Name:
Populus angustifolia / Cornus sericea Riparian Woodland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This narrowleaf cottonwood forest type is found in the western Great Plains and western mountain regions of the United States, north into Alberta, Canada. Elevations range from 2360 to 2720 m (7750-8900 feet) in northern New Mexico to 945 to 2044 m (3100-6700 feet) in Montana (east of the Continental Divide). Stands occur along major streams and small to moderate-sized rivers in the foothill-montane zone and northern plains and in the grassland zone of Alberta. Sites include narrow valleys (10 m) with swift, steep streams (4% gradient) where it occurs on narrow benches, and on wide valleys (150 m) on broad floodplains along, moderately steep, meandering rivers (2% gradients). Soils are highly variable and stratified. The vegetation is characterized by a closed to open canopy of deciduous trees dominated by <i>Populus angustifolia</i> and a thick understory of <i>Cornus sericea</i>. The tree canopy composition is highly variable but typically has less than 10% cover of other tree species, including conifers <i>Picea pungens, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus ponderosa, Abies concolor, Abies lasiocarpa</i>, and deciduous trees such as <i>Populus tremuloides</i> in mountains and <i>Populus deltoides</i> in lower foothills and on plains. <i>Populus x acuminata</i> may codominate stands in the Great Basin and in Alberta. In northern plains, stands may have <i>Populus deltoides</i> and/or <i>Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa</i> present. The introduced tree <i>Elaeagnus angustifolia</i> may be common on disturbed stands. The moderately dense to dense shrub layer consists mostly of <i>Cornus sericea</i> (10-80%) but may be diverse. Other shrub species can be abundant, but rarely more than <i>Cornus sericea</i>, and may include <i>Acer glabrum, Alnus incana, Amelanchier</i> spp., <i>Crataegus rivularis, Betula occidentalis, Lonicera involucrata, Prunus virginiana, Quercus gambelii, Ribes</i> spp., <i>Rosa woodsii, Rubus</i> spp., many species of <i>Salix</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos</i> spp. The herbaceous cover can be abundant (>50% cover) and diverse. Forb species may include <i>Equisetum arvense, Heracleum maximum, Maianthemum stellatum, Rudbeckia laciniata, Osmorhiza</i> spp., <i>Solidago canadensis</i>, and <i>Symphyotrichum foliaceum</i>. Graminoid cover can also be abundant and includes <i>Bromus anomalus, Carex pellita, Elymus glaucus, Glyceria striata</i>, and <i>Phalaris arundinacea</i>. Introduced species, such as <i>Agrostis gigantea, Agrostis stolonifera, Alopecurus pratensis, Bromus inermis, Cirsium arvense, Dactylis glomerata, Medicago sativa, Phleum pratense, Poa compressa, Poa palustris</i>, and <i>Poa pratensis</i>, are often abundant.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:31572-{721C7C28-7603-4913-AAA1-920699C00EE5}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
45
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