Name:
Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Carex geyeri Forest
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This forest occupies the lower and grades into the upper subalpine zone of the interior mountains of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Utah. It occurs on shallow slopes and ridgetops, on all aspects. Slopes are mostly gentle but can be steep (6-48%). Elevation range is 2011 to 3260 m (6600-10,700 feet). Soils are non-gravelly to stony loams to silts, mostly from sedimentary substrates, and igneous parent material in Utah. The ground surface is mostly litter duff with traces of lichens and moss and has little rock or bare soil. <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> is the dominant conifer in this forested association. <i>Picea engelmannii</i> is commonly a subdominant on all but the driest sites. Other conifers may be present and include <i>Pinus contorta, Pinus albicaulis</i>, and <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i>, these generally not exceeding the cover of <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> and <i>Picea engelmannii</i> combined. On higher and colder sites, <i>Pinus albicaulis</i> can be important. Shrub cover is variable, ranging from absent to 20% over. Species include <i>Ribes</i> spp., <i>Vaccinium</i> spp., <i>Spiraea betulifolia, Mahonia repens (= Berberis repens)</i>, and <i>Sorbus scopulina</i>. The herbaceous layer is dominated by sparse to abundant <i>Carex geyeri</i>. <i>Calamagrostis rubescens</i> is generally absent or poorly represented. Forbs can be sparse. Other herbaceous species include <i>Festuca idahoensis, Pseudoroegneria spicata (= Agropyron spicatum), Arnica cordifolia, Arnica latifolia, Osmorhiza</i> spp., and <i>Moneses uniflora (= Pyrola uniflora)</i>. The dominance of <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> in the upper canopy and as a reproducing tree, and the lack of abundance of other conifers, though present, is the differentiated character of the overstory, along with an abundance and constancy of <i>Carex geyeri</i> in the understory, characterize this association.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.32079.CEGL000304
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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