Name:
Pseudotsuga menziesii / Cercocarpus montanus Woodland
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This Colorado Plateau woodland association occupies dry, sometimes rocky sites on the slopes of ravines, canyons and mountains in central and southern Utah and northwestern Colorado, where it occurs in isolated stands at the lower end of the <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> zone. Sites are gentle to steep (7-60% slopes), occur between 1738 and 2575 m (5700-8450 feet) elevation, and are oriented to all aspects, although warm west and south aspects are rare. Rocks, gravel and litter cover most of the unvegetated surface. Parent materials include sandstones and shale, weathering into rapidly drained sandy loams, silt loams or clay loams. Total vegetation cover ranges from 25 to 90%. The 10- to 20-m tall canopy is open and dominated by <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> with 10-35% cover. Other trees are generally present in the canopy and subcanopy, including <i>Juniperus scopulorum, Pinus edulis, Juniperus osteosperma</i>, and occasionally <i>Abies concolor</i>. There is an open shrub layer dominated by <i>Cercocarpus montanus</i> with between 5 and 15% cover. Associated shrubs include <i>Amelanchier utahensis, Cercocarpus intricatus, Ephedra viridis, Fraxinus anomala, Fendlera rupicola, Rhus trilobata, Shepherdia rotundifolia</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos oreophilus</i>. If <i>Quercus gambelii</i> is present, it has less than 5% cover. The herbaceous layer is moderately diverse, provides sparse cover, and includes the graminoids <i>Carex rossii, Achnatherum hymenoides, Hesperostipa comata, Poa fendleriana</i>, and <i>Poa secunda</i>.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.32887.CEGL000898
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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