Persistent woodland sites are usually unproductive, with thin soils and sparse ground or shrub cover, often occurring on rocky or rugged terrain.
Pinyon-juniper wooded shrublands are transition zones where pinyon-juniper woodland is expanding or contracting, often bordering other vegetation types. In absence of fire, they shift from grass and forb-dominated, to shrub-dominated, to tree-dominated communities over time. Common shrub species are big sagebrush, other species in that genus, antelope bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, mountain mahogany, and snakeweed.
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Pinyon–juniper woodland
Pinyon–juniper woodland, also spelled piñon–juniper woodland, is a biome found mid-elevations in arid regions of the Western United States, characterized by being an open forest dominated by low, bushy, evergreen junipers, pinyon pines, and their associates. At lower elevations, junipers often predominate and trees are spaced widely, bordering on and mingling with grassland or shrubland, but as elevation increases, pinyon pines become common and trees grow closer, forming denser canopies. Historically, pinyon-juniper woodland provided a vital source of fuel and food (particularly piñon nuts) for indigenous peoples of the American Southwest. The nuts continue to be a traditional indigenous food, and because nut-collecting was also adopted by the Spanish in the 1500s, the nuts are also traditionally harvested by some Hispanic communities.
As of the early 2020s,[update] pinyon-juniper ecosystems have been under pressure from heavy natural gas extraction in southern Colorado and New Mexico. They have also been historically destroyed by land managers in the United States in favor of livestock pasture, due to a lack of perceived economic value. Pinyon-juniper woodlands also face threats from severe droughts caused or exacerbated by climate change, both through direct damage from heat and lack of moisture and through exacerbated insect attacks and wildfires. In some areas of New Mexico, more than 90% of piñon pines in a woodland have died due to long-term drought and insect attacks. However, in other areas the ecosystem is expanding, and while animals face threats from the woodlands becoming less diverse and productive, it is debated whether pinyon-juniper woodlands are gaining or losing territory overall.
Both pinyon pine and juniper species reproduce exclusively through seed production, and produce most of their seeds during mast years, which occur about every three to five years. The seeds produced by the pinyon pines in mast cycles are the primary influence on population growth in the habitat; in lean years some animals move away in a nomadic fashion. Birds and small mammals in the ecosystem are the main distribution method for these seeds. An important example is the pinyon jays, a keystone species that is the primary distribution mechanism for pinyon pine seeds, having formed a mutualistic relationship with the trees. These birds are the only species capable of re-establishing pinyon pines after major disruptions like fires and beetle infestations, and according to Audubon are critical to the ecosystem's survival.
Pinyon-juniper woodlands support a number of native species including the pinyon mouse and the pinyon jay. The woodlands also serve as refuges for desert and mountain animals attempting to escape heat or cold; few animals other than the pinyon jay stay in the ecosystem year-round. However, it serves as important habitat for a number of endangered species, including Woodhouse's scrub jay and the gray vireo.
Pinyon–juniper woodland has three major subtypes based on vegetation: pinyon-juniper savannah, pinyon-juniper wooded shrubland, and pinyon-juniper persistent woodland.
Pinyon-juniper savannahs are dominated by grasses and forbs, with dense undergrowth and savannah-like sparser trees. Monsoon summer rains are common in pinyon-juniper savannahs, since they favor the growth of warm-season grasses. Common grass species are blue grama, other species of grama grass, new mexico muhly, curlyleaf muhly, and needle and thread grass.
Pinyon-juniper persistent woodlands are dominated by trees, with a variety of tree ages, often in areas with winter or bi-modal precipitation. Persistent woodland sites are usually unproductive, with thin soils and sparse ground or shrub cover, often occurring on rocky or rugged terrain.
Pinyon-juniper wooded shrublands are transition zones where pinyon-juniper woodland is expanding or contracting, often bordering other vegetation types. In absence of fire, they shift from grass and forb-dominated, to shrub-dominated, to tree-dominated communities over time. Common shrub species are big sagebrush, other species in that genus, antelope bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, mountain mahogany, and snakeweed.