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Quercus garryana - Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Woodland Alliance | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Quercus garryana - Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Woodland Alliance
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This alliance consists of stands dominated by <i>Quercus garryana</i> mixed with <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> and/or <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i>. Isolated, taller <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> or <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> over <i>Quercus garryana</i> trees sometimes characterize this alliance. Clonal <i>Quercus garryana</i> stands can create dense patches across a grassy landscape creating open woodlands or savannas. The understory may be dense shrubs or be dominated by grasses, sedges or forbs. Shrubs prominent in some stands include <i>Artemisia nova, Artemisia tridentata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus</i>, and <i>Purshia tridentata</i>. Understories are generally dominated by herbaceous species, especially graminoids. Mesic sites have an open to closed sodgrass understory dominated by <i>Calamagrostis rubescens, Carex geyeri, Carex rossii, Carex inops</i>, or <i>Elymus glaucus</i>. Drier savanna and woodland understories typically contain bunchgrass steppe species such as <i>Festuca idahoensis</i> or <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i>. Common exotic grasses that often appear in high abundance are <i>Bromus tectorum</i> and <i>Poa bulbosa</i>. This alliance occurs in the foothills of the eastern Cascades in Washington and Oregon within 65 km (40 miles) of the Columbia River Gorge, further east into the Columbia Plateau ecoregion, and there are disjunct occurrences in Klamath County, south-central Oregon and Siskiyou County, north-central California. These woodlands occur at the lower treeline/ecotone between <i>Artemisia</i> spp. or <i>Purshia tridentata</i> steppe or shrubland and <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> and/or <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> forests or woodlands. Fire plays an important role in creating vegetation structure and composition in this habitat. Decades of fire suppression have led to invasion by <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> along lower treeline and by <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i>. Soil, fire and drought play roles in maintaining an open tree canopy in part of this dry woodland habitat. It is drier and colder than more maritime stands of ~<i>Quercus garryana - Pseudotsuga menziesii / Toxicodendron diversilobum</i> Forest &amp; Woodland Alliance (A3328)$$. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38614-{B41EA0FA-CF5B-43ED-8AA2-F8072244C138}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 18-Dec-2014 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899451 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: A3327
  Translated: Oregon White Oak - Ponderosa Pine / Geyer's Sedge Woodland Alliance
  Common: East Cascadian Oregon White Oak - Pine Woodland
  Scientific: Quercus garryana - Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Woodland Alliance