Name:
Tsuga mertensiana Rocky Mountain Forest Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
These forests are characterized by a canopy of <i>Tsuga mertensiana</i>, a needle-leaved evergreen tree which can approach 35 m in height. Other conifers that may be present include <i>Abies grandis, Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii</i>, and <i>Pinus monticola</i>. The understory is often sparse due to dense canopy shading. Characteristic understory shrubs may include <i>Lonicera utahensis, Menziesia ferruginea, Paxistima myrsinites, Rhododendron albiflorum, Taxus brevifolia</i>, and <i>Vaccinium membranaceum</i>. Herbaceous species include <i>Asarum caudatum, Athyrium filix-femina, Clintonia uniflora, Coptis occidentalis, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Maianthemum stellatum, Prosartes hookeri, Tiarella trifoliata, Trillium ovatum, Viola orbiculata</i>, and <i>Xerophyllum tenax</i>. This forest alliance occurs in the middle and northern Rocky Mountains in Idaho, Montana, and eastern Washington. It occurs in cold, snowy subalpine environments and is generally associated with areas of incursions of maritime air masses, which moderate temperatures and produce deep winter snowpacks. Although this alliance typically occurs in subalpine habitats, it may occur in montane forest environments, such as slope benches or canyon bottoms, which are prone to cold-air drainage. Most soils can be characterized as loose, coarse-textured, and well-drained.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38837-{5C7B41C5-7CEE-45C9-BEA6-81E1A1B81A29}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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