Name:
Alnus incana - Alnus viridis Wet Shrubland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
<i>Alnus incana</i> or <i>Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata</i> forms a dense canopy with at least 90% cover. <i>Acer circinatum</i> may be codominant in the tall-shrub layer in some stands. The diverse understory shrub layer may include <i>Acer glabrum, Ribes lacustre</i>, and <i>Sorbus scopulina</i>. In the northern Rocky Mountains, <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> colonizes these communities, and scattered seedlings or saplings may be present. Low cold-deciduous or ericaceous shrubs may be abundant, including <i>Betula occidentalis, Cornus sericea, Oplopanax horridus, Paxistima myrsinites, Ribes hudsonianum, Rubus parviflorus, Rubus spectabilis, Salix drummondiana, Sambucus racemosa, Symphoricarpos albus</i>, and <i>Vaccinium</i> spp. The forb layer is sparse and may include <i>Achillea millefolium, Aconitum columbianum, Canadanthus modestus, Galium triflorum, Heracleum maximum, Osmorhiza berteroi, Polystichum munitum, Senecio triangularis, Symphyotrichum spathulatum, Thalictrum occidentale, Urtica dioica</i>, and <i>Veratrum viride</i>. The graminoid layer is usually dominated by 1 or 2 species that include <i>Agrostis stolonifera</i> and <i>Calamagrostis canadensis</i>. The fern and fern allies layer is generally dense with at least 40% cover. The dominant species typically are <i>Gymnocarpium dryopteris</i> and <i>Athyrium filix-femina</i>. This alliance is found in the Rocky Mountains, the highlands of Arizona, intermountain ranges of Nevada, and montane areas of California. Stands occur adjacent to streams and in mountain meadows at moderate to high-elevation (1200-3000 m) riparian habitats. Landforms associated with this alliance are streambanks, alluvial bars, and floodplains. Soils are shallow, skeletal alluvium over water-worked cobbles and gravels.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38985-{88424585-B5AA-4AB1-9493-1ADA1329A3BD}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
|
