Name:
Abies lasiocarpa / Galium triflorum Forest
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This forest association occurs in the upper montane and subalpine zone in the central and northern Rocky Mountains. Elevations range from 1060-2075 m (3477-6800 feet), but extend up to 2440 m in the southern and eastern part of its range. Sites are relatively warm with moist soil. Stands are typically found on northern slopes, valley bottoms and benches. In drier mountain ranges, stands are restricted to riparian zones. Upland aspects are typically northerly except where soil moisture is supplemented by seeps. Lowland aspects are variable. Substrates are typically finer textured soils such as silt loams or silts, but include loams and sandy loam. Soils are derived from a variety of parent materials. Litter dominates ground cover often 6 cm deep with low cover of rock and bare ground. Vegetation is characterized by Abies lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii codominating the tree canopy with an understory that includes the presence of indicator species Galium triflorum, Actaea rubra, and Streptopus amplexifolius. The evergreen needle-leaved tree canopy is moderately dense to dense (over 55% cover) and is typically dominated by Picea engelmannii and mature seral tree species, with Abies lasiocarpa dominating the subcanopy and regeneration layers. Important seral species in the tree canopy are Pseudotsuga menziesii, Larix occidentalis, and Pinus contorta, however, their cover seldom exceeds 10-15%. Undergrowth is variable with shrub layers present or not, however, the characteristic herbaceous layer is typically lush and must have some of the above moist-site indicator species present in the stand. Other important understory moist-site indicator species are Angelica arguta, Cornus sericea (= Cornus stolonifera), Moneses uniflora (= Pyrola uniflora), Saxifraga odontoloma (= Saxifraga arguta), and Senecio triangularis. Other species with high constancy include Amelanchier alnifolia, Arnica spp., Calamagrostis rubescens, Carex geyeri, Linnaea borealis, Mahonia repens, Osmorhiza berteroi (= Osmorhiza chilensis), Orthilia secunda (= Pyrola secunda), Ribes lacustre, Rubus parviflorus, Spiraea betulifolia, Symphoricarpos albus, Thalictrum occidentale, Vaccinium membranaceum, and Vaccinium scoparium.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.25776.ABIESLASIOCARPA
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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