Print Report
CEGL000333 Abies lasiocarpa / Packera sanguisorboides Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Subalpine Fir / Burnet Ragwort Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This plant association is a local community of the Sacramento Mountains (Sierra Blanca Peak) in south-central New Mexico, but probably occurs in similar habitats in Arizona. It is found at elevations above 3050 m (10,000 feet) on slopes with deep, coarse loamy soils derived from monzonite and granite. Abies lasiocarpa is the dominant, and sometimes Picea engelmannii is a codominant. A rich and luxuriant herbaceous layer is diagnostic and dominated by Packera sanguisorboides. Other common species include Ligusticum porteri, Osmorhiza depauperata, Actaea rubra ssp. arguta, Bromus ciliatus var. richardsonii, and Trisetum spicatum.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Abies lasiocarpa is most often dominant in the overstory while Picea engelmannii is either less or is codominate. No Abies concolor is present; Pseudotsuga menziesii is seral only at lower elevations. The shrub layer is dominated by Ribes spp. while the rich herbaceous layer is dominated by Packera sanguisorboides. Pinus strobiformis may be an accidental species in the Pseudotsuga menziesii phase.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Stuever and Hayden (1997a) identified two phases: typic phase lacks Pseudotsuga menziesii and Ribes spp. dominate the shrub layer and Pseudotsuga menziesii phase, in which Pseudotsuga menziesii is an important seral tree on warmer sites and lower elevations, Ribes spp. have minimal coverage, and Populus tremuloides forms seral communities.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This forest association is dominated in both density and basal area by the evergreen needle-leaved tree Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica. Picea engelmannii occasionally codominates. This is an unusual condition for southern Rocky Mountain spruce-fir forests, where Picea engelmannii usually dominates. Seedlings of both species are abundant in most stands, while saplings are composed primarily of Abies. There is high canopy cover of both shrub and herbaceous layers. The shrub layer averages 27% cover and is composed of broad-leaved deciduous species, particularly Ribes wolfii and Ribes montigenum. Herbaceous cover averages 45%, with the perennial forb Packera sanguisorboides (= Senecio sanguisorboides) having highest cover. Diversity in the herb layer is high; other common forbs include Osmorhiza depauperata, Pseudocymopterus montanus, Erigeron eximius, Ligusticum porteri, Actaea rubra ssp. arguta (= Actaea arguta), Bromus ciliatus var. richardsonii (= Bromus richardsonii), and Trisetum spicatum (= Trisetum montanum). Warmer sites at lower elevations may have a component of the evergreen needle-leaved tree Pseudotsuga menziesii, and seral stands may have the deciduous broad-leaved Populus tremuloides.
Dynamics: Fires severe enough to create large forest openings (often along upper slopes and ridges) result in shrub-dominated communities. Fires may bring about seral communities suggestive of ~Abies concolor - Pseudotsuga menziesii / Acer glabrum Forest (CEGL000240)$$ at lower elevations. Intervals between stand-replacement fires are on the order of hundreds of years. Stands in the range of 140 to 212 years reflect a fire or fires that were extensive around Sierra Blanca. A small old-growth stand escaped burning during that time.
Environmental Description: The association occurs in a mountainous region in southern New Mexico. These mountains are the result of a massive uplift and have a steep escarpment on the western slope. Annual precipitation in the forested elevations of these mountains is between 510-760 mm (20-30 inches), with a summer peak and dry spring and fall months. This association occurs in the highest precipitation zone, much of which is snowfall.
This association is found on all slopes and aspects above 3048-3658 m (10,000-12,000 feet) elevation in the vicinity of Sierra Blanca Peak. Parent materials are intrusive monzonite and granite. Soils are deep Typic and Pachic Cryoboralls, with coarse-loamy texture and good drainage; cobbles occur below about 30 cm depth in the profile.
This association is found on all slopes and aspects above 3048-3658 m (10,000-12,000 feet) elevation in the vicinity of Sierra Blanca Peak. Parent materials are intrusive monzonite and granite. Soils are deep Typic and Pachic Cryoboralls, with coarse-loamy texture and good drainage; cobbles occur below about 30 cm depth in the profile.
Geographic Range: This association is currently restricted to the Sacramento Mountains of south-central New Mexico, but it may occur in the mountains of Arizona.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ?, NM
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683226
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass | S15 | 1.B |
| Formation | 1.B.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F008 | 1.B.2 |
| Division | 1.B.2.Nb Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Division | D194 | 1.B.2.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nb.5 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce - Whitebark Pine Rocky Mountain Forest Macrogroup | M020 | 1.B.2.Nb.5 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir - Lodgepole Pine Dry-Mesic Forest & Woodland Group | G219 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
| Alliance | A3641 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce Southern Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Forest Alliance | A3641 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
| Association | CEGL000333 Subalpine Fir / Burnet Ragwort Forest | CEGL000333 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Abies bifolia / Senecio sanguisorboides (Stuever and Hayden 1997a)
= Abies lasiocarpa / Senecio sanguisorboides Habitat Type (Alexander et al. 1984a)
= Abies lasiocarpa / Senecio sanguisorboides Habitat Type (Moir and Ludwig 1979)
= Abies lasiocarpa / Senecio sanguisorboides Habitat Type (Alexander et al. 1984a)
= Abies lasiocarpa / Senecio sanguisorboides Habitat Type (Moir and Ludwig 1979)
- Alexander, B. G., Jr., F. Ronco, Jr., E. L. Fitzhugh, and J. A. Ludwig. 1984a. A classification of forest habitat types of the Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico. General Technical Report RM-104. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 29 pp.
- Bourgeron, P. S., and L. D. Engelking, editors. 1994. A preliminary vegetation classification of the western United States. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy, Western Heritage Task Force, Boulder, CO. 175 pp. plus appendix.
- Dye, A. J., and W. H. Moir. 1977. Spruce-fir forest at its southern distribution in the Rocky Mountains, New Mexico. The American Midland Naturalist 97(1):133-146.
- Moir, W. H., and J. A. Ludwig. 1979. A classification of spruce-fir and mixed conifer habitat types of Arizona and New Mexico. Research Paper RM-207. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 47 pp.
- Stuever, M. C., and J. S. Hayden. 1997a. Plant associations of Arizona and New Mexico, edition 3. Volume 1: Forests. USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region. Habitat Typing Guides. 291 pp.
- USFS [U.S. Forest Service]. 1986. Forest and woodland habitat types (plant associations) of southern New Mexico and central Arizona (north of the Mogollon Rim). USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM. Second edition, 140 pp. plus insert.
- Uchytil, R. J. 1991e. Abies lasiocarpa. In: Fire Effects Information System [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). [http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/] (accessed May 26, 2015).
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.