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In contrast to the Chisos Mountains which are a "geologic smorgasboard" of sedimentary and ignous geologic materials (Bohannon, 2011) the Davis or LImpia Mountains are primarily of igneous origin. An example of pinyon pine-alligator juniper-mixed grass woodland in the Davis (Limpia) Mountains was presented below.
384. Another form, another sub-type- Three landscape-scale views of a savanna form of the Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass-woodland range cover type in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. The dominant tree of this climax range plant community was alligtor juniper (Juniperus deppeana) with Mexican pinyon pine (Pinus cerebroides) the associate conifer. Emory oak (Quercus emoryi), a live oak species, was the major woody angiosperm. Although there were some roseberry juniper (Juniperus erythrocarpa) in this area none of this species were found on the range treated herein.
The dominant midgrass "swapped back and forth" between cane bluestem (Andropogon barbinodis= Bothyriochloa barbinodis) and sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula). Other important grasses included blue grama (B. gracilis), plains lovegrass (Eragrostis intermedia), green sprangletop (Leptochloa dubia), wolftail (Lycurus phleoides), pinyon ricegrass (Piptochaetium fimbriatum), plains bristlegrass (Setaria leucopila), Harvard's, threeawn (Aristida havardii), little bluestem (A. scoparius= Schizachyrium scoparium), and mesa muhly (Muhlenbergia tenuifolia).
Forbs were sparse. Aside from smaller plants of alligator juniper and Emory oak, the principal shrub was catclaw or wait-a-minute bush (Mimosa biuncifera= M. lindheimeri).
This range had been burnt by prescription three times (years) in the last ten years.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, early autumnal aspect. FRES No. 35 (Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem). K-21 (Juniper-Pinyon Woodland). Oak variant SRM 504 (Juniper-Pinyon Pine Woodland). SAF 239 (Pinyon - Juniper). Oak-Pine Series 123.32 of Madrean Evergreen Forest and Woodland, 123.3 (Brown et al., 1998). Chihuhuan Deserts- Chihuhuan Montane Woodlands Ecoregion 24d (Griffith et al., 2004).
385. Alligator juniper-dominated variant- A form of pinyon pine-juniper-grass woodland (actually a savanna form) dominated by alligator juniper with Mexican pinyon pine and Emory oak the associate woody species. The second slide was a "nested photo-plot" inside the landscape-"photo-plot" in the first slide (match the lower cedar or juniper or boughs on the right-most alligaor juniper). A representative plant of each of the three tree species was present in the first image.
Dominant grasses (co-dominant grass species) were sideoats grama and cane bluestem. Other grass species included blue grama, green sprangletop. plains lovegrass, wolftail, plains bristlegrass, Harvard's, threeawn, pinyon ricegrass, little bluestem, and mesa muhly.
There were no forb or shrub species in the range vegetation shown in these two slides. This range had been burned by prescription burning in three of the last ten years.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, early autumnal aspect. FRES No. 35 (Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem). K-21 (Juniper-Pinyon Woodland). Oak variant SRM 504 (Juniper-Pinyon Pine Woodland). SAF 239 (Pinyon - Juniper). Oak-Pine Series 123.32 of Madrean Evergreen Forest and Woodland, 123.3 (Brown et al., 1998). Chihuhuan Deserts- Chihuhuan Montane Woodlands Ecoregion 24d (Griffith et al., 2004).
386. Trees and grass in a woodland- Mexican pinyon pine (tallest tree, left) and alligator juniper (all other visible conifers left and right) with Emory oak in distant background with herbaceous understorey dominated by sideoats grama, cane bluestem, and plains lovegrass with wolftail, plains bristlegrass, blue grama, Havard's threeawn, pinyon ricegrass, and mesa muhly as other grass species. Forbs were almost non-existant.
