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Pinus contorta var. contorta - Pseudotsuga menziesii / Morella californica - Vaccinium ovatum Forest | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Pinus contorta var. contorta - Pseudotsuga menziesii / Morella californica - Vaccinium ovatum Forest
Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description: This mid- to late-seral forest association is found on sand dunes along the Pacific coast between northern California and Tillamook Bay, Oregon, where it occurs on warm, dry ridges and slopes, primarily with south- to west-facing aspects. The poorly developed humus layer is rarely more than 1 inch thick on slopes, but where organic material accumulates at the toe of slopes the layer may be up to 9 inches deep. Stands are dominated by Pinus contorta and Pseudotsuga menziesii, with low incidence of Picea sitchensis and Tsuga heterophylla. Pseudotsuga menziesii becomes increasingly scarce on dunes farther north, where it is replaced by Picea sitchensis. Arbutus menziesii is often present on ridges and toeslopes. Total canopy cover ranges from 40-85%. Live basal area is one of the lowest of the native forest stands occurring on coastal sand dunes. Conifer reproduction is sparse or nonexistent. Stands are typically littered with fallen trees, mostly Pinus contorta. The shrub layer, dominated by the ubiquitous Vaccinium ovatum and Gaultheria shallon, ranges from 5-95%, with an average height of 8 feet. The lowest shrub cover appears to be on dry, warm exposures, where bracken fern may be conspicuous. The ground layer is otherwise sparse to nonexistent. Charcoal is present in some stands. 
Accession Code: VB.CC.19038.PINUSCONTORTAVA
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 26-Nov-1997 to: 17-Nov-2014
      Names:   Translated: Lodgepole Pine - Douglas-fir / Pacific Bayberry - Evergreen Blueberry Forest
  UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684633 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: CEGL000151
  Scientific: Pinus contorta var. contorta - Pseudotsuga menziesii / Morella californica - Vaccinium ovatum Forest
(convergence) and Synonyms:
(undetermined) Pinus contorta var. contorta - Pseudotsuga menziesii / Morella californica - Vaccinium ovatum Forest