Name:
Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Forest Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
These upper montane or subalpine conifer forests occur in many of the mountainous areas of the Colorado Plateau, Arizona - New Mexico Mountains and southern Rocky Mountains where they are often the matrix forests of the subalpine zone. <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> and <i>Picea engelmannii</i> generally are dominant singly or in combination. <i>Picea engelmannii</i> will often be prominent on more moist sites or in more mature stands. Associates vary geographically. Common associated trees species, particularly in seral stands, may include <i>Pinus aristata, Pinus contorta, Pinus flexilis, Populus tremuloides</i>, and <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i>. Forest understories are highly variable across the range of this alliance and can be dominated by dry sedges, grasses, forbs or shrubs. Dominant shrubs may include <i>Acer glabrum, Jamesia americana, Juniperus communis, Lonicera utahensis, Paxistima myrsinites, Ribes pinetorum, Rubus idaeus, Salix scouleriana, Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa, Symphoricarpos oreophilus, Vaccinium cespitosum, Vaccinium myrtillus</i>, and <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i>. Common and dominant graminoids may include <i>Bromus ciliatus var. richardsonii, Carex siccata, Poa fendleriana</i>, and <i>Poa pratensis</i>. Forb cover is relatively low to moderate and may consist of <i>Actaea rubra ssp. arguta, Aquilegia</i> spp., <i>Campanula rotundifolia, Galium</i> spp., <i>Lathyrus lanszwertii var. leucanthus, Ligusticum porteri, Mertensia franciscana, Oreochrysum parryi, Orthilia secunda, Osmorhiza depauperata, Packera sanguisorboides, Pteridium aquilinum, Senecio</i> spp., <i>Trisetum spicatum, Vicia americana, Vicia americana, Viola canadensis</i>, and <i>Woodsia</i> spp., These forests occur above the warmer and drier montane forests of the West, which are typically mixed-coniferous forests, but may extend down into the montane zone where there is cold-air drainage. Parent materials and soils are variable. Sites include gentle to very steep mountain slopes, ridgetops, plateaus, basins, alluvial terraces and benches. All aspects are represented, but northerly and easterly aspects predominate, and southerly aspects are found only at higher elevations. Typically, soils are not deep, poorly developed and rocky.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38861-{3A2085BD-652B-4D7D-A831-48007D5C49F5}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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