Desert Shrublands and Playas - Mountains and Plains: The Ecology of Wyoming Landscapes - page 138

Fig. 8.8. (above) Saltbush desert shrubland northwest of Rock
Springs. the dominant shrubs are Gardner's saltbush, bud
sagewort, and birdfoot sagewort. the treeless escarpment is
formed from late cretaceous sandstones and shales. elevation
6,500 feet.
Fig. 8.9. (left) Windswept desert shrubland on a rim of the
Great Divide Basin, with cushion plants adapted for conserv-
ing water and heat. common plants in this community are
Hooker's sandwort, squarestem phlox, matted buckwheat,
stemless goldenweed, and stemless four-nerve daisy. Similar
growth forms but different species are found in alpine tundra.
soil water drawdown when leafless than did a stand of
evergreen big sagebrush. 25 Generally, invasive cheat-
grass grows more abundantly in relatively moist stands,
such as where greasewood occurs (see chapter 7 for a
discussion of cheatgrass). Research in Utah indicates
that cheatgrass can invade desert shrublands during
years of above-average rainfall. 26
other than greasewood-dominated shrublands,
which occur where water is more readily available, des-
ert ecosystems are characterized by potential evapo-
transpiration that greatly exceeds annual precipitation
and the water that might be gained by drainage from
surrounding slopes. consequently, plants are frequently