Name:
Abies concolor - Pseudotsuga menziesii - Picea pungens Forest Macrogroup
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
These are forests and woodlands, or fire-maintained savannas of the lower montane to lower treeline ecotone of the Rocky Mountains from Wyoming south into southern New Mexico, and west into scattered locations of the Great Basin. The characteristic trees are predominantly conifers, including <i>Abies concolor, Juniperus scopulorum, Pinus edulis, Pinus ponderosa</i> (primarily <i>var. scopulorum</i> and <i>var. brachyptera</i>), <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i>, and the less extensive <i>Picea pungens</i>. Occasionally cold-deciduous trees (<i>Populus tremuloides</i>) mix in the canopy, or in some locations are dominant (<i>Acer grandidentatum</i>). Other conifers that may be present include <i>Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica, Abies lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, Pinus contorta</i>, and <i>Pinus flexilis</i>. In the mountains of southern Arizona and New Mexico, associated trees may include <i>Pinus cembroides, Pinus discolor, Pinus edulis, Pinus strobiformis</i>, and in far southern stands <i>Juniperus deppeana</i> may also be common. Cold-deciduous broad-leaved shrubs are common in the undergrowth in most occurrences, and grasses or forbs can be abundant to sparse. The composition and structure of the overstory are dependent upon the temperature and moisture relationships of the site and the successional status of the occurrence. This macrogroup is widespread throughout the southern Rocky Mountains, occurring on all aspects and across a range of landforms and substrates. Generally it is found below the subalpine zone down to the lower treeline. Elevation ranges from 1200-3300 m (3936-10,824 feet), but generally decreases with increasing latitude. Landforms are variable and can include canyons, plateaus, draws, benches, hills, mesas, rolling plains, cinder cones, ravines, ridgetops, shoulders, sideslopes and toeslopes. Slopes can be gentle to extremely steep. Communities in this macrogroup vary somewhat in fire regimes and adaptations. In general, fire suppression has led to the encroachment of more shade-tolerant, less fire-tolerant species (e.g., climax) into occurrences and an attendant increase in landscape homogeneity and connectivity (from a fuels perspective). This has increased the lethality and potential size of fires.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40450-{BAE347DC-6667-43D1-8B0C-3A7BE51A649A}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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