Name:
Carex geyeri Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This small-patch vegetation type is found at lower alpine and mid to upper subalpine zones from 1770 to 2190 m (5800-7185 feet) in Glacier National Park, Montana. It occurs on moderate to mostly steep slopes (32-65%) having predominantly southerly exposures. It is often found on protected gully slopes near stream headwaters where streambeds are deeply incised in colluvial slopes, resulting in unstable surfaces. In winter these gullies can fill with snow, or at least their upper to midslopes develop large snow-drifts, which persist long into the growing season, assuring ample soil moisture well into August. Though the vegetation pattern can be regular, these sites are most often heterogeneous with patches of vegetation interspersed with scattered talus of red and green argillite and quartzite, bedrock that can cover up to 50% of the surface, and exposed soil that can comprise as much as 10-20% of the surface. Due to active slopewash the organic and fine materials are eroded from these sites, and soil development is restricted to the clumps of vegetation, predominantly the tussocks or patches of grass and sedge. The vascular plant cover ranges from around 15% on the rockiest of southerly exposures to over 75% where soil is more extensive and litter mantles the surface. Shrubs are often completely absent and, of those that do occur, Spiraea betulifolia, Amelanchier alnifolia, and Rubus parviflorus, none exhibit more than 1-5% cover. The graminoid component is dominated by Carex geyeri, with 100% constancy and cover mostly in excess of 25%; others with constancy greater than 50% include Poa cusickii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, and Festuca idahoensis. The forb fraction is diverse, often occurring in tall clumps dominated by Hieracium cynoglossoides (= Hieracium albertinum), Senecio megacephalus, Arnica rydbergii, Lomatium dissectum, Aquilegia flavescens, Potentilla diversifolia, Cirsium hookerianum, and Symphyotrichum foliaceum (= Aster foliaceus). Shorter and less conspicuous, but occurring with as much cover and constancy, are Arenaria capillaris, Eriogonum flavum, Galium boreale, Antennaria rosea, Sedum stenopetalum, and Campanula rotundifolia. The combined moss and lichen cover has not been noted to exceed 20% and mostly is less than 5%.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.27452.CAREXGEYERIHERB
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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