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Festuca thurberi Herbaceous Alliance | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Festuca thurberi Herbaceous Alliance Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: These grasslands occur on subalpine and lower alpine slopes in dry meadows and on ridges above subalpine forests in the southern Rocky Mountains. Elevations range from 2500-3500 m. Climate is temperate with short growing seasons and heavy snowfall in winter. Stands are found on level valley bottoms, expansive park meadow openings in the subalpine forest, and on ridges above subalpine forests. Sites are nearly level to steeply sloping, typically on southern or western exposures. Soils are generally deep, well-drained loams or silt loams with pH of 5.8-7.0, and derived from alluvium and colluvium. Stands have a dense to moderately dense cover of graminoids dominated by the cool-season, perennial bunchgrass Festuca thurberi. Muhlenbergia montana and Festuca arizonica may be present to codominant (on warmer/drier sites). These grasslands have high diversity of species. Other characteristic graminoids may include Bromus spp., Carex siccata (= Carex foenea), Carex geyeri, Carex haydeniana, Danthonia parryi, Elymus trachycaulus, and Stipa spp. Common forbs include Lathyrus lanszwertii var. leucanthus, Vicia americana, Achillea millefolium, Artemisia spp., Erigeron speciosus, Eriogonum umbellatum var. majus (= Eriogonum subalpinum), Hymenoxys hoopesii (= Helenium hoopesii), Iris missouriensis, and Solidago multiradiata. On moist sites Veratrum californicum may be codominant. Grazed stands often have moderate cover of exotic species such as Poa pratensis and Taraxacum officinale. Adjacent vegetation is subalpine forests dominated by Picea engelmannii and Abies lasiocarpa or Populus tremuloides.  Accession Code: VB.CC.18847.FESTUCATHURBERI Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 26-Nov-1997 to: 01-May-2019
	status: accepted This Community's Level: Alliance This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   Scientific: Festuca thurberi Herbaceous Alliance   Translated: Thurber's Fescue Herbaceous Alliance   UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.125902 NatureServe Explorer   Code: A.1256