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CEGL001503 Dasiphora fruticosa / Festuca campestris Shrub Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Shrubby-cinquefoil / Rough Fescue Shrub Grassland
Colloquial Name: Shrubby-cinquefoil / Rough Fescue Shrub Prairie
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This shrub herbaceous type is found in northwestern Montana and southern Alberta. It is primarily east of the Continental Divide, and north of the 46th parallel. It usually occurs on gently sloping or rolling topography to somewhat steep slopes (1-45%) at elevations between 1340 and 2015 m (4400-6600 feet). Stands tend to occur on south-facing low and midslopes but can occur on all aspects, and on basin floors. Soil textures are sandy loam, loam to silty clay loam. Soils are moderately deep, moderately to well-drained with 10- to 18 inch rooting depth, and derived from glacial-fluvial deposits of siltstone, limestone or sandstone parent materials. Surface rock can be abundant, but little bare ground is exposed. Vegetation and litter generally exceed 98% cover. It is considered a moderately mesic Rocky Mountain foothill steppe. This association is a high-diversity, foothill, montane to subalpine, mesic dwarf-shrub steppe dominated by Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda and Festuca campestris. Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda is the diagnostic shrub species, and may not be readily visible because of the tall growth of the Festuca campestris. However, not only is Dasiphora present, but it can have canopy cover between 5-30%. In general, higher elevation stands have less overall vegetative cover. Other shrubs that may be present include Rosa woodsii, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Artemisia frigida, Amelanchier alnifolia, Mahonia repens, and Juniperus horizontalis. Herbaceous cover ranges from 40-100% with very high species diversity. Stands at lower elevations have 90-100% herbaceous cover, while higher elevation areas have 40-70% total herbaceous cover. Festuca campestris is the highest of all herbaceous species at 30% average cover. Other high-constancy species include Pseudoroegneria spicata, Bouteloua gracilis, Gaillardia aristata, Lupinus sericeus, Fragaria virginiana, Festuca idahoensis, Penstemon confertus, Galium boreale, Potentilla gracilis, Anemone multifida, Achillea millefolium, and Cerastium arvense. Presence of Danthonia intermedia may be an indicator for more mesic sites with higher productivity.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This association is a high-diversity, foothill, montane to subalpine, mesic dwarf-shrub steppe dominated by Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda and Festuca campestris. Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Potentilla fruticosa) is the diagnostic shrub species, and may not be readily visible because of the tall growth of the Festuca campestris. However, not only is Dasiphora present, but it can have canopy cover between 5-30%. In general, higher elevation stands have less overall vegetative cover. Other shrubs that may be present include Rosa woodsii, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Artemisia frigida, Amelanchier alnifolia, Mahonia repens, and Juniperus horizontalis. Herbaceous cover ranges from 40-100% with very high species diversity. Stands at lower elevations have 90-100% herbaceous cover, while higher elevation areas have 40-70% total herbaceous cover. Festuca campestris is the highest of all herbaceous species at 30% average cover. Other high-constancy (>20%) herbaceous species include Pseudoroegneria spicata (= Agropyron spicatum), Bouteloua gracilis, Gaillardia aristata, Lupinus sericeus, Fragaria virginiana, Festuca idahoensis, Penstemon confertus, Galium boreale, Potentilla gracilis, Anemone multifida, Achillea millefolium, and Cerastium arvense. Herbaceous species with lower constancy include Koeleria macrantha, Hedysarum sulphurescens, Agoseris glauca, Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida, Danthonia parryi and/or Danthonia intermedia, and the exotic grass Phleum pratense. Presence of Danthonia intermedia may be an indicator of more mesic sites with higher productivity.
Dynamics: Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda will increase in abundance with heavy grazing, and Festuca campestris and Pseudoroegneria spicata will decrease with heavy grazing.
Environmental Description: It usually occurs on gently sloping or rolling topography to somewhat steep slopes (1-45%) at elevations between 1360-2010 m (4400-6600 feet). Stands tend to occur on south-facing low and midslopes but can occur on all aspects, and on basin floors. Soil textures are sandy loam, loam or silty clay loam. Soils are moderately deep, moderately to well-drained with 10- to 18-inch rooting depth, and are derived from glacial-fluvial deposits of siltstone, limestone or sandstone parent materials. Surface rock can be abundant, but little bare ground is exposed. Argillite and limestone rock and gravel are common in the soil profile. Litter may dominate the ground surface, ranging between 6-45%. Small rock, bare soil, and moss are consistently common in most occurrences.
Geographic Range: This association is known from western Montana, southwestern Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: AB, MT, SK
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683411
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass | S18 | 2.B |
| Formation | 2.B.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation | F012 | 2.B.2 |
| Division | 2.B.2.Nf Western North American Grassland & Shrubland Division | D022 | 2.B.2.Nf |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.2.Nf.2 Saskatoon Serviceberry / Idaho Fescue - Bluebunch Wheatgrass Grassland & Shrubland Macrogroup | M048 | 2.B.2.Nf.2 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nf.2.c Rough Fescue - Idaho Fescue - Bluebunch Wheatgrass Central Rocky Mountain Foothill Grassland Group | G273 | 2.B.2.Nf.2.c |
| Alliance | A4096 Shrubby-cinquefoil / Prairie Fescue - Idaho Fescue Shrub-steppe Alliance | A4096 | 2.B.2.Nf.2.c |
| Association | CEGL001503 Shrubby-cinquefoil / Rough Fescue Shrub Grassland | CEGL001503 | 2.B.2.Nf.2.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda / Festuca campestris Shrub Herbaceous Vegetation (Reid et al. 2004)
= Potentilla fruticosa /Festuca scabrella habitat type (Mueggler and Stewart 1980) [(p.60)]
= Potentilla fruticosa /Festuca scabrella habitat type (Mueggler and Stewart 1980) [(p.60)]
- ANHIC [Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre]. 2018. Community database files. Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre, Parks and Protected Areas Division, Alberta Community Development, Edmonton.
- 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.
- Hop, K., M. Reid, J. Dieck, S. Lubinski, and S. Cooper. 2007. U.S. Geological Survey-National Park Service Vegetation Mapping Program: Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI. 131 pp. plus Appendices A-L.
- MTNHP [Montana Natural Heritage Program]. 2002b. List of ecological communities for Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana State Library, Helena, MT.
- Mueggler, W. F., and W. L. Stewart. 1980. Grassland and shrubland habitat types of western Montana. General Technical Report INT-66. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT. 154 pp.
- Reid, M. S., S. V. Cooper, and G. Kittel. 2004. Vegetation classification of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Final report for USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, International Peace Park Mapping Project. NatureServe, Arlington VA.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.