Name:
Picea pungens Riparian Forest Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This alliance is characterized by the dominance of <i>Picea pungens</i> in the tree canopy. Other conifers are usually present in these stands, depending upon geographic location, site moisture, and stand history. Common associates include <i>Abies concolor, Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, Pinus contorta, Pinus ponderosa</i>, and <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> (which may replace <i>Picea pungens</i>). <i>Populus angustifolia</i> is the most commonly present deciduous tree species, although <i>Populus tremuloides</i> may persist as a seral species on well-drained sites of this alliance. A shrub layer is often present but many stands lack a shrub layer. Common shrub species include <i>Alnus incana, Betula occidentalis, Cornus sericea, Rosa woodsii</i>, and several species of <i>Salix</i>. Other shrubs that may be present include <i>Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Lonicera involucrata</i>, and <i>Acer glabrum</i>. Because of favorable soil moisture, the herbaceous layer is usually a luxuriant mixture of forbs and graminoids, including <i>Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex siccata, Conioselinum scopulorum, Equisetum arvense, Fragaria virginiana, Heracleum sphondylium, Maianthemum stellatum, Mertensia ciliata</i>, and <i>Rudbeckia laciniata</i>. The herbaceous layer can have very high cover in some stands, but also may be very sparse. This riparian woodland alliance is found at middle elevations (from 1900-2900 m) of the central and southern Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Plateau region. Stands typically occur in narrow, or V-shaped, valleys and canyons subject to cold-air drainage and limited sunlight. They occupy streambanks, terraces, narrow floodplains or benches, and subirrigated toeslopes; stream gradients are often steep. These sites can be subject to spring flooding, and usually water tables are within 1 m of the soil surface even late in the growing season. The soils are somewhat variable, often with signs of mottling.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38975-{F6D9DCF8-AACB-4DE3-95D3-8ED91FEA9B39}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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