Name:
Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Vaccinium myrtillus Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This subalpine conifer forest association occurs in the southern Rocky Mountains extending to high mountains and plateaus of central and southwestern New Mexico, southeastern and eastern Arizona and southeastern Utah at elevations between 2713 and 3500 m (8900-11,460 feet). This type is characterized by deep snowpack and brief, cool summers. Stands are common in the middle to upper subalpine zones in the southern extent on all aspects and slopes, but are more common in upper montane and lower subalpine zones in the northern portion of its range. Sites are relatively mesic and are typically on mid to lower slopes with cooler northerly or easterly aspects, e.g., less xeric and cold than forests with understories dominated by <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i> or <i>Ribes</i> spp., but less mesic stands with <i>Carex rossii</i>- or <i>Carex geyeri</i>-dominated understories. Soils are typically shallow (sometimes deeper than 60 cm), rocky and loamy. Litter and duff cover a significant portion of the ground surface (25-40%). Bedrock, large rock, and small rock combined cover 15-50%. Moss and lichen cover is 3-35%. The vegetation has a moderately dense to dense tree canopy codominated by <i>Picea engelmannii</i> and <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i>, with an understory characterized by a dwarf-shrub layer dominated by <i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i>. <i>Populus tremuloides</i> and <i>Pinus contorta</i> (northern stands only) are the most common seral species, though <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> occurs at lower elevations. In the understory, <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i> may be present but is usually trace to less than half the cover of <i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i>. Other shrubs may be present at low cover such as <i>Acer glabrum, Linnaea borealis, Lonicera involucrata, Mahonia repens, Paxistima myrsinites</i>, and <i>Ribes montigenum</i>. Herbaceous species such as <i>Arnica cordifolia, Bromus ciliatus, Carex rossii, Erigeron eximius</i> (warm, moist sites), <i>Geranium richardsonii, Lathyrus</i> spp., <i>Orthilia secunda, Osmorhiza berteroi, Pedicularis racemosa, Orthilia secunda</i>, and <i>Thalictrum fendleri</i> are species which are commonly present with low cover values.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29252-{132697F0-E9DF-4AD8-9E8D-018B4F6CF65A}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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