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Author(s):
Janet L. Fryer, D. A. Tirmenstein
Year Published:

Cataloging Information

Topic(s):
Fire Effects

NRFSN number: 19930
Record updated:

Western juniper occurs in the Pacific Northwest, California, and Nevada. Old-growth western juniper stands that established in presettlement times (before the 1870s) occur primarily on sites of low productivity such as claypan soils, rimrock, outcrops, the edges of mesas, and upper slopes. They are generally very open and often had sparse understories. Western juniper has established and spread onto low slopes and valleys in many areas, especially areas formerly dominated by mountain big sagebrush. These postsettlement stands (woodland transitional communities) are denser than most presettlement and old-growth woodlands. They have substantial shrub understories in early to midsuccession (+more).

Citation

Fryer, Janet L.; Tirmenstein, D. 2019. Juniperus occidentalis. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available: https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/junocc/all.html [2019, August 27].

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