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Festuca viridula - Festuca idahoensis Meadow | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Festuca viridula - Festuca idahoensis Meadow
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This association has only been described from northern Idaho, near the border with Canada, in the Selkirk Mountains, Kaniksu National Forest. It occurs in a mountainous region of inland maritime climate, characterized by mild, moderate winters with prolonged gentle rains, deep snow accumulations at higher altitudes and abundant clouds, fog and high humidity. Summers are typically sunny and dry for most of the region (&lt;1 inch of precipitation/ month). Geologically, the region is underlain by metamorphosed, Precambrian sedimentary strata that are primarily argillites and quartzites. The entire region was covered two times by the continental ice sheet, and has since been overlain by eolian deposits, especially volcanic ash. Due to prevailing southwesterly winds, much of the deposition has occurred on the leeward (north to northeasterly) slopes. It occurs as subalpine openings within spruce-fir forest, from roughly 1586 to 1769 m (5200-5800 feet) elevation. Sites are typically on moderate to steep mountain slopes of southern to southeastern aspects. Because of prevailing southwesterly winds, these sites are windswept and snowfree much of the winter. Soils are well-drained loams, with abundant coarse fragments in the subsurface layers. This association is poorly described. The perennial bunchgrasses <i>Festuca viridula</i> and <i>Festuca idahoensis</i> dominate. Associated species are unknown, but can be expected to include subalpine perennial forbs typical of open, relatively dry sites. <i>Festuca viridula</i>-dominated grasslands in the Blue and Wallowa mountains of Oregon are described as dense, sod-forming clumps of this grass, nearly forb-free, with much litter and no bare ground or exposed gravel or rock particles. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30542-{2375F432-0C5D-4494-A5FD-EC5CD6CE45D0}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 07-Dec-1993 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684616 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: CEGL001633
  Translated: Greenleaf Fescue - Idaho Fescue Meadow
  Scientific: Festuca viridula - Festuca idahoensis Meadow
(convergence) and Synonyms:
(similar) CEGL001633
(similar) Festuca viridula - Festuca idahoensis Herbaceous Vegetation
(similar) Festuca viridula - Festuca idahoensis Herbaceous Vegetation