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Comm #3541
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Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Acer glabrum Forest
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29203-{21651B83-3A3A-49F2-9AE9-1C52094BD5E5}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This minor forest association occurs in the upper montane and subalpine zone in the southern, central and northern Rocky Mountains. Sites are cool, relatively moist slopes or riparian areas. Stands are typically found on moderate to very steep canyon and mountain slopes, as well as on nearly flat valley bottoms and on benches with moderate to gentle slopes. Aspects are typically northerly or shaded (in canyon). Lowland aspects are variable. Substrates may be gravelly or not, typically with loam- or sandy loam-textured soil, although finer textured soils are reported. Litter dominates the ground cover often 3-8 cm deep with low cover of rock and bare ground. The vegetation is characterized by a tree canopy codominated by <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> and <i>Picea engelmannii</i> with the tall shrub <i>Acer glabrum</i> dominating the understory. The evergreen needle-leaved tree canopy is open to moderately dense (30-80% cover) and typically dominated by <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> with lesser amounts of <i>Picea engelmannii</i>. Scattered <i>Pinus contorta, Abies concolor, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Picea pungens</i>, and <i>Populus tremuloides</i> trees may be present. The tall-shrub layer is open (patchy) to moderately dense. <i>Acer glabrum</i> dominates or codominates with other tall shrubs such as <i>Amelanchier alnifolia</i> or <i>Sorbus scopulina</i>. An open to moderately dense short-shrub layer is often present with species such as <i>Lonicera utahensis, Mahonia repens, Paxistima myrsinites, Physocarpus malvaceus, Rosa</i> spp., <i>Rubus parviflorus, Ribes</i> spp., <i>Symphoricarpos</i> spp., <i>Vaccinium</i> spp. and the vine <i>Clematis columbiana</i>. The herbaceous layer is composed of diverse forbs with graminoids present to codominant. Species with high constancy include <i>Arnica cordifolia, Bromus</i> spp., <i>Calamagrostis rubescens, Carex geyeri, Carex rossii, Elymus glaucus, Erigeron eximius, Lathyrus lanszwertii, Osmorhiza berteroi, Penstemon wilcoxii, Maianthemum stellatum</i>, and <i>Thalictrum</i> spp. |
Comm #3542
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Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Linnaea borealis Forest
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29224-{A3DDCBE7-5EE5-4A8C-9F92-988FAECBA514}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This widespread forest association occurs in the subalpine zone in the central and northern Rocky Mountains. Elevations are 1145-2135 m (3750-7000 feet) throughout most of the range. Sites are relatively cool and moist, occurring on all aspects, but are typically found on northern slopes (especially mid to lowslopes), valley bottoms and benches. Soils are typically medium- to fine-textured and are derived from a variety of parent materials. Litter dominates ground surface often 3 cm deep with low cover of bare soil and rock (except boulders). The vegetation is characterized by <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> and <i>Picea engelmannii</i> codominating the tree canopy with <i>Linnaea borealis</i> present to dominant in the dwarf-shrub layer and <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i> and <i>Xerophyllum tenax</i> with less than 5% cover. The evergreen needle-leaved tree canopy is moderately dense to dense (over 55% cover) and is typically dominated by <i>Picea engelmannii</i> and mature seral tree species, with <i>Abies lasiocarpa</i> dominating the subcanopy and regeneration layers. Important seral species in the tree canopy are <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii, Larix occidentalis</i>, and <i>Pinus contorta</i>. Undergrowth is variable; however, an open to dense dwarf-shrub layer is present and usually dominated or codominated by <i>Linnaea borealis</i>. Consistent shrubs and dwarf-shrubs include <i>Amelanchier alnifolia, Mahonia repens, Ribes lacustre, Rosa</i> spp., <i>Rubus parviflorus, Shepherdia canadensis, Spiraea betulifolia, Vaccinium membranaceum</i> and <i>Vaccinium scoparium</i>. The sparse to moderate herbaceous layer is a mixture of graminoids and forbs such as <i>Actaea rubra, Arnica</i> spp., <i>Calamagrostis rubescens, Carex geyeri, Carex rossii, Galium</i> spp., <i>Maianthemum stellatum, Osmorhiza berteroi, Orthilia secunda</i>, and <i>Thalictrum occidentale</i>. |
