Name:
Abies grandis - Pseudotsuga menziesii Central Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This alliance occurs in the middle to northern Rocky Mountains and occasionally in the Cascade Range in a variety of topographic positions. These are highly variable montane coniferous forests that lie between drier <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii - Pinus ponderosa</i> and more moist <i>Tsuga heterophylla</i> or <i>Thuja plicata</i> forests on the moisture scale, and are warmer than forests dominated by <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i>. Stands are dominated by <i>Abies grandis</i> where <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> may be an early-seral component, codominant or the sole dominant species. Several other conifers may be present in the canopy, typically as seral species, including <i>Larix occidentalis, Pinus contorta</i>, or <i>Pinus monticola</i>. <i>Picea engelmannii</i> and <i>Taxus brevifolia</i> become increasingly common towards the eastern edge of the range, and <i>Tsuga heterophylla</i> and <i>Thuja plicata</i> may be associates at moister sites. The shrub and herbaceous components of these forests are highly variable across the range of the alliance and are very species-diverse due to the moderate climate regime. Cold-deciduous or ericaceous shrubs can be abundant in some stands. Shrubs can include <i>Acer glabrum, Linnaea borealis, Menziesia ferruginea, Physocarpus malvaceus, Spiraea betulifolia, Symphoricarpos occidentalis</i>, and <i>Vaccinium membranaceum</i>. Herbaceous layers may be graminoid- or forb-dominated and may include <i>Asarum caudatum, Bromus vulgaris, Calamagrostis rubescens, Carex geyeri, Clintonia uniflora, Coptis occidentalis, Cornus canadensis, Linnaea borealis</i>, and <i>Trautvetteria caroliniensis</i>. Elevations range from 460-1950 m. Topographic positions include montane slopes, alluvial benches and terraces, ridgetops, flats, protected coves, ravines, and valley bottoms. All aspects are represented and slopes can be flat to steep. Parent materials are highly variable, but volcanic ash is often present in the soil profile. Soils are derived from basalt colluvium and alluvium, volcanic ash, granitics, shale, sandstone, meta-sediments, gneiss, quartzite, limestone, and loess or loess-ash over colluvium or alluvium.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38649-{25C1922D-85E1-4AC9-B8BB-7022ABDB801F}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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