Name:
Salix boothii / Mesic Graminoids Wet Shrubland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This riparian community is currently known from Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. This cold-deciduous shrubland occurs between 2045 and 2990 m (6700-9800 feet) in elevation. It occurs mostly on moist stream terraces, streambanks, gently sloping wide floodplains or sideslope seeps, and can be associated with beaver ponds. The local microtopography is highly variable, from smooth to very hummocky. Soil textures range from clay and fine loams to sandy-skeletal, usually over coarse alluvium. Water tables range from the surface to 80 cm (31 inches), and signs of mottling are common. Some stands receive runoff and seepage from irrigated pastures. These tall mesic shrublands are dominated by <i>Salix boothii</i>. Other willows are often present, but in lower amounts, and include <i>Salix geyeriana, Salix wolfii, Salix lucida, Salix lutea, Salix drummondiana</i>, and rarely <i>Salix monticola</i>. <i>Ribes inerme</i> and <i>Lonicera involucrata</i> may also be present. The herbaceous undergrowth is dominated by graminoids. No single graminoid species is consistently dominant or present in all stands, and typically, no single species can be said to dominate any one stand. Common graminoid species include <i>Agrostis gigantea, Poa palustris, Phleum pratense, Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex hoodii, Carex pellita, Carex praegracilis, Carex praticola, Carex microptera, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis</i>, and <i>Glyceria striata</i>. Forbs are usually present, and may be diverse, but are never as abundant as the graminoid cover. Forb species include <i>Fragaria virginiana, Potentilla pulcherrima x hippiana, Symphyotrichum foliaceum, Mentha arvensis, Vicia americana, Veronica americana, Mimulus guttatus, Ranunculus cymbalaria</i>, and <i>Epilobium</i> spp. This association is distinguished from ~<i>Salix boothii</i> / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland (CEGL001180)$$ by having a higher cover of graminoid species. Stands with predominantly non-native graminoid species in the undergrowth are considered grazing-induced.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30090-{FFCDD2E8-7F26-42CE-90FD-B113A9FABDFC}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
3
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