This range had prescribed burns in three of the last ten years.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, early autumnal aspect. FRES No. 35 (Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem). K-21 (Juniper-Pinyon Woodland). Oak variant SRM 504 (Juniper-Pinyon Pine Woodland). SAF 239 (Pinyon - Juniper). Oak-Pine Series 123.32 of Madrean Evergreen Forest and Woodland, 123.3 (Brown et al., 1998). Chihuhuan Deserts- Chihuhuan Montane Woodlands Ecoregion 24d (Griffith et al., 2004).
387. Fire-adapted- Typical "middle-aged" tree of alligator juniper (first slide) and sapling of alligator juniper (second slide) as they appeared after being subjected to prescribed burning in threee times (years) in the last decadde. The older tree in the first (upper) slide showed a few dead (fire-killed) lower limbs in its crown and the sapling in the second (lower) slide showed both 1) flagging (fire-dead, bare limbs) and 2) basal shoot or stump sprouting induced by fire ingury). Dominant grass species in the herbaceous understorey shown in these two views was cane bluesteme with sideoats grama the associate. Other grass species included plains lovegrass, blue grama, green sprangletop, plains bristlegrass, wolftail, little bluestem, Havard's threeawn, pinyon ricegrass, and mesa muhly. There were, in effect, no forbs.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, early autumnal aspect. FRES No. 35 (Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem). K-21 (Juniper-Pinyon Woodland). Oak variant SRM 504 (Juniper-Pinyon Pine Woodland). SAF 239 (Pinyon - Juniper). Oak-Pine Series 123.32 of Madrean Evergreen Forest and Woodland, 123.3 (Brown et al., 1998). Chihuhuan Deserts- Chihuhuan Montane Woodlands Ecoregion 24d (Griffith et al., 2004).
388. Good synopsis scene- Composite view of a Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. All three tree species were included in this synoptic image. Other than shrub-sized "youngsters" of these three tree species the only shrub with cover that amounted to anything was catclaw mimosa or wait-a-minute bush. Dominant grassse of There were almost no forbs, so the prominent and well-developed herbaceous component consisted of two grass layers: 1) the predominant mid-grass layer of sideoats grama and cane bluestem (the two co-dominants) with plains lovegrass (the main asociate species), plains bristlegrass, green sprangletop, wolftail (which was more of a shortgrass on this range), Harvard's, threeawn, pinyon ricegrass, little bluestem (a midgrass species on the range habitts here), and mesa muhly and 2) shortgrass layer consisting mostly of blue grama and black grama (and wolftail perhaps for this environment).
In three of the last ten years prescribed burns had been conducted on this range.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, early autumnal aspect. FRES No. 35 (Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem). K-21 (Juniper-Pinyon Woodland). Oak variant SRM 504 (Juniper-Pinyon Pine Woodland). SAF 239 (Pinyon - Juniper). Oak-Pine Series 123.32 of Madrean Evergreen Forest and Woodland, 123.3 (Brown et al., 1998). Chihuhuan Deserts- Chihuhuan Montane Woodlands Ecoregion 24d (Griffith et al., 2004).
389. Benefits of a burn- A Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland range in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas that had been fired by prescription in three of the last ten years. The climax range vegetation of this range was in Excellent range condition class. The herbaceous zone consisted of both 1) midgrass and 2) shortgrass layers. The co-dominant grasses of this climax range plant community were the midgrass species, sideoats grama and cane bluestem. Plains lovegrass was generally the associate species, but green sprangletop and plains bristlegrass were local associate or, rarely, dominant grasses. Other grass species included blue grama, black grama, wolftail, Havard's threeawn, pinyon ricegrass, little bluestem, and mesa muhly. Blue grama and black grama were closest to shortgrass species though the relatively small or dimunitive size of wolftail plants on this range could qualify this grass as a shortgrass species as well.
There were, for all intents and purposes, no forbs on this range. Th only shrub of much consequence was catclaw mimosa or wait-a-minute bush.
