Name:
Pinus contorta / Linnaea borealis Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This association is found in the upper montane and subalpine zone of the central and northern Rocky Mountains. It is more common near and east of the Continental Divide. It typically occurs on cool, moist sites, often on north aspect middle to toeslopes, alluvial terraces and flats and benches. However, stands may occur on gentle to very steep slopes on any aspect. Soils are moderately well-drained, moderately deep silt or sandy loams, silts or silty clay loams derived from a variety of noncalcareous parent materials. Ground cover is mostly litter, often with duff over 6 cm deep. The vegetation is characterized by a <i>Pinus contorta</i>-dominated tree canopy with <i>Linnaea borealis</i> common in the understory. The tree canopy varies from moderately dense to nearly closed (40-90% cover) and may be solely dominated by <i>Pinus contorta</i>. However, some stands have scattered <i>Abies lasiocarpa, Larix occidentalis, Picea engelmannii, Picea glauca, Pinus albicaulis, Pinus ponderosa, Populus tremuloides</i>, or <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> trees present, especially in the subcanopy. Some stands have tall- or short-shrub layers composed of tree saplings, <i>Amelanchier alnifolia, Spiraea betulifolia, Symphoricarpos albus</i>, and <i>Vaccinium membranaceum</i>. <i>Linnaea borealis</i> (indicator species) is common in the dwarf-shrub layer. Other dwarf-shrubs may include <i>Juniperus communis</i> (usually found on dry sites), <i>Paxistima myrsinites</i>, and <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i>. The sparse to moderately dense (30-50% cover) herbaceous layer is variable and may be dominated or codominated by perennial graminoids such as <i>Calamagrostis rubescens, Carex geyeri, Carex rossii</i>, and <i>Oryzopsis asperifolia</i>, or forbs like <i>Arnica cordifolia, Campanula rotundifolia, Chamerion angustifolium</i>, and <i>Maianthemum stellatum</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29062-{79765D1A-2DCF-4D2B-8BA0-7BE1E24D4511}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
2
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