Desert Shrub Zone Complex
Occupying pockets within the Big Sagebrush Zone, the Desert Shrub Zone Complex is the most xeric of the region. Frequently the type occupies playas where saline conditions prevail, but also occurs in the rainshadow of several mountain ranges in southeastern Oregon and southern Idaho. Important shrubs, most of which are halophytic, include shadscale (Atriplex confertifolia), salt sage (A. nuttalli), greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), and spring hopsage (Grayia spinosa). Grasses and fortes are occasionally found in this open vegetation.