Name:
Salix drummondiana / Carex utriculata Wet Shrubland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This is a broadly distributed association ranging from British Columbia, south into eastern Washington, west into Idaho, Montana, and south into Wyoming and Colorado. It has an elevational range spanning over 1525 m (5000 feet) from 700 to 2380 m (2300-7800 feet). Its primary habitat is adjacent to beaver ponds, mountain rivers and streams, alluvial terraces and marshes, as well as seeps and springs. <i>Salix drummondiana</i> is 100% constant, its cover averaging over 50%, and no other shrubs are even 50% constant or have more than 30% cover. Other shrubs typically present include <i>Salix monticola, Salix geyeriana, Salix boothii</i>, mixed with but never as abundant as <i>Salix drummondiana</i>. Shorter shrubs can be present as well and include <i>Lonicera involucrata, Ribes inerme</i>, and <i>Rubus</i> sp. <i>Carex utriculata</i> is the dominant graminoid in the herbaceous layer, and at least in a major part of its range, 10% of canopy cover may consist of any one of several <i>Carex</i> spp. (<i>Carex vesicaria, Carex atherodes, Carex aquatilis, Carex lenticularis</i>). Modal stands tend to have <i>Carex utriculata</i> dominant or codominant with <i>Carex aquatilis</i>. Other graminoids that may be present include <i>Calamagrostis canadensis</i>. A whole host of introduced graminoids proliferate with grazing disturbance, such as <i>Poa pratensis</i> and <i>Phleum pratense</i>. The forb component is generally insignificant, only occasionally comprising more than 10% cover, and component species vary widely. Documented forb species include <i>Canadanthus modestus, Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. spathulatum, Geum macrophyllum, Epilobium ciliatum, Comarum palustre</i>, and <i>Mentha arvensis</i>. In Colorado, other forbs with a cover of trace to up to 10% include <i>Trifolium</i> sp., <i>Trollius laxus ssp. albiflorus, Caltha leptosepala var. leptosepala, Chamerion angustifolium ssp. circumvagum, Epilobium saximontanum, Galium triflorum, Heracleum maximum, Pedicularis groenlandica, Rorippa</i> sp., <i>Rumex crispus</i>, and <i>Thalictrum fendleri</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:31539-{74CBB222-166D-4438-9421-87D13D3E9451}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
1
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