Pinyon-Juniper Woodland
An open woodland composed of pinyon pines and junipers occurs above 4,500 feet elevation where they can receive over 10 inches of precipitation annually, some of it falling as snow. These evergreen conifers were much more widespread throughout southeastern California in the past but have retreated to their mountain refuges as the climate dried and warmed. This woodland is also a common vegetation type in the mountains of the Great Basin. Shrubs found in the understory include many from the Great Basin such as sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus sp.), and Mormon tea (Ephedra viridis).
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