Low Sagebrush
Artemisia arbuscula  Nutt.

Analogous to Subalpine Sagebrush scrub (35220), but at lower elevations. Scattered Artemisia arbuscula less than 0.5 m in height, with abundant bunchgrass. Shrub height and density decrease in low lying areas that are water logged longer during spring (scabland). Some taller Artemisia tridentata and Purshia tridentata may be mixed in.

SITE FACTORS:

Areas of heavy clay soil that become saturated. Elsewhere where soil generally is of finer texture and more poorly drained than where Big Sagebrush occurs. Where low sage and big sage are intermixed on the Modoc Plateau, low sage generally occupies the poorer microsites. Low sage may, however, dominate rocky well drained sites that appear suited for big sage on the Modoc Plateau. Low sage may dominate south facing exposures in areas where north facing exposures are dominated by big sage.

DISTRIBUTION:

Dominant vegetation over lower elevations (1300-1700 m) of the Modoc Plateau, Cascades, and northern Sierra Nevada. Scattered at higher elevations.