Name:
Salix wolfii - Salix brachycarpa - Betula glandulosa Wet Shrubland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
These are short (<1.5 m) <i>Salix</i>- or <i>Betula</i>-dominated shrublands of Intermountain West and Rocky Mountain high subalpine altitudes dominated by <i>Betula nana, Salix brachycarpa, Salix farriae, Salix planifolia</i>, and/or <i>Salix wolfii</i>. Canopy can be closed to open. Understory is usually fairly dense, graminoid-dominated herbaceous cover and occasionally forb-dominated, including several <i>Carex</i> spp. (e.g., <i>Carex aquatilis, Carex microptera, Carex scopulorum, Carex utriculata</i>), <i>Deschampsia cespitosa</i>, and others. Forb species may include <i>Caltha leptosepala, Fragaria virginiana, Pedicularis groenlandica, Swertia perennis</i>, and others. Communities within this alliance occur in moderately narrow to wide valleys and glacial basins on floodplains with lateral seepage of groundwater. Valley slopes range from 3-7%, and stream channels that run through the valleys vary from deep, narrow, and sinuous to shallow, broad, and gently meandering. Beavers are often active within the stands. Some stands occur on sideslope seeps, which remain wet throughout the growing season. Elevation ranges from 1950-3350 m. Soils are mineral. Soil textures include silty clay loams, silty loams, and sandy clay loams with mottling. Some stands occur on deep sandy clays, often with a high organic content, while other stands occur on shallow silty clays over gravels and rocks.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38984-{44D58CF1-BF15-4E06-B074-5362A5B6119E}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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