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Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii Krummholz Shrubland | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii Krummholz Shrubland Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: These dwarf-tree shrublands occur in the upper treeline areas of the Rocky Mountains. Elevations range from 3600 m in Colorado down to 2000 m in northern Montana and Canada. Climate is cold, temperate, often with heavy winter snow, and short cool summers. Sites are nearly level to steeply sloping. Stands are often extensive on more mesic north aspects. Sites are windswept most of the year by prevailing westerly winds. Winter winds are especially intense, desiccate and kill needles and stems, and deform branches that are above the snowpack. Soils are shallow, lithic, gravelly or sandy loams, and rock outcrops are common. Stands form a mosaic of dense patches of dwarfed evergreen conifer trees (usually less than 2 m tall, with occasional taller wind-flagged individuals) in alpine meadows or fell-fields. The woody canopy is dominated by stunted <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> and <i>Picea engelmannii</i>. <i>Pinus albicaulis, Pinus flexilis</i>, or <i>Pinus aristata</i> may be present to codominant. Occasional <i>Pinus contorta</i> or <i>Larix lyallii</i> may be present in some stands. <i>Picea engelmannii</i> is more prominent on more xeric sites in more southern latitudes, and <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> is more prominent on mesic sites and in the north. Other woody species may be present, including shrubs and dwarf-shrubs such as <i>Phyllodoce glanduliflora, Kalmia polifolia, Ribes montigenum, Vaccinium membranaceum</i>, and <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i>. The herbaceous layer is sparse under dense shrub canopies, or may be dense turf where the shrub canopy is open and where soil is not limiting. It is often dominated by mesic or xeric alpine forb and graminoid species but may include subalpine species especially in protected areas.  Accession Code: VB.CC.31926.CEGL000985 Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 17-Nov-2014 to: 01-May-2019
	status: accepted This Community's Level: association This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683535 NatureServe Explorer   Translated: Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce Krummholz Shrubland   Scientific: Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii Krummholz Shrubland   Code: CEGL000985