Print Report

CEGL001205 Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Wet Shrubland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Geyer''s Willow / Bluejoint Wet Shrubland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This riparian shrubland often forms large expanses of willows on broad montane valley floors. Stands have a 2- to 3-m tall, cold-deciduous shrub canopy that is dominated by Salix geyeriana. The ground is usually hummocky with a dense herbaceous layer that is dominated by the perennial graminoid Calamagrostis canadensis. These shrublands are often associated with beaver-created wetlands. This shrubland generally occurs on broad, flat mountain valleys where the valley gradient is not more than 5% between 1585 and 3050 m (5200-10,000 feet) in elevation. It is known from Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado. This is a tall, cold-deciduous willow shrubland with an open canopy of Salix geyeriana. The stands are generally open with only 40% cover but can occur with a near-continuous canopy. A shorter shrub layer is often present, these generally tucked underneath the taller willows, even in more open stands, although short shrubs away from the taller canopy are not unexpected. Common coexisting tall shrubs include Salix boothii and Salix drummondiana. Common shorter shrub species include Salix planifolia, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Lonicera involucrata, Ribes lacustre, and Betula glandulosa. The undergrowth is a very thick carpet of graminoids dominated by Calamagrostis canadensis. Carex aquatilis and Carex utriculata are often present but never in as great abundance as Calamagrostis canadensis. Bromus ciliatus, Poa pratensis, Deschampsia cespitosa, and Phleum alpinum are also commonly encountered. Forbs contribute very little to the overall biomass but are always present in small amounts. No species are consistently present, but often seen species include Geum macrophyllum, Thalictrum fendleri, Heracleum maximum, and Fragaria virginiana.

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 is a tall, cold-deciduous willow shrubland with an open canopy of Salix geyeriana. The stands are generally open with only 40% cover but can occur with a near-continuous canopy. A shorter shrub layer is often present, these generally tucked underneath the taller willows, even in more open stands, although short shrubs away from the taller canopy are not unexpected. Common coexisting tall shrubs include Salix boothii and Salix drummondiana. Common shorter shrub species include Salix planifolia, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda), Lonicera involucrata, Ribes lacustre, and Betula glandulosa. The undergrowth is a very thick carpet of graminoids dominated by Calamagrostis canadensis. Carex aquatilis and Carex utriculata are often present but never in as great abundance as Calamagrostis canadensis. Bromus ciliatus, Poa pratensis, Deschampsia cespitosa, and Phleum alpinum are also commonly encountered. Forbs contribute very little to the overall biomass but are always present in small amounts. No species are consistently present, but often seen species include Geum macrophyllum, Thalictrum fendleri, Heracleum maximum, and Fragaria virginiana.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This shrubland generally occurs on broad, flat mountain valleys where the valley gradient is not more than 5% between 1585 and 3050 m (5200-10,000 feet) in elevation. It is known from Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada and Colorado. It is often associated with active and abandoned beaver ponds and dams and can also occupy wet soils around seeps and springs. Typically it occurs on flat, broad floodplains, but it has been seen in narrow valleys and long narrow streambanks as well. Soils are generally fine silty loams with considerable organic matter. The stands often have hummocky microtopography differentiating the very wet-tolerant herbaceous species from the less wet species.
Geographic Range: It is known from Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Colorado.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WY


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G5

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 A3769 Booth''s Willow - Geyer''s Willow - Yellow Willow Montane Wet Shrubland Alliance A3769 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Association CEGL001205 Geyer''s Willow / Bluejoint Wet Shrubland CEGL001205 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: = Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Association (Crowe et al. 2004) [p.272.]
= Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Walford et al. 2001) [p.83.]
= Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Tuhy and Jensen 1982) [p.85.]
= Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Padgett et al. 1989) [p.68.]
= Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Youngblood et al. 1985a) [p.32.]
= Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Mutz and Queiroz 1983) [p.71.]
< Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Hall and Hansen 1997) [p.201. Stands are dominated by Salix geyeriana, Salix boothii, or both.]
< Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Ecological Type (Girard et al. 1997) [p.154. Stands may be dominated by Salix geyeriana or Salix planifolia.]
< Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Habitat Type (Hansen et al. 1995) [p.297. Stands may be dominated by either Salix geyeriana or Salix boothii, or both.]
= Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Shrubland (Carsey et al. 2003a) [p.210.]
= Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis (Kittel et al. 1999b)
< Salix geyeriana / Mesic Graminoid Community Type (Manning and Padgett 1995) [p.117. Understory may be dominated by graminoids other than Calamagrostis canadensis.]
= Salix spp. / Calamagrostis canadensis (Crowe and Clausnitzer 1997) [p.116.]
= Geyer willow/bluejoint reedgrass (Salix geyeriana/Calamagrostis canadensis) Plant Association (Kittel et al. 1999a)
Concept Author(s): Western Ecology Group

Author of Description: G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 06-16-05
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