Bare (devoid of needles) crowns in these two views (a form of "nest photo-quadrant") were of dead alligator juniper killed by a combination of prescribed fire (see again first sentence of this caption) and drought that over the last several years had been rated as Severe to Extreme on the Palmer Scale (Index). Some of these plants of alligator juniper had only been topkilled and were weakly resprouting from their stumps or rootcrowns, but many had been completely killed by the fire-drought combination (interactions). This author did not have time to determine percent topkilled versus percent that were "graveyard dead" (to quote Jerry Clower).
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, early autumnal aspect. FRES No. 35 (Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem). K-21 (Juniper-Pinyon Woodland). Oak variant SRM 504 (Juniper-Pinyon Pine Woodland). SAF 239 (Pinyon - Juniper). Oak-Pine Series 123.32 of Madrean Evergreen Forest and Woodland, 123.3 (Brown et al., 1998). Chihuhuan Deserts- Chihuhuan Montane Woodlands Ecoregion 24d (Griffith et al., 2004).
390. Blessing of prescribed fire- Two revealing views of crowns of dead alligator junipers and a released herbaceous understorey of many grass species in a Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland range that had been prescription burned in three years of the last decade. This fire-improved climax range plant community was in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. Over course of the last several years this area had been suffering from prolongd drought that varied in Palmer Index-rating from Severe to Extreme Drought. The combination of prescribed fire with coincident drought resulted in death of numerous alligator junipers. Some of these juniper had only been topkilled, but many others were dead to "tips of their invading roots". Percentages of the two dead categories where not determined by were not determinedd by this observing rangeman in his short visition to this beautiful woodland range.
The herbaceous understorey of this woodland range was composed exclusively of grasses (essentially there was no forb cover). Overall sideoats grama and cane bluestem were the co-dominant grasses of this climax range plant community, but there were small areas (local habitats) where plains lovegrass, the overall associate species, and, less frequently, green sprangletop and plains bristlegrass were local dominant grasses. Other grass species included blue grama, black grama, wolftail, Havard's threeawn, pinyon ricegrass, little bluestem, and mesa muhly. Dominants and the "other grasse species" were midgrasses except blue grama and black grama (and perhaps wolftail given diminutive size of plants present on this range) which were shortgrasses.
There were almost no forbs except for The only shrub whose cover "amounted to anything" was catclaw mimosa or wait-a-minute bush.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, early autumnal aspect. FRES No. 35 (Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem). K-21 (Juniper-Pinyon Woodland). Oak variant SRM 504 (Juniper-Pinyon Pine Woodland). SAF 239 (Pinyon - Juniper). Oak-Pine Series 123.32 of Madrean Evergreen Forest and Woodland, 123.3 (Brown et al., 1998). Chihuhuan Deserts- Chihuhuan Montane Woodlands Ecoregion 24d (Griffith et al., 2004).
391. Thriving with flames- Catclaw mimosa or wait-a-minute bush and cane bluestem in the understorey of a Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland. This range had been treated with prescribed fire for three of the last ten years. Results of this prescribed burning was death (sometimes only topkill and other times total kill) of the sprouting conifer, alligator juniper, and increase in cover of native grasses and shrubs like these shown here. During much of this time this area had been in drought that ranged from Severe to Extreme of the Palmer Index.
Death of alligator juniper was undoubtedly a function of both fire and drought given that this conifer is one of the sprouting Juniperus species (see example above). Examples of dead alligator juniper were presented in the two immediately preceding slide/caption sets.
This pinyon pine-juniper mixed grass woodland was in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, early autumnal aspect. FRES No. 35 (Pinyon-Juniper Ecosystem). K-21 (Juniper-Pinyon Woodland). Oak variant SRM 504 (Juniper-Pinyon Pine Woodland). SAF 239 (Pinyon - Juniper). Oak-Pine Series 123.32 of Madrean Evergreen Forest and Woodland, 123.3 (Brown et al., 1998). Chihuhuan Deserts- Chihuhuan Montane Woodlands Ecoregion 24d (Griffith et al., 2004).
