Name:
Pseudotsuga menziesii / Carex geyeri Forest
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This association has been found in the montane zone of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Stands occur at lower montane elevations of these mountainous regions, on sites typically drier than most other <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> associations. Site slope and aspect vary greatly. Slopes where this association is found in Colorado are reported to be steep to very steep (45-80%). Parent materials include granitics, conglomerates, sandstones, basalts, and shales. Exposed bare ground is low (less than 30%), and litter/duff is relatively thin, usually less than 5 cm deep. Vegetation is characterized by the dominance of <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i>, with a relatively closed canopy, as well as stands that are more open or have a mixed conifer tree canopy. <i>Pseudotsuga</i> is self-regenerating in this association. Several other conifers may be present to codominant, including <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> or <i>Juniperus scopulorum</i> in southern Rocky Mountain stands, and <i>Abies lasiocarpa, Pinus albicaulis, Pinus contorta</i>, or <i>Populus tremuloides</i> in stands farther north. These species are typically present only in early-seral stands of this association. There is no shrub layer, although several shrub species are typically present with low cover. These include the evergreen needle-leaved <i>Juniperus communis</i> and the broad-leaved cold-deciduous <i>Amelanchier alnifolia, Lonicera utahensis, Mahonia repens, Paxistima myrsinites, Purshia tridentata, Spiraea betulifolia, Vaccinium membranaceum, Vaccinium scoparium</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos occidentalis</i> or <i>Symphoricarpos oreophilus</i>. The herbaceous layer is dominated by the perennial sedge <i>Carex geyeri</i> (averaging 35% cover). No other herbaceous species are well-represented, but many different forbs can occur in low amounts.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.32274.CEGL000430
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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