Name:
Pseudotsuga menziesii - Pinus ponderosa / Shrub Understory Central Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
Most occurrences of this montane coniferous forest alliance are dominated by a mix of <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> and <i>Pinus ponderosa</i> (but there can be stands without the latter) and sometimes with other species, including <i>Pinus contorta, Pinus monticola</i>, and <i>Larix occidentalis</i>. This understory is characterized by open to dense layer of shrubs and dwarf-shrubs. Characteristic species include <i>Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Holodiscus discolor, Juniperus communis, Paxistima myrsinites, Penstemon fruticosus, Physocarpus malvaceus, Purshia tridentata, Spiraea betulifolia, Symphoricarpos albus</i>, or <i>Vaccinium membranaceum</i>. There herbaceous layer is variable. If herbaceous cover exceeds the shrub cover, then there is a distinct shrub layer present with at least 10% cover. This alliance is found in the interior Pacific Northwest, from southernmost interior British Columbia, eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, northern Idaho, western and northern Montana, and south along the east slope of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon. It is associated with a submesic climate regime with annual precipitation ranging from 40 to >150 cm, with a maximum in winter or late spring. Winter snowpacks typically melt off in early spring at lower elevations. Elevations range from 460 to 2400 m (1500-7900 feet). Stands occur on cool, dry sites on mid to upper slopes, steep slopes, ridgelines, rocky sites and benches on all aspects. Slopes can be moderate to steep (3-60%), and soils are derived from pumice ash, lava, tuff, and granitics. Surface rocks can be abundant. It can be associated with glacial outwash or till in cold-air drainages.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38679-{F8BB6183-EAD9-4C94-951B-B31961FFDED6}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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