392. Wait-up!- Another view of the specimen of catclaw mimosa or wait-a-minute mimosa (Mimosa ubiuncifera) introduced immediately above (first slide) and several branches and interior of that same plant (second slide) growing as part of an erratic or interrupted shrub layer in a Mexican pinyon pine-alligator junipermixed grass woodland in the Davis (Limpia) Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas.
This is one of the more widely distributed and abundant of the Mimosa species. Catclaw mimosa has a species range extending from the Edwards Plateau and the edge of Great Plains westward through both the Chihuhuan and Sonorad Deserts, semidesert grasslands, and pinyon pine-juniper woodlands (Coulter, 1891-1894, p. 97; Kearney and Peebles, 1960, p. 400; Vines, 1960, p. 507-508; Correll and Johnston, 1979, p. 779; Benson and Darrow, 1981, p. 232; Great Plains Flora Association, 1986, p. 409; Powell, 1988, ps. 193-194; Allred and Ivey, 2012, p. 335). In addition to these taxonomic/morphological treatments Dayton (1931, p. 79) and Francis (2004, ps. 482-484) treated catclaw mimosa (as Mimosa aculeaticarpa in the latter source) from standpoints of its ecology, physiology, and usees on range.
Powell (1988, p. 194) explained that catclaw mimosa was one of the worse invasive shrubs of semidesert grassland, but that it furnished browse for both livestock and ungulate wildlife as well as affording "excellent quail cover and food throughout much of the Trans-Pecos". Vines (1960, p. 508) also remarked on these features emphasing browse use by ruminants more during times of stress (eg. drought). Both authors noted that catclaw mimosa was a valuable bee plant.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October.
393. No wonder a body had to wait- Leader (first slide) and section of that same leader (seond slide) om catclaw or wait-a-minute mimosa showing the claw-like prickles on stem surfaces that readily catch (and tear) clothing and skin. This obvious member of the mimosa subfamily (Mimosoideae) of the Leguminosae is a sometimes nusiance and aggragavation, but as was cited and explained above, this species is a frequently valuable browse plant over a wide geographic area that ecnompasses mixed prairie, semidesert grassland, Chihuhuan and Sonoran Deserts as well as pinyon pine-juniper woodlands. Catclaw mimosa appeared in several chapters of Range Types of North America attesting to its occurrence in these various range cover types.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October.
394. Sort of an uncommon one- Several plants of pinyon ricegrass (Piptochaetium fimbriatum) in the herbaceous understorey of a Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. Thought not common nor abundant (other than locally) pinyon ricegrass is a principal indicator grass species on range sites within the general pinyon pine-juniper woodland range type. Pinyon ricegrass is a decreaser, perhaps even an ice cream species, and its presence indicates that grazing has been proper to the light side of overall proper use for pinyon-juniper woodland range.
The local authority for pinyon ricegrass remained Powell (2000, ps. 58-59) who explained that, though palatable, this member of the Stipeae tribe was not abundant enough to be an important forage species.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October; peak standing crop, grain-ripe phenological stage.
395. Pinyon panicles- Panicles of pinyon ricegrass with obvious spikelets, the caryopses of which were in the hard or mature state. These organs were on plants that were locally plentiful in the understorey of a Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland range in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. This range had been managed by prescribed fire in three of the last ten years. Growth of grass species like pinyon ricegrass had responded "in spades" to wise use prescribed burning.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, grain-ripe stage of phenology.
396. Rice grains in the woods- Spikelets of pinyon ricegrass laid across bark of alligator juniper in a Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. These were some of the spikelets in panicles that were introduced in the preceding two slides.
