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CEGL000525 Populus tremuloides - Abies lasiocarpa / Carex geyeri - Calamagrostis rubescens Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Quaking Aspen - Subalpine Fir / Geyer''s Sedge - Pinegrass Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This is a widely distributed forest association from Idaho and Wyoming to southern Utah. It is documented to occur between 1800 and 3000 m (6000-10,000 feet) elevation. This type occurs on gentle and moderately steep slopes and on igneous- and sedimentary-derived soils. In one stand soils are described as poorly drained silt loam with high organic matter. The prominence of either Carex geyeri or Calamagrostis rubescens in the herbaceous layer and the lack of a distinct shrub layer characterize the undergrowth of this type. The tree layer is a variable mixture of Populus tremuloides and either Abies lasiocarpa or Picea engelmannii or both. Other conifers may be present, including Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus contorta. Shrubs can occur within the type; no single characterizing species is prominent. Common shrub species present can be Symphoricarpos oreophilus, Lonicera utahensis, Rosa woodsii, and Mahonia repens. Additional herbaceous species include Elymus glaucus, Bromus ciliatus, Thalictrum fendleri, Achillea millefolium, Osmorhiza berteroi, Taraxacum officinale, Arnica cordifolia, Astragalus miser, Fragaria virginiana, Galium boreale, Geranium viscosissimum, and Lathyrus spp.
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: The prominence of either Carex geyeri or Calamagrostis rubescens in the herbaceous layer and the lack of a distinct shrub layer characterize the undergrowth of this type. The tree layer is a variable mixture of Populus tremuloides and either Abies lasiocarpa or Picea engelmannii or both. Other conifers may be present, including Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus contorta. Shrubs can occur within the type; no single characterizing species is prominent. Common shrub species present can be Symphoricarpos oreophilus, Lonicera utahensis, Rosa woodsii, and Mahonia repens. Additional herbaceous species include Elymus glaucus, Bromus ciliatus, Thalictrum fendleri, Achillea millefolium, Osmorhiza berteroi (= Osmorhiza chilensis), Taraxacum officinale, Arnica cordifolia, Astragalus miser, Fragaria virginiana, Galium boreale, Geranium viscosissimum, and Lathyrus spp.
Dynamics: This type is considered seral and will become dominated by Abies lasiocarpa with Picea engelmannii. In the southern part of the range it is considered part of the Abies lasiocarpa / Carex geyeri Habitat Type, and in the northern part of its range, part of the Abies lasiocarpa / Calamagrostis rubescens Habitat Type. Grazing will degrade the site and increase Taraxacum officinale, Astragalus miser, and Achillea millefolium (Mueggler 1988). Periodic fire will maintain this type as a mixed deciduous-conifer forest.
Environmental Description: This is a widely distributed forest association from Idaho and Wyoming to southern Utah. It is documented to occur between 1800 and 3000 m (6000-10,000 feet) elevation. This type occurs on gentle and moderately steep slopes and on igneous- and sedimentary-derived soils. In one stand soils are described as poorly drained silt loam with high organic matter.
Geographic Range: This forest association occurs from Idaho and Wyoming to southern Utah.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: ID, UT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683585
Confidence Level: Low
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 | A3645 Subalpine Fir - Quaking Aspen Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Forest Alliance | A3645 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
| Association | CEGL000525 Quaking Aspen - Subalpine Fir / Geyer''s Sedge - Pinegrass Forest | CEGL000525 | 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: = Populus tremuloides - Abies lasiocarpa / Carex geyeri Community Type (Mueggler 1988)
< Populus tremuloides - Abies lasiocarpa / Carex geyeri Community Type (Mueggler and Campbell 1986)
< Populus tremuloides - Abies lasiocarpa / Carex geyeri Community Type (Mueggler and Campbell 1986)
- 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.
- Cogan, D., K. Varga, and G. Kittel. 2005. USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program: Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Final Project Report 2002-2005 Vegetation Mapping Project. Technical Memorandum 8260-06-02. USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO. 87 pp. plus Appendixes A-F.
- Mueggler, W. F. 1988. Aspen community types of the Intermountain Region. General Technical Report INT-250. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT. 135 pp.
- Mueggler, W. F., and R. B. Campbell, Jr. 1986. Aspen community types of Utah. Research Paper INT-362. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT.
- WNDD [Wyoming Natural Diversity Database]. No date. Unpublished data on file. Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.