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Picea pungens / Juniperus communis Forest | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Picea pungens / Juniperus communis Forest
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
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, 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: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29301-{8A7C21D2-B413-4490-A795-08E62CF4B81F}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 07-Jul-2005 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684327 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: CEGL000392
  Translated: Blue Spruce / Common Juniper Forest
  Scientific: Picea pungens / Juniperus communis Forest
(convergence) and Synonyms:
(similar) CEGL000392
(similar) Picea pungens / Juniperus communis Forest
(similar) Picea pungens / Juniperus communis Forest