Name:
Populus angustifolia / Rhus trilobata Riparian Woodland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This deciduous riparian woodland occurs on dry upper stream terraces of perennial streams and on lower terraces or banks of intermittent stream courses in the mountains, canyons and plateaus of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho. This community is one of the drier <i>Populus angustifolia</i> plant associations and rarely floods. Elevations range from 1360 to 2400 m (4265-7875 feet), with lower stands occurring in Idaho and higher stands at the southern end of the range. Slopes are gentle, and the lack of flooding is indicated by the fact that downed wood and litter cover most of the unvegetated ground surface. Substrates are well-drained, rocky alluvium. The association has an open upper tree canopy that is dominated by <i>Populus angustifolia</i> or <i>Populus x acuminata</i>. Other tree species in the canopy and subcanopy may include <i>Acer negundo, Populus deltoides, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus edulis</i>, and <i>Juniperus</i> spp. Tall shrubs, such as <i>Betula occidentalis, Prunus virginiana, Amelanchier utahensis, Salix monticola, Crataegus rivularis</i>, and <i>Quercus gambelii</i>, form an open layer. A moderately dense to dense short-shrub layer dominated by <i>Rhus trilobata</i> is diagnostic of this type. <i>Cornus sericea, Rosa woodsii, Symphoricarpos oreophilus, Artemisia tridentata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Ericameria parryi, Ribes montigenum, Forestiera pubescens, Berberis fendleri, Crataegus rivularis</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos</i> spp. may also be present. The herbaceous layer is generally sparse but may be dense in openings where introduced grasses such as <i>Poa pratensis, Phragmites australis, Dactylis glomerata, Bromus inermis</i>, or <i>Bromus tectorum</i> may dominate. Introduced forbs may include <i>Cynoglossum officinale, Carduus nutans, Cirsium arvense, Melilotus officinalis</i>, or <i>Taraxacum officinale</i>. Common native forbs include <i>Maianthemum stellatum</i> and <i>Glycyrrhiza lepidota</i>, and the vine <i>Clematis ligusticifolia</i> is abundant in some stands. The mix of riparian and upland species indicates that this association occurs on riparian terraces that are in the process of becoming isolated from the water table. Over time as the stand continues to dry out, the more mesic species, such as <i>Betula occidentalis, Salix monticola</i>, and <i>Cornus sericea</i>, will be replaced by additional upland species.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29561-{000FA456-C856-40A0-BD1D-2DC4BFBE4F2A}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
31
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