Print Report

CEGL001808 Carex siccata - Geum rossii Alpine Turf

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Dry-spike Sedge - Ross'' Avens Alpine Turf

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This southern Rocky Mountain association is found in upper subalpine and lower alpine environments. Sites are typically dry meadows and alpine turf near treeline, often occurring on stabilized fine talus slopes (5-35%). Snowmelt is relatively early, and sites are relatively dry and warm. Substrates are shallow, well-drained, loamy-skeletal soils. Vegetation is characterized by a moderately dense to dense (>50% cover) herbaceous layer dominated by Carex siccata often with Geum rossii codominant. Other important species with lower cover include graminoids Carex heteroneura var. chalciolepis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Elymus trachycaulus, Festuca idahoensis, Trisetum spicatum, and forbs Achillea millefolium, Artemisia scopulorum, Cerastium arvense, Arenaria fendleri, Poa alpina, Potentilla diversifolia, Solidago simplex var. nana, and Trifolium parryi. Stands often occur in patches between wooded areas. Carex siccata commonly occurs as the herbaceous layer in coniferous associations of Abies lasiocarpa, Pinus contorta, and Picea engelmannii.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This association occurs as a scree or alpine talus. The current concept of this Carex siccata-dominated association is broader than some of the types in the literature. It occurs as a dry meadow. Data from Olgeirson (1974) indicate a possible new Carex siccata association for the USNVC.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Vegetation of this association is characterized by a moderately dense to dense (>50% cover) herbaceous layer dominated by Carex siccata (= Carex foenea) often with Geum rossii codominant. Other important species with lower cover include graminoids Carex heteroneura var. chalciolepis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Elymus trachycaulus, Festuca idahoensis, Trisetum spicatum, and forbs Achillea millefolium, Artemisia scopulorum, Cerastium arvense, Arenaria fendleri (= Eremogone fendleri), Poa alpina, Potentilla diversifolia, Solidago simplex var. nana, and Trifolium parryi (Komarkova 1976, 1986). Stands often occur in patches between wooded areas. Carex siccata commonly occurs as the herbaceous layer in coniferous associations of Abies lasiocarpa, Pinus contorta, and Picea engelmannii.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This southern Rocky Mountain association is found in upper subalpine and lower alpine environments between elevations of 3100 and 3700 m (10,200-12,120 feet). Sites are typically dry meadows and alpine turf near treeline, often occurring on stabilized fine talus slopes (5-35%). Snowmelt is relatively early, and sites are relatively dry and warm. Substrates are shallow, well-drained gravelly to cobbly, silty to sandy loams. Soils are loamy and skeletal and are classified as a Cryoborolls, Cryochrepts or Cryorthents with a pH range of 5.2-5.8 (Komarkova 1976, 1986). Parent materials are often colluvium derived from granite, gneiss and shales.
Geographic Range: This southern Rocky Mountain alpine and upper subalpine herbaceous association is known from Colorado.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CO


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GU

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 4 Polar & High Montane Scrub, Grassland & Barrens Class C04 4
Subclass 4.B Temperate to Polar Alpine & Tundra Vegetation Subclass S12 4.B
Formation 4.B.1 Temperate & Boreal Alpine Tundra Formation F037 4.B.1
Division 4.B.1.Nb Western North American Alpine Tundra Division D043 4.B.1.Nb
Macrogroup 4.B.1.Nb.2 Eight-petal Mountain-avens - Blackroot Sedge - Moss Campion Alpine Tundra Macrogroup M099 4.B.1.Nb.2
Group 4.B.1.Nb.2.b Blackroot Sedge - Bellardi Bog Sedge - Cushion Phlox Alpine Turf & Fell-field Group G314 4.B.1.Nb.2.b
Alliance A3155 Blackroot Sedge - Curly Sedge - Bellardi Bog Sedge Rocky Mountain Alpine Turf Alliance A3155 4.B.1.Nb.2.b
Association CEGL001808 Dry-spike Sedge - Ross'' Avens Alpine Turf CEGL001808 4.B.1.Nb.2.b
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Carex foenea - Cerastium arvense Habitat Type/Association (Komarkova 1986) [Cerastium arvense is absent in these stands.]
= Carex foenea / Accmastylis rossii Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
? Carex foenea Community (Type 1) (Olgeirson 1974) [dry upland, disturbed, regressional - No Geum rossii? community type 9.]
? Carex foenea Community (Type 2) (Olgeirson 1974) [dry uplands, disturbed regressional - No Geum rossii? community type 11.]
? Carex foenea Community (Type 3) (Olgeirson 1974) [dry lowlands, not disturbed - No Geum rossii? community type 5.]
? Carex foenea Community (Type 3) (Olgeirson 1972)
= Carex siccata Grassland Association (Ramaley 1919a)
= Association Ceraetio - Caricetum foeneae (Komarkova 1976)
= Association: Ceraetio - Caricetum foeneae (Komarkova 1979)
Concept Author(s): Western Ecology Group

Author of Description: K.A. Schulz

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 12-01-04
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  • CNHP [Colorado Natural Heritage Program]. 2006-2017. Tracked natural plant communities. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. [https://cnhp.colostate.edu/ourdata/trackinglist/plant_communities/]
  • Johnston, B. C. 1987. Plant associations of Region Two: Potential plant communities of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas. R2-ECOL-87-2. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Lakewood, CO. 429 pp.
  • Komarkova, V. 1976. Alpine vegetation of the Indian Peaks Area, Front Range, Colorado Rocky Mountains. Unpublished dissertation, University of Colorado, Boulder. 655 pp.
  • Komarkova, V. 1979. Alpine vegetation of the Indian Peaks area, Front Range, Colorado Rocky Mountains. Flora et vegetatio mundi 7, R. Tuxen, editor, 2 volumes, Vaduz: J. Cramer. 591 pp.
  • Komarkova, V. 1986. Habitat types on selected parts of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre national forests. Unpublished final report prepared for USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Fort Collins, CO. 270 pp. plus appendices.
  • Olgeirson, E. R. 1972. Comparative physiognomic trends in vegetation and soil on a bald near tree-line in Colorado. Unpublished dissertation, University of Colorado, Boulder. 114 pp.
  • Olgeirson, E. R. 1974. Parallel conditions and trends in vegetation and soil on a bald near treeline, Boreas Pass, Colorado. Arctic and Alpine Research 6:185-203.
  • Ramaley, F. 1919a. The role of sedges in some Colorado plant communities. American Journal of Botany 6:120-130.
  • Salas, D. E., J. Stevens, K. Schulz, M. Artmann, B. Friesen, S. Blauer, E. W. Schweiger, and A. Valdez. 2010b. Vegetation classification and mapping project report: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Natural Resource Report NPS/ROMN/NRR--2010/179. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
  • Salas, D., J. Stevens, and K. Schulz. 2005. USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Technical Memorandum No. 8260-05-02. USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO. 161 pp. plus Appendices A-L (733 pp.).
  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.