Chihuahuan Creosotebush Desert Scrub
Geology
Generally occurs on alluvial/colluvial gravel flats.
Landform
Flat to gently rolling landforms occupying outwash plains and basins between mountain ranges.
Soils
Typically occurs on gravelly soils.
Parent Description
This system typically occurs on flat and gently rolling landforms, often on gravelly alluvial plains occupying outwash plains and those on intermountain basins. Larrea tridentata (creosotebush) is usually the clear dominant, though species such as Parthenium incanum (mariola), Acacia constricta (whitethorn acacia), Flourensia cernua (tarbush), and/or Prosopis glandulosa (honey mesquite) may be present. On some sites, particularly hot desert sites at low elevations, succulents such as Fouquieria splendens (ocotillo), Agave lechuguilla (lechuguilla), Yucca torreyi (Torrey's yucca), Opuntia spp. (pricklypears), and Echinocereus spp. (hedgehog cacti) may be conspicuous.
Ecological Mapping Systems
Trans-Pecos: Sparse Creosotebush Scrub
This type occupies areas of the intermontane basin plains with low vegetative cover, often with significant desert pavement under a sparse canopy of almost monotypic Larrea tridentata (creosotebush).
Distribution Map
Photos
Public Land Occurrence
- Big Bend National Park: US National Park Service
- Big Bend Ranch State Park: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Black Gap Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Fort Leaton State Historic Site: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Trans-Pecos: Creosotebush Scrub
This is the typical expression for the system occupying large areas of the intermontane basins and with Larrea tridentata (creosotebush) as the clear, often monotypic dominant.
Distribution Map
Photos
Public Land Occurrence
- Big Bend National Park: US National Park Service
- Big Bend Ranch State Park: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Black Gap Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park: US National Park Service
- Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Trans-Pecos: Creosotebush - Succulent Scrub
This vegetation type occurs on dissected gravelly flats at low elevation, in the hot desert of the southern Trans-Pecos. Vegetated cover is usually fairly low and is dominated by Larrea tridentata (creosotebush), Fouquieria splendens (ocotillo), and other succulents.
Distribution Map
Photos
Public Land Occurrence
- Big Bend National Park: US National Park Service
- Big Bend Ranch State Park: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Black Gap Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Fort Leaton State Historic Site: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
- Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department