Plant Id Test 2A Study Guide

Front 1

Name the region: occurs from the state of Washington down the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, east across the central and southern Rockies, and south to central Mexico.

*above 4000 feet*

Back 1

Pinyon-Juniper zone

Front 2

Why did juniper spread so much through the west over the past 100-150 years? (3 reasons)

Back 2

1) toxic leaves (leech into ground, increasing competitiveness)

2) roots (extensive, and far-spread)

3)opportunistic (over-grazing decreased fire occurrences, allowing juniper seedlings to proliferate)

Front 3

Describe the Pinyon-Juniper Zone.

Back 3

-southern Summer rain & northern Winter snow

-poorly developed soil w/low nutrients and low organic matter (Aridisols &Entisols)

-poor tree growth (low precip/humidity, high solar radiation and summer temperatures)

Front 4

Describe the Mountain Browse Zone.

Back 4

Occurs in dense clumps, not a continuous cover

Important for wildlife: rugged terrain and mainly Winter shrub habitat

Important fire regime for fire-tolerant sprouter shrubs

Front 5

Name the region: the western mountainous area transition between grasslands and shrublands (including pinyon-juniper areas) to conifer forests which may be marked by an area of deciduous shrubs

Back 5

Mountain Browse Zone

Front 6

Name the region: vast elevation differences (1600-7200 feet), extends from British Columbia to Mexico and South Dakota.

Back 6

Ponderosa Pine Zone

Front 7

Describe the Ponderosa Pine Zone.

Back 7

Frequent droughts with warm Summers and cold Winters

Fire exclusion, over-grazing, diseased/dead trees, and increased crown fires have caused dramatic alterations (overcrowding of fire-intolerant species, reduced biodiversity)

Variety of soils, formed from igneous and sedimentary rocks

Front 8

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 8

Purshia tridentata Antelope bitterbrush

Front 9

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 9

Bromus inermis Smooth brome

Front 10

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 10

Symphoricarpos spp. Snowberry

Front 11

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 11

Symphoricarpos spp. Snowberry

Front 12

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 12

Amelanchier alniforlia Serviceberry

Front 13

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 13

Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass

Front 14

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 14

Poa pratensis Kentucky bluegrass

Front 15

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 15

Populus tremuloides Quaking aspen

Front 16

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 16

Calamagrostis rubescens Pinegrass

Front 17

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 17

Rosa spp. Rose species

Front 18

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 18

Ceanothus velutinus Snowbrush

Front 19

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 19

Cercocarpus montanus

Birchleaf mountainmahogany

Front 20

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 20

Prunus virginiana Chokecherry

Front 21

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 21

Prunus virginiana Chokecherry

Front 22

What are the scientific and common names?

Back 22

Juniperus occidentalis Western juniper

Front 23

Numerically list the bio-zones in the proper order, from lowest to highest, in terms of

their location on the landscape. (ie: abc, bca, cab, etc. [no spaces]

a. Mountain browse zone

b. Pinyon-juniper zone

c. Ponderosa pine zone

Back 23

bac

Front 24

What is the ecological advantage of "evergreenness" in plants?

Back 24

Photosynthesize whenever temperatures and moisture conditions permit

Front 25

Which type of shrubs are likely to recover quicker after fire: non-sprouters or sprouters? Why?

Back 25

Sprouters are more likely to recover more quickly than non-sprouters because they

have more meristematic tissue. Their abiliy to resprout is a morphological adaptation to

disturbance.