Name:
Pseudotsuga menziesii / Cercocarpus ledifolius Woodland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This is a widespread association found only occasionally in small patches in central Oregon, Idaho, western Wyoming and Montana, Utah and northwestern Colorado. It is generally found on ridgetops, plateau rims or colluvial upper slopes. Elevations range from 1220 m (4000 feet) in central Oregon to over 2750 m (9025 feet) in southern Utah. Sites are often subject to year-round winds and intense insolation, which contribute to reduced snowpacks and dry conditions. Parent materials vary widely. In Oregon, it occurs on basalts. Farther east it is found on limestone, shale, sandstone, pumice, quartz monzonite and quartzite. Soil textures vary, but the sites are characterized by extensive areas of exposed soil and rock, up to 40% at many sites. Trees are generally widely spaced, with <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> generally the only tree present. At the western portions of the range, <i>Juniperus occidentalis</i> is often present, with occasional <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> trees found. Farther east, these habitats have <i>Juniperus scopulorum, Pinus edulis, Pinus longaeva</i>, and occasional <i>Pinus flexilis</i>. The understory is characterized by a tall-shrub layer dominated by <i>Cercocarpus ledifolius</i>. Other shrubs include <i>Symphoricarpos</i> spp.(<i>Symphoricarpos albus</i> in the western part of the range and <i>Symphoricarpos oreophilus</i> in the eastern part), <i>Spiraea betulifolia, Mahonia repens, Artemisia tridentata</i>, and <i>Amelanchier</i> spp.. Graminoids, including <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata, Carex geyeri, Poa fendleriana, Poa secunda</i>, and/or <i>Festuca idahoensis</i>, comprise most of the sparse herbaceous layer.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29806-{902F0FEB-55C6-4F35-ADFB-655D8189DED2}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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