Login | Datasets | Logout
Jump to... Home PLOT search PLANT search COMMUNITY search Simple search Manage datasets Tutorial About FAQ ------- Site map VegBranch Data dictionary ERD

stdcommconcept3388733887

View Community Concepts - Detail

Picea pungens / Juniperus communis Forest | Western Ecology Working Group of...
click to update datacart
Name: Picea pungens / Juniperus communis Forest Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: These forests occur at middle elevations of 1800 to 3300 m (5900-10,826 feet) in the central and southern Rocky Mountains, usually in moist, concave topographic positions. These communities often occupy sites that are protected from extreme sun and wind, within <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> or <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> montane forests. These forests are typically most common on north-facing slopes, which can be gentle to steep. These forests are characterized by the dominance of <i>Picea pungens</i> in the forest canopy and usually represent a mesic phase of the mixed conifer forests of the southern Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau. Other conifers are usually present in these stands, depending upon geographic location, site moisture, and stand history. Common associates include <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii, Abies lasiocarpa</i>, and <i>Pinus ponderosa</i>. <i>Populus tremuloides</i> is the only widespread hardwood associate. The shrub layer is usually of only moderate cover and dominated by ericaceous or cold-deciduous species, with the latter group increasing with soil moisture or proximity to watercourses. Common species include <i>Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Juniperus communis, Mahonia repens</i>, and <i>Rubus parviflorus</i>. Due to favorable soil moisture, the herbaceous layer is usually a diverse mixture of forbs and graminoids, including <i>Packera cardamine (= Senecio cardamine), Fragaria virginiana, Linnaea borealis, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Erigeron eximius, Thalictrum fendleri, Maianthemum stellatum</i>, and <i>Achillea millefolium</i>. Adjacent vegetation is usually <i>Pinus ponderosa - Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> forests at the upslope margin and herbaceous or woody riparian communities where this vegetation grades into streamside wetlands.  Accession Code: VB.CC.33887.CEGL000392 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.2.684327 NatureServe Explorer   Translated: Blue Spruce / Common Juniper Forest   Scientific: Picea pungens / Juniperus communis Forest   Code: CEGL000392