Name:
Populus tremuloides / Thalictrum fendleri Forest
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This infrequent forest association is known from Idaho, western Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and north-central New Mexico. It occurs on sheltered sites, swales, benches and lower slopes, or on sideslopes of canyons. Soils are variable and include silty loam, silty clay loam, gravelly and loamy Mollisols, or less-developed gravelly Inceptisols derived from latite, dactite, or rhyolitic tuff. Soil depth ranges from moderately deep to deep, and moisture varies from well-drained to moist. Slopes are moderate to steep (17-45%), straight to concave, and occur on all aspects. The ground surface is characterized by scattered bunches of grasses and sedges intermixed with litter and some exposed soil and rock. Elevation ranges from 1737 to 3414 m (5700-11,200 feet). Th<b>e</b> vegetation is essentially two-layered: a tree stratum usually of only <i>Populus tremuloides</i> and a low-herb stratum. In this tall subalpine deciduous forest, tree canopies are closed (>65% cover) and dominated by <i>Populus tremuloides</i>. An occasional conifer, usually <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> but sometimes <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> or <i>Pinus contorta</i>, may be present. While seedlings and saplings of <i>Abies concolor</i> and/or <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> may be common to well-represented, mature trees are scattered. <i>Populus tremuloides</i> regeneration may also be present in the understory of these stands. Shrub occurrence in the understory is variable; shrub species may include <i>Mahonia repens (= Berberis repens), </i><i>Physocarpus monogynus, Robinia neomexicana, </i><i>Rosa woodsii</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos oreophilus</i>. A diverse and moderately high herbaceous cover is characteristic. The herbaceous layer is usually abundant and rich in forbs. On mesic sites, forb species commonly include <i>Erigeron eximius, Fragaria vesca, Fragaria virginiana, Geranium richardsonii, </i><i>Geranium viscosissimum</i><i>, Maianthemum stellatum, </i><i>Osmorhiza berteroi (= Osmorhiza chilensis)</i>, and <i>Thalictrum fendleri</i>. Other forbs frequently present in substantial amounts include <i>Achillea millefolium, Fragaria vesca, Lathyrus lanszwertii var. leucanthus (= Lathyrus leucanthus), Ligusticum porteri, Lupinus argenteus</i>, and <i>Vicia americana</i>. Graminoids, including <i>Bromus anomalus, </i><i>Bromus carinatus, </i><i>Carex siccata</i>, and <i>Elymus glaucus</i>, may be common. This association is characterized by the lack of conifers and the lack of a distinct shrub layer, the absence of substantial amounts of <i>Carex geyeri</i> or <i>Calamagrostis rubescens</i>, and the prominence of <i>Thalictrum fendleri, Geranium viscosissimum</i>, or <i>Osmorhiza berteroi</i>.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.31166.CEGL000619
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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