Name:
Pinus ponderosa - Calocedrus decurrens - Pseudotsuga menziesii Forest Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
These forests are typically codominated by <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus ponderosa var. benthamiana</i>, and <i>Calocedrus decurrens</i>. A variety of other conifers co-occur, including <i>Pinus lambertiana, Pinus jeffreyi</i>, and/or <i>Pinus attenuata</i>. A diverse broad-leaved deciduous or evergreen tree layer may be present and may include <i>Quercus garryana, Arbutus menziesii, Notholithocarpus densiflorus, Umbellularia californica, Acer macrophyllum</i>, and others. <i>Quercus kelloggii</i> and <i>Quercus chrysolepis</i> may also codominant in the Sierra Nevada. A shrub layer may or may not be present and is generally best developed in comparatively moist northern or high-elevation stands. Common species in such mesic stands include <i>Acer circinatum, Mahonia nervosa, Gaultheria shallon</i>, and <i>Cornus nuttallii</i>, which can occasionally be a small tree. In southern or lower elevation stands, drought-tolerant species such as <i>Holodiscus discolor, Toxicodendron diversilobum, Symphoricarpos mollis, Ceanothus</i> spp., and <i>Arctostaphylos</i> spp. become prevalent. The herbaceous understory can be similarly variable, depending upon site moisture, canopy closure, and location. This alliance occurs along the western slope of the southern Oregon Cascades and throughout the Klamath Mountains in Oregon and California. From the Klamath region, the range extends south into the California Coast Ranges as far as the Yolla-Bolly region, and in the Sierra Nevada as far south as Yosemite National Park. These communities are usually associated with sunny aspects and droughty or infertile soils of lower mountain slopes. They occur at low to middle elevations (600-1200 m) with high winter rainfall (75-250 cm), warm to hot, dry summers, and extremely variable geology.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38887-{22B2A4E7-39C7-4F30-BB12-CB595F42C7BB}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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