Comm #3543
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Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Distichlis spicata Wet Shrubland
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30272-{9B0C10EB-888E-431A-95EC-48F79510304B}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This association is reported from western Montana to Washington, south to Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Elevation ranges from approximately 600-2300 m. It forms expansive shrublands on broad floodplains along large rivers and streams, on the margins of upland seeps, and forms an outer ring around playas above the <i>Distichlis spicata</i>-dominated center. Flooding is generally intermittent. Substrates are deep, alkaline, saline and generally fine-textured soils with a perennial high water table. However, in southern Colorado's San Luis Valley, stands grow between salt flat depressions (playas) on sandy hummocks approximately 1.2 m above the lakebed. The vegetation is characterized by a fairly open to moderate shrub canopy (18-60% cover) dominated by <i>Sarcobatus vermiculatus</i> with an herbaceous layer dominated by the rhizomatous graminoid <i>Distichlis spicata</i> (10-80% cover). Associated shrubs and dwarf-shrubs may include <i>Ericameria nauseosa, Gutierrezia sarothrae</i>, and <i>Tetradymia canescens</i>. <i>Sporobolus airoides</i> may codominate the graminoid layer, and <i>Hordeum jubatum</i> is common in disturbed stands. <i>Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis</i> and <i>Leymus cinereus</i> are also present in some stands. The forb layer is generally sparse and composed of species such as <i>Iva axillaris</i> and <i>Ipomopsis</i> spp. Introduced species may be present to abundant in disturbed stands. |
Comm #3544
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Artemisia nova / Elymus elymoides Shrubland
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30327-{0570180E-AC67-45C2-A6CA-3D989A19B490}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This association is found in the foothills, plateaus and mountains of Nevada and Utah. Stands occur on well-drained slopes, knolls and ridges. Substrates are typically shallow, gravelly or stony soils derived from calcareous parent materials such as limestone. These soils are frequently coarse-textured, but subsoil argillic horizons are common. There is often an impenetrable subsurface layer from a duripan, caliche, or bedrock. <i>Artemisia nova</i> plants often grow in adjacent <i>Artemisia tridentata</i> shrublands that are found on deeper soils in basins. Combined ground cover of bare ground, rock and gravel is often high (about 70% cover). Litter is concentrated under the shrub canopies. The vegetation is characterized by an open dwarf-shrub canopy (10-30% cover) that is dominated by <i>Artemisia nova</i> and a sparse herbaceous layer dominated by the perennial graminoid <i>Elymus elymoides</i> with scattered forbs. <i>Atriplex confertifolia, Artemisia tridentata, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Ephedra nevadensis, Ephedra viridis</i>, and <i>Grayia spinosa</i> are common shrub associates that may be present in smaller amounts. The herbaceous layer includes low cover of species of <i>Comandra, Cryptantha, Erigeron, Eriogonum, Machaeranthera, Phlox, Penstemon</i>, and <i>Poa secunda</i>. Introduced annual graminoids such as <i>Bromus rubens</i> and <i>Bromus tectorum</i> are common in disturbed stands. |
Comm #3545
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Salix arctica - (Salix petrophila, Salix nivalis) / Polygonum bistortoides Dwarf-shrubland
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30340-{DB2978D5-E603-4D98-A8B2-AEC3EB1CCD9B}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This dwarf-shrub alpine association is known from the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Montana and Wyoming. It occurs primarily as small patches, from the uppermost subalpine to the highest alpine elevations, from 1980 to 3231 m (6495-10,600 feet). It is mainly associated with receiving positions, toeslopes and lower to midslopes of gentle terrain. It occurs in mesic areas with slopes that range from flat to moderate (up to 50% grade), with all aspects represented. The type occurs predominantly in small, visually salient patches that appear as a continuous blanket of green due to high coverage