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Picea engelmannii / Vaccinium caespitosum Forest | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Picea engelmannii / Vaccinium caespitosum Forest Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: This forest association occurs in the subalpine zone in the central and northern Rocky Mountains. Sites are relatively cold, moist benches, basins, ridge slopes and high plateaus often in areas where cold air accumulates (frost pockets). Substrates are typically well-drained, sandy loam to gravelly clay-textured soils derived from argillite, quartzite sandstone or glacial till. Litter dominates the ground surface (about 3 cm deep) with low cover of bare soil and rock (&lt;10%). This conifer association is characterized by a <i>Picea engelmannii</i>-codominated tree canopy with 5% or more cover of <i>Vaccinium caespitosum</i> in the understory. The evergreen needle-leaved tree canopy is open to moderately dense (30-65% cover). The upper tree canopy is typically codominated by <i>Picea engelmannii</i> or <i>Picea engelmannii x glauca</i> hybrids, and mature seral tree species with <i>Picea engelmannii</i> dominating the subcanopy and regeneration layers. <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> is typically absent from the tree canopy and regeneration layer or is restricted to drier microsites. Important seral species in the tree canopy are <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii, Larix occidentalis, Pinus contorta</i>, and sometimes <i>Populus tremuloides</i>. Undergrowth is variable depending on elevation and may be diverse, but is typically an open to dense dwarf-shrub layer with 5% or more cover of <i>Vaccinium caespitosum</i>. Other relatively consistent shrubs and dwarf-shrubs include <i>Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Linnaea borealis, Mahonia repens, Ribes montigenum, Shepherdia canadensis, Spiraea betulifolia, Symphoricarpos albus</i>, and <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i>, which may codominate. The herbaceous layer is often dominated by <i>Calamagrostis rubescens</i>. Other relatively constant species are <i>Arnica cordifolia, Arnica latifolia, Carex rossii, Galium</i> spp., and <i>Thalictrum occidentale</i>. Higher elevation stands have herbaceous layers that are often dominated by alpine forbs and graminoids.  Accession Code: VB.CC.33477.CEGL005926 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.2.731884 NatureServe Explorer   Translated: Engelmann Spruce / Dwarf Bilberry Forest   Scientific: Picea engelmannii / Vaccinium caespitosum Forest   Code: CEGL005926