Login | Datasets | Logout
 

View Community Concepts - Detail

Pseudotsuga menziesii / Vaccinium cespitosum Forest | NatureServe Biotics 2019
  click to update datacart
Name: Pseudotsuga menziesii / Vaccinium cespitosum Forest
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This association is found in the montane zone of the Rocky Mountains in north-central and northwestern Montana from east of the Continental Divide to northeastern Washington. Elevations range from 700-1370 m (2300-4500 feet) extending to 1950 m (6400 feet) east of the divide. This association often occurs in frost pocket conditions, where cold air accumulates causing high diurnal temperature fluctuations, typically with cold nights, high daily maximum temperatures, and frequent summer frosts. Topography is flat to gently undulating or moderately sloping terrain typically occurring on valley bottoms, terraces, lower slopes, and benches on all aspects. Soils are predominantly excessively well-drained, moderately deep, acidic, gravelly, sandy loam or loam. Ground cover is mostly tree litter, often with duff over 4 cm deep. The vegetation is characterized by an open to moderately dense tree canopy that is dominated or codominated by <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> and <i>Pinus ponderosa, Pinus contorta</i>, or <i>Larix occidentalis</i>. In some stands scattered <i>Populus tremuloides</i> trees may be present. <i>Vaccinium cespitosum</i> and <i>Arctostaphylos uva-ursi</i> (indicator species) are common to dominant in the patchy to continuous dwarf-shrub layer. Other shrubs and dwarf-shrubs may include low cover of <i>Amelanchier alnifolia, Linnaea borealis</i> (on more mesic sites), <i>Mahonia repens, Paxistima myrsinites, Ribes</i> spp., <i>Spiraea betulifolia</i>, or <i>Symphoricarpos albus</i>. The herbaceous layer is sparse to moderately dense (to 30% cover) and is typically dominated or codominated by perennial graminoids in the openings such as <i>Calamagrostis rubescens</i>. Forbs generally have sparse cover but may be diverse. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29374-{2C95B260-5E67-41F4-9944-9BEC4F3FF8E0}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 2
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 13-Apr-2004 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683258 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: CEGL000465
  Translated: Douglas-fir / Dwarf Bilberry Forest
  Scientific: Pseudotsuga menziesii / Vaccinium cespitosum Forest
(convergence) and Synonyms:
(similar) CEGL000465
(similar) Pseudotsuga menziesii / Vaccinium caespitosum Forest
(similar) Pseudotsuga menziesii / Vaccinium caespitosum Forest