Name:
Picea engelmannii / Vaccinium scoparium Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This subalpine forest association occurs in the southern and central Rocky Mountains between 2590 and 3800 m (6600-11,800 feet) elevation in northern New Mexico and Colorado to 1525-2590 m (6600-8600 feet) in north-central Wyoming. Sites are very cool and dry to moist. Stands are common in the middle to upper subalpine zone (near treeline) and occur on a variety of terrain from mid to upper slope drainage bottoms that are gentle to steep. Soils are variable but are often shallow, well-drained to somewhat poorly drained, gravelly, loamy soils derived from granite, sandstone, and various other rocks. Litter and duff and downed wood cover a significant portion of the ground surface (>50%). Moss and lichen cover is often abundant. The vegetation is characterized by a moderately dense to dense conifer tree canopy dominated by <i>Picea engelmannii</i>, with an understory characterized by a dwarf-shrub layer strongly dominated by <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i>. <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> is absent or trace. <i>Pinus albicaulis</i> (northern stands only), <i>Pinus flexilis</i> or <i>Picea pungens</i> may also be present in the canopy. <i>Populus tremuloides</i> and <i>Pinus contorta</i> (present to codominant) are the most common seral species, though <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> may occur (trace) at lower elevations. In the understory, <i>Vaccinium myrtillus</i> may be present but is usually trace to less than half the cover of <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i>. Other shrubs may be present in low cover such as <i>Juniperus communis, Ribes montigenum</i>, or <i>Rosa acicularis</i>. Tree regeneration is mostly <i>Picea engelmannii</i>, sometimes with lesser amounts of <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> in lower elevation stands. Herbaceous species such as <i>Antennaria racemosa, Antennaria microphylla, Arnica cordifolia, Carex rossii, Chamerion angustifolium, Deschampsia cespitosa, Erigeron peregrinus, Fragaria virginiana, Senecio amplectens, Lupinus argenteus, Orthilia secunda, Packera sanguisorboides, Pedicularis racemosa, Poa reflexa, Poa nervosa, Podistera eastwoodiae, Polemonium pulcherrimum, Sibbaldia procumbens, Solidago multiradiata, Trifolium dasyphyllum</i>, and <i>Trisetum spicatum</i> may be present with low cover values.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29290-{D7EE0BBB-5230-4A65-8ED1-6FE35AE67A72}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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