Login | Datasets | Logout
Jump to... Home PLOT search PLANT search COMMUNITY search Simple search Manage datasets Tutorial About FAQ ------- Site map VegBranch Data dictionary ERD

stdcommconcept2686626866

View Community Concepts - Detail

Pseudotsuga menziesii / Juniperus communis Forest | Western Ecology Working Group of...
click to update datacart
Name: Pseudotsuga menziesii / Juniperus communis Forest Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: This Rocky Mountain forest association occurs from northwestern Montana south into central and eastern Idaho, western Wyoming and north-central Colorado. These forests occupy moderate to steep slopes (11-51%), on exposed rocky slopes and ridgetops, at lower to mid elevations of the forested zone, from 1430 to 2840 m (4690-9300 feet) in elevation. Sites are relatively dry and occur on all aspects. Substrates are typically coarse-textured soils derived from a variety of parent materials. Pseudotsuga menziesii is the dominant tree species in the overstory and often in the understory as well. Pinus flexilis, Pinus contorta, or Pinus albicaulis are occasionally present on drier sites, Populus tremuloides on moister sites. The low-shrub layer is dominated by near-continuous to large patches of Juniperus communis. Other shrubs include Symphoricarpos oreophilus, Shepherdia canadensis, Mahonia repens, Ribes spp., and Juniperus horizontalis. The herbaceous cover is generally depauperate in the southern and central Rockies, with less than 10% cover of grasses or forbs. Forb species typically provide less than 5% cover and include Arnica cordifolia, Astragalus miser, Packera streptanthifolia (= Senecio streptanthifolius), and Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis (= Achillea lanulosa). Grass species also contribute less than 5% herb canopy cover and include Muhlenbergia montana, Danthonia parryi, Bouteloua gracilis, or Festuca arizonica. However, occurrences in the northern Rockies may have relatively high herbaceous cover (30-60%), and individual stands can be diverse. Common grasses include Pseudoroegneria spicata and Festuca campestris. A number of forbs contribute to the overall diversity, although the cover for any one species is not high. Antennaria rosea, Penstemon confertus, and Allium cernuum have high constancy, and Selaginella densa var. scopulorum may be abundant on some sites, particularly those where rock outcrops are present.  Accession Code: VB.CC.26866.PSEUDOTSUGAMENZ Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 26-Nov-1997 to: 17-Nov-2014
	status: accepted Community's Parent: Pseudotsuga menziesii Forest Alliance This Community's Level: Association This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   Translated: Douglas-fir / Common Juniper Forest   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.689038 NatureServe Explorer   Scientific: Pseudotsuga menziesii / Juniperus communis Forest   Code: CEGL000439   Common: Douglas-fir / Common Juniper Forest (convergence) and Synonyms: (undetermined) Pseudotsuga menziesii / Juniperus communis Forest