Print Report

CEGL002653 Betula glandulosa / Mesic Forbs - Mesic Graminoids Wet Shrubland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Resin Birch / Mesic Forbs - Mesic Graminoids Wet Shrubland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: Most stands of this association occur in subalpine meadows and willow communities in Colorado and Wyoming. It grows in areas where soils are saturated from snowmelt runoff for a significant part of the growing season, often on fens or bogs, where the vegetation receives water from seeps and springs. Elevational range is 2600-3000 m (8500-10,000 feet). Betula glandulosa dominates the canopy with 20-80% cover. Due to their small size, Betula glandulosa patches often intergrade with surrounding communities. Other shrubs present include 0-20% cover each of Salix planifolia, Salix monticola, Salix wolfii, and Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, and 0-10% cover each of Salix brachycarpa and Lonicera involucrata. The herbaceous undergrowth grows on small hummocks and is usually dominated by a dense mixture of mesic forbs and mesic graminoids. Mesic graminoids include Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex aquatilis, Carex norvegica, Carex utriculata, and Deschampsia cespitosa. Forb species with lower cover include Chamerion angustifolium, Caltha leptosepala, Conioselinum scopulorum, Ligusticum filicinum, Angelica pinnata, Mertensia ciliata, and Thalictrum alpinum.

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 wetland association is characterized by a moderately dense to dense low-shrub canopy dominated by Betula glandulosa with 20-80% cover. Due to their small size, Betula glandulosa patches often intergrade with surrounding communities. Other shrubs present with less than 20% cover each are Salix monticola, Salix planifolia, Salix wolfii, or Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda), and less than 10% cover each are Cornus sericea, Lonicera involucrata, Menziesia ferruginea (in northern Wyoming), Ribes lacustre, Rubus parviflorus, Salix brachycarpa, Sorbus scopulina, and Spiraea splendens. Occasional trees and shrub of Picea engelmannii and Pinus contorta may be present in some stands. The herbaceous undergrowth grows on small hummocks and is usually dominated by a dense and often diverse mixture of mesic forbs and mesic graminoids (Kittel et al. 1999b, Carsey et al. 2003a, 2003b). Mesic graminoids include Bromus ciliatus, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex aquatilis, Carex norvegica, Carex utriculata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca brachyphylla, Fragaria virginiana, Juncus drummondii, Trisetum spicatum, and Trisetum wolfii. Forb species may include low to moderate cover of Angelica pinnata, Athyrium filix-femina, Caltha leptosepala, Chamerion angustifolium (= Epilobium angustifolium), Conioselinum scopulorum, Erigeron peregrinus, Ligusticum spp., Mertensia ciliata, Parnassia fimbriata, Pedicularis groenlandica, Polygonum viviparum, Potentilla diversifolia, Rhodiola rhodantha, Sibbaldia procumbens, Streptopus amplexifolius, and Thalictrum alpinum.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This low shrubland association occurs in upper subalpine and lower alpine zones in the southern Rocky Mountains and Teton Range between 2500 and 3520 m (8200-11,540 feet) elevation in Colorado and is reported from 2430 m (7973 feet) in northwestern Wyoming. Stands are found on flat to moderate sloping mountain valleys, bottomlands, benches, and low slopes. They are often patchy and occur intermixed with willow shrublands and wet sedge meadows, forming complex wetland mosaics (Kittel et al. 1999b, Carsey et al. 2003a, 2003b). Sites are saturated from snowmelt runoff for a significant part of the growing season or occur as groundwater-fed fens where the vegetation receives water from seeps and springs, but also include steep, north-facing avalanche chutes. Soils are generally deep, poorly drained peat or muck soils but include moderately deep mineral soils of silty clay loams over gravels to well-drained sandy loams. Water table depth is 25-120 cm. Ground cover typically has high cover (to 70%) of litter and duff and mosses and liverworts, and occasionally has high cover of large rock and bedrock.
Geographic Range: This shrubland association is found in the upper subalpine and lower alpine zones in the southern Rocky Mountains and Teton Range from central Colorado to northwestern Wyoming.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CO, WY


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Nb Western North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D031 2.C.4.Nb
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nb.5 Sitka Alder - Booth''s Willow / Northwest Territory Sedge Montane Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M893 2.C.4.Nb.5
Group 2.C.4.Nb.5.d Willow species - Alder species - Water Birch Riparian & Seep Shrubland Group G527 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Alliance A3770 Wolf''s Willow - Short-fruit Willow - Resin Birch Wet Shrubland Alliance A3770 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Association CEGL002653 Resin Birch / Mesic Forbs - Mesic Graminoids Wet Shrubland CEGL002653 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Betula glandulosa (=Betula nana) / Mesic Forb - Mesic Graminoid Shrubland (Carsey et al. 2003b)
>< Betula glandulosa / Carex rostrata Habitat Type (Hansen et al. 1995)
= Betula glandulosa / Carex scopulorum Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Betula glandulosa / Mesic Forb - Mesic Graminoid Plant Association (Kittel et al. 1999b)
= Betula nana (= glandulosa) / Mesic Forb - Mesic Graminoid Shrubland (Carsey et al. 2003a)
Concept Author(s): Western Ecology Group

Author of Description: K.A. Schulz

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-23-09
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