Name:
Pseudotsuga menziesii / Symphoricarpos albus Forest
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This widespread forest association occurs in the central and northern Rocky Mountains from the mid montane zone down to upper foothill zone on cool aspects. Sites are warm and relatively dry to moist, gentle to steep, mid to lower slopes, benches, and terraces. Stands are found on southerly or easterly aspects throughout much of its range, but may occur on any aspect. Substrates are variable and may be very gravelly or not, with soil textures ranging from sandy loam to silt derived from alluvium, glacial till and outwash. Ground surface has high cover of litter, sometimes significant cover of rock, and low cover of bare soil. The vegetation is characterized by a moderately dense to dense (40-90% cover) evergreen needle-leaved tree canopy, dominated or codominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii with the short shrub Symphoricarpos albus dominating or codominating the understory. Mature Pinus ponderosa often codominates the tree canopy, but does not regenerate. Other mature seral tree species present to codominant may include Pinus contorta, Pinus flexilis, Larix occidentalis, Juniperus spp., or Populus tremuloides. Understory trees are almost exclusively Pseudotsuga menziesii. The short-shrub layer is dominated or codominated by the rhizomatous Symphoricarpos albus and other short shrubs such as Juniperus communis, Mahonia repens, Paxistima myrsinites, Ribes cereum, Rosa spp., Spiraea betulifolia, and Symphoricarpos oreophilus. Scattered tall shrubs such as Amelanchier alnifolia, Prunus virginiana, or Sorbus scopulina may form an open tall-shrub layer. A low cover to moderately dense herbaceous layer is present and is composed of diverse forbs with the graminoids Calamagrostis rubescens, Carex geyeri, Festuca idahoensis or Pseudoroegneria spicata present to codominant.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.24650.PSEUDOTSUGAMENZ
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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