Name:
Trifolium dasyphyllum Alpine Fell-field
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This vegetation association has been described from the alpine zone of the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado and New Mexico. Stands are generally found in the upper alpine zone on broad, gently sloping ridges that are covered with shallow snow most of the winter, but include stands on ridges, steeper talus and scree slopes (forming a mosaic with barren patches), fell-fields or turf where snow is removed by strong prevailing winds and sites are snow-free most of the winter. Aspects are variable. Sites vary from gentle to steep lower to high slopes. Substrates are variable and range from moderately deep, well-developed coarse-textured soils with high organic content to shallow rocky, sandy loam soils derived from granite. Surface rock (15-30%) and moss and lichen (to 40%) are abundant in most stands. The vegetation is characterized by an open to dense (70% cover) herbaceous layer dominated by <i>Trifolium dasyphyllum</i> (>25% cover) and combination of cushion plants, upright forbs and graminoids. Associated forb species include <i>Artemisia pattersonii, Artemisia scopulorum, Arenaria fendleri, Campanula rotundifolia, Castilleja occidentalis, Geum rossii, Mertensia oblongifolia, Minuartia obtusiloba, Oreoxis alpina, Paronychia pulvinata, Phlox pulvinata, Phlox caespitosa, Polygonum bistortoides, Potentilla diversifolia, Sedum lanceolatum, Silene acaulis, Tetraneuris acaulis, Tetraneuris grandiflora, Tonestus pygmaeus</i>, and <i>Trifolium parryi</i>. Graminoids are codominant in some stands. <i>Calamagrostis purpurascens, Carex rupestris var. drummondiana, Danthonia intermedia, Deschampsia cespitosa, Elymus alaskanus, Elymus bakeri, Elymus scribneri, Festuca brachyphylla, Luzula spicata, Poa glauca ssp. rupicola</i>, and <i>Trisetum spicatum</i> are the most common graminoids. <i>Selaginella densa</i> is present to abundant in many stands. Diagnostic of this alpine herbaceous plant association is the dominance of <i>Trifolium dasyphyllum</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30844-{B63B39E4-F898-40AD-B2B1-ED99E58B79A6}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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