of both the vascular and bryophyte components. The dwarf-shrub layer is commonly dominated by <i>Salix arctica, Salix petrophila</i>, or <i>Salix nivalis</i>. <i>Dryas octopetala</i> may be present or absent in the dwarf-shrub layer with up to 20% cover. Graminoids are present in all stands but are neither diverse nor in high quantities. Common species include <i>Poa alpina</i> and moist-site <i>Carex</i> spp. (<i>Carex albonigra, Carex phaeocephala</i>, and <i>Carex nova</i>). The herbaceous layer is dominated by forbs, most notably <i>Polygonum bistortoides</i>, but other forbs, including <i>Polygonum viviparum, Geum rossii, Potentilla diversifolia, Oreostemma alpigenum, Solidago multiradiata</i>, and <i>Claytonia lanceolata</i>, are often codominant. Other common species include <i>Astragalus kentrophyta, Phlox pulvinata, Tetraneuris grandiflora, Arenaria congesta, Oxytropis deflexa</i>, and <i>Castilleja</i> spp. <i>Picea engelmannii</i> seedlings may be present. This association most often grades to moist turf types or unequivocal snowbed communities (e.g., <i>~Carex nigricans</i> Wet Meadow (CEGL001816)$$) or wet meadows (e.g., <i>~Deschampsia cespitosa - Caltha leptosepala</i> Wet Meadow (CEGL001882)$$). Most other dwarf-shrub <i>Salix</i> spp.-dominated types occur on yet wetter sites; therefore, they should be recognized first in working keys. |
Comm #3546
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Andropogon gerardii - Sorghastrum nutans Western Great Plains Grassland
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30373-{85ABFBF9-F0E0-421D-ADAA-6AA5B7184289}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This big bluestem prairie is a tallgrass, wet meadow found in the west-central Great Plains of the United States. Stands occur in riparian areas and low-lying swales on the more western plains and are less riparian-dependent in the central plains as the amount of annual rainfall increases. This mesic prairie association is able to survive along the foothills because the cobbly soils are able to retain adequate moisture. The vegetation is dominated by tall grasses, particularly <i>Andropogon gerardii</i> and <i>Sorghastrum nutans</i>. Other grasses include <i>Panicum virgatum, Pascopyrum smithii</i> and <i>Sporobolus cryptandrus</i>. Forbs may include <i>Desmanthus illinoensis</i> and <i>Glycyrrhiza lepidota</i>. |
Comm #3547
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Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana / Festuca campestris Shrub Grassland
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30440-{597FABD7-674E-4293-872C-8EEE214428CF}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This big sagebrush shrub prairie type is found in Montana, Washington, southwestern Alberta, and adjacent British Columbia. Stands in Montana are usually found north of 46°N latitude and between 1036 and 1950 m (3400-6400 feet) on southerly exposures with less than 40% slope, as well as alluvial flats. Precipitation within this zone ranges from 15 to more than 40 inches per year. Moderately deep soils are derived from a variety of parent materials. Its distribution outside Montana includes lower elevation sites (to 610 m [2000 feet]) within the Okanogan Valley (Washington) and the Colville country north of Spokane. The high productivity of this type results in comparatively little (<20%) exposed rock or soil. The vegetation description is based primarily on Montana occurrences. This association usually occurs as large patches in a mosaic with fescue grasslands and <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i>- or <i>Pinus flexilis</i>-dominated forests. Shrub layer dominance (10-30% canopy cover, average 20%) by <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana</i> characterizes the upper elevation examples of this type. <i>Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis</i> has been noted as a canopy dominant in lower elevation occurrences associated with central Montana ranges isolated within the Great Plains. As little as 5% canopy cover of the highly palatable <i>Festuca campestris</i> may be diagnostic for the type, but generally it dominates the herbaceous layer, ranging in canopy cover from 10% to as much as 70-80% on the least disturbed, most mesic sites. Other important and high-constancy (>75%) grasses are <i>Festuca idahoensis, Koeleria macrantha, Pseudoroegneria spicata</i>, and <i>Poa cusickii</i>; the cover of <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i> and <i>Festuca idahoensis</i> may exceed that of <i>Festuca campestris</i> on more intensively grazed sites. On overgrazed sites this type may be recognized by scattered remnant clumps of <i>Festuca campestris</i>. The forb layer is generally both diverse and abundant, constituting upwards of 20% of the standing crop biomass; those of high constancy include <i>Arenaria congesta, Eriogonum umbellatum, Antennaria microphylla, Geranium viscosissimum</i>, and <i>Cerastium arvense</i>. |
