Name:
Festuca idahoensis - Carex scirpoidea - Danthonia intermedia Central Rocky Mountain Subalpine Dry Grassland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
The vegetation of this grassland alliance is characterized by a sparse to moderately dense herbaceous layer dominated by the diagnostic perennial bunchgrass <i>Festuca idahoensis</i> with <i>Carex obtusata, Carex scirpoidea, Danthonia intermedia, Eriogonum caespitosum, Leucopoa kingii</i>, or <i>Potentilla diversifolia</i> codominating. In more exposed settings, <i>Festuca idahoensis</i> sometimes relinquishes dominance to <i>Festuca campestris</i>. Many other species are reported to occur, the most abundant being <i>Agoseris glauca, Antennaria corymbosa, Carex filifolia, Carex praticola, Deschampsia cespitosa, Erigeron linearis, Eriogonum ovalifolium, Galium boreale, Geum triflorum, Ivesia gordonii, Lupinus argenteus, Packera cana, Phleum alpinum, Phlox hoodii, Potentilla diversifolia, Pseudoroegneria spicata</i>, and <i>Stenotus acaulis</i>. Cushion plants are common on more exposed sites. Scattered low shrubs (<i>Artemisia frigida</i> or <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana</i>) may be present. This alliance is described from subalpine and lower alpine slopes in the central Rocky Mountains of central and southern Idaho, western and south-central Montana, and northwestern Wyoming. Stands range from 1980-2655 m (6500-8700 feet) elevation. Sites are dry and often rocky, and exposed to desiccating winds. This dry meadow vegetation occurs on a variety of soil types on upland slopes and broad ridgetops. The composition of the vegetation depends in part on soil type; graminoid cover reaches its maximum in stands on coarse-textured soils derived from granitic bedrock, and forb cover reaches its maximum in stands on finer-textured soils derived from sedimentary bedrock.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:39175-{E778E265-25EF-4558-9BA2-53A241E8C36A}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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