Name:
Geum rossii - Polygonum bistortoides Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Western Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This alpine plant association occurs in the southern Rocky Mountains extending north into Wyoming. Stands are found on relatively wind-protected alpine slopes with light to moderate snow accumulation. These mesic alpine turf sites frequently occur on gentle, mid to upper slopes, mostly with a flat or concave surface topography, but also occur on flat to moderately to steep (0-46%) slopes. Snowmelt is slightly delayed to moderately prolonged which favors <i>Geum rossii</i>. Substrates are moderately deep, well-drained, gravelly to cobbly, silty loam to sandy loam soils derived from various metamorphic and igneous rocks such as gneiss and granite. Litter typically dominates the ground cover. The vegetation is characterized a moderately dense to dense (40-80% cover), low herbaceous layer dominated by <i>Geum rossii</i>, with <i>Polygonum bistortoides</i> and <i>Artemisia scopulorum</i> codominant. Other common forbs, such as <i>Anemone narcissiflora var. zephyra (= Anemonastrum narcissiflorum), Caltha leptosepala, Castilleja occidentalis, Gentiana algida, Minuartia biflora (= Lidia biflora), Lloydia serotina, Mertensia alpina, Mertensia oblongifolia (= Mertensia viridis), Saxifraga rhomboidea (= Micranthes rhomboidea), Pedicularis groenlandica, Polemonium viscosum, Potentilla diversifolia, Rhodiola integrifolia, Tetraneuris grandiflora (= Rydbergia grandiflora), Silene acaulis</i>, and <i>Trifolium parryi</i>, may be present. Although forbs dominate the herbaceous layer, low to moderate cover of graminoids may be present, including <i>Carex rupestris var. drummondiana, Carex scopulorum, Deschampsia caespitosa, Festuca brachyphylla, Poa arctica</i>, and <i>Trisetum spicatum</i>. Mosses and lichens have low cover, if present. Diagnostic characters are <i>Geum rossii</i>- and <i>Polygonum bistortoides</i>-dominated mesic turf and meadow which separates it from <i>Geum rossii</i>-dominated cushion plant communities.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.33842.CEGL001967
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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