Comm #3548
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Pseudoroegneria spicata - Poa secunda Grassland
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30586-{1DDE1FBA-CB03-4228-A2E7-00D733FE1B8D}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This association has been described from lower montane to subalpine elevations in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. Stands of this association occupy loamy, rocky, often shallow soils on slopes and ridges, generally around the edges of basins and in the foothills of the mountains. Sites usually are ridges and slopes, sometimes alluvial fans, scree slopes, sloped rocky cliff faces, and bedrock outcrops of any aspect, although southerly and westerly aspects are most common in the Northwest. Throughout its geographic range this is a bunch grassland with minor cover of forbs and, often, sparse shrubs. <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i> dominates or codominates the vegetation; <i>Poa secunda</i> and <i>Koeleria macrantha</i> usually are present in substantial amounts, and <i>Festuca idahoensis</i> is absent or present in very small amounts. The common shrubs are <i>Ericameria nauseosa, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus</i>, and <i>Artemisia tridentata</i> (subspecies unknown). Associated forbs are highly variable, given the broad geographic and elevational range. This association was at one time common throughout its wide geographic range, but much of it in Washington and Oregon has been converted to agricultural fields. In many of the remaining stands, the cover of <i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i> has decreased and the cover of <i>Hesperostipa comata</i> and shrubs have increased, and exotics (especially <i>Bromus tectorum, Tragopogon</i> spp., and <i>Alyssum</i> spp.) have become common members of the vegetation; these changes are attributed in large part to livestock grazing. |
Comm #3549
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PASCOPYRUM SMITHII SEMI-NATURAL HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
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accession code: VB.cc.30510.PASCOPYRUMSMITH
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NVC 2004 |
2
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Comm #3550
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Pleuraphis jamesii Grassland
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accession code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30686-{7432EC74-01FD-4B87-B032-36263C523FA9}
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NatureServe Biotics 2019 |
2
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This is a widespread grassland in the Colorado Plateau and elsewhere in the southwestern U.S. Vegetation is characterized by a relatively sparse to moderately dense (10-60% cover) perennial herbaceous layer that is strongly dominated by the warm-season bunchgrass <i>Pleuraphis jamesii</i>. Low cover of other grasses, such as <i>Achnatherum hymenoides, Bouteloua eriopoda, Bouteloua gracilis, Hesperostipa comata, Muhlenbergia porteri, Sporobolus airoides</i>, or <i>Sporobolus cryptandrus</i>, may be present. Forb cover is usually sparse and includes species of <i>Plantago, Gilia, Lappula</i>, and prickly pear cacti (<i>Opuntia</i> spp.). Many species of shrubs and dwarf-shrubs may be present; however, they are not dense enough to form a shrub layer. Stands are found on alluvial flats, plateau parks, mesas and plains, and on post-burn slopes. Sites are flat to moderately steep (up to 53%) slopes. Elevation commonly ranges from 1050 to 1930 m, with a few sites on the western edge of the southern Rocky Mountains extending into montane zone. Landforms vary from mesatops and slopes to basin floors. Stands may be small woodland parks or more extensive grasslands on the plains. Soils in bottomland stands tend to be fine-textured; however, stands also occur on a variety of substrates. Biological soil crusts are common and may have high cover on the soil surface. |
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