According to Silveus (1933, ps. 314-315) and Gould (1975, p. 80) this is the only Piptochaetium species in Texas and it is limited to the Trans-Pecos Basin and Range vegetational area of Texas. Pinyon ricegrass also grows from northern Mexico northward to Colorado while also occurring in Arizona and New Mexico (Gould, 1975, p. 81). Pinyon ricegrass is in the tribe, Stipeae, members of which are characterized by spikelets of a single flower borne in panicles and that disarticulate above the glumes (Gould and Shaw, 1983, p. 116).
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October, grain-ripe phenological stage.
397. Not jist a'wolfin'- Large plant (first slide) and spike-resembling constricted panicle(second slide) of wolftail (Lycurus phleoides) or, maybe, bristletip wolftail (L. setosus) in understorey of a Mexican pinyon pine-alligator juniper-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland in the Davis Mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas. Wolftail was growing in association with an array of grass species including blue grama, black grama, pinyon ricegrass, sideoats grama, cane bluestem, plains lovegrass, Havard's threeawn, little bluestem, green sprangletop, plains bristlegrass, and mesa muhly with species composition, including dominant and associate species, varying locally. Shrubs were very limited but wait-a-minute or catclaw mimosa was the most abundant shrub species.
Powell (1988, p. s. 158-159) was the recognized authority for grasses of the Trans-Pecos vegetational area of Texas. Powell (1988, p. 159) explained that historically L. phleoides was the only Lycurus species reported for Texas, but that recent taxonomic research revealed that, L. setosus, designated as bristletip wolftail, was also present and, in point of fact, was "the most widespread of the Trans-Pecos wolftail grasses". The only difference bewteen these two species was bristletip wolftail had a "slender bristle" at terminii of upper leaves while plain, regular ole wolftail did not have leaves that terminated in a bristle except there was sometimes "a short bristle-like point" at leaf tips. Shaw (2012, ps. 612-614) "followed suite" and recognized these two species with the "leaf terminating wigh a fragile, awnlike tip…" distinguishing L. setosus from L. phleoides, and clmplete with a line drawing of the mousetail tip. Hey, this author might have coined "mousetail wolftail" (maybe the adjective should be hyphenated: "mouse-tail"). Likewise, Allred and Ivey (2012, p. 669) recognized these two species based on a "slender, hair-like birstle" versus "without a bristle" (except "rarely short-pointed" tip).
Beg pardon, but this author not think that he had the savy to distinguish between a "slender bristle" and "a short bristle-like point" (even with a line drawing) so--for now--he stuck with L. phleoides the same as Coulter (1891-1894, p. 626), Silveus (1933, ps.228-229), Hitchock and Chase (1950, ps. 365-366), and Gould (1975, ps. 245-246). Besides Allred and Ivey (2012, p. 669) also had a dichotomous feature of "plants tightly tufted" (L. setosus) versus "plants loosely tufted" (L. phleoides), and even this author could see that his above-example was "loosely" not "tightly" tufted so L. phleoides-- plain-Jane, vanilla, no-tail-no-tip- wolftail--it was. These folks must be hard-up for publishable material. Let's sic an enzyme-chasing cladist work group on this tempest-in-a-leaf-tip.
Wolftail is almost never a dominant or, even, associate species but it is widely distributed occurring in mixed prairie, semidesert grasslands, ponderosa pine forests as well as pinyon pine-juniper woodland. It is commonly regarded as palatable.
U up-U down Ranch settled by the G. S. Locke family, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, Jeff Davis County, Texas. Early October; grain-shatter phenological stage.
Location note: immediately adjacent to (conterminous with) the highest elevtion of the Mexican pinyon pine-alligator-Emory oak-mixed grass woodland on the U Upside-Down U Ranch, now Davis Mountains Preserve of The Nature Conservancy, there was a savanna form of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest or, actually, a savannah form of ponderosa pine woodland. This forest range cover type (Interior Ponderosa Pine SAF 237) was included in the forest and woodland chapter entitled Southern and Middle Rocky Mountain Forest (including Regionally Related Range Types).
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