Print Report
CEGL000361 Picea engelmannii / Eleocharis quinqueflora Swamp Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Engelmann Spruce / Few-flower Spikerush Swamp Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is common throughout the Cascade Range of Oregon at moderately high elevations. It is rare eastward (though all of the sample sites used for this description are from east of the Cascades). Bogs develop in basin landforms within zones of abundant rainfall on flat, poorly drained sites that support cold, water-saturated soil development. Coastal-influenced wet climate and irregular, glaciated topography help create sites favorable for bog development in the Cascade Range. Eastward these requirements are met only at locations such as Pisgah Meadows (Ochoco National Forest), the headwaters of Jack Creek (Winema National Forest), and in the vicinity of Gearheart and Yamsay mountains (Fremont National Forest). Soils range from sedge to sphagnum and moss peats. Peat formation is due to slow plant decomposition on water-logged sites. Low dissolved oxygen and water temperatures, lack of fluctuation in the water table and water temperature, plus concentration of organic and mineral acids (tannins, etc.) in the water table all contribute to slow decomposition of plant residues and peat accumulates. The soil surface is saturated through most of the summer. Available water-holding capacity is very high. Vegetative composition is variable on these undulating sites. Trees, shrubs, grasses, and taller sedges dominate hummocks, while Eleocharis quinqueflora, Carex limosa, Drosera anglica, and aquatic plants such as Menyanthes trifoliata or Utricularia spp. dominate the water paths. Pinus contorta and Picea engelmannii are codominant in the Cascade Range. Eastward, Picea engelmannii is usually absent. Dwarfed shrubs, especially Betula nana, Vaccinium uliginosum, Salix boothii, Salix commutata, Salix eastwoodiae, Kalmia microphylla, and Lonicera caerulea, are common and may dominate the ground cover. Eleocharis quinqueflora and mosses are conspicuous in the herb layer. Deschampsia cespitosa and Muhlenbergia filiformis are present on many plots. Other grasses are inconspicuous. Normally robust sedges, such as Carex aquatilis var. aquatilis, Carex aquatilis var. dives, Carex angustata, Carex utriculata, or Carex scopulorum, are dwarfed, scattered, and lack vigor but can have fair canopy cover (7-15%). Which sedge is present depends on the geographic and elevational position of the stand. Carex jonesii, Carex limosa, and Carex echinata are characteristic bog graminoids. The rich variety of forbs includes Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. foliaceum, Fragaria virginiana, Platanthera dilatata, Pedicularis groenlandica, Saxifraga oregana, Trifolium longipes, Dodecatheon spp., Triantha sp., Equisetum arvense, Mimulus primuloides, and Polygonum bistortoides.
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: [From Crowe et al. (2004)]: Vegetative composition is variable on these undulating sites. Trees, shrubs, grasses, and taller sedges dominate hummocks, while Eleocharis quinqueflora, Carex limosa, Drosera anglica, and aquatic plants such as Menyanthes trifoliata or Utricularia spp. dominate the water paths. Pinus contorta and Picea engelmannii are codominant in the Cascade Range. Eastward, Picea engelmannii is usually absent. Dwarfed shrubs, especially Betula nana, Vaccinium uliginosum, Salix boothii, Salix commutata, Salix eastwoodiae, Kalmia microphylla, and Lonicera caerulea, are common and may dominate the ground cover. Eleocharis quinqueflora and mosses are conspicuous in the herb layer. Deschampsia cespitosa and Muhlenbergia filiformis are present on many plots. Other grasses are inconspicuous. Normally robust sedges, such as Carex aquatilis var. aquatilis, Carex aquatilis var. dives, Carex angustata, Carex utriculata, or Carex scopulorum, are dwarfed, scattered, and lack vigor but can have fair canopy cover (7-15%). Which sedge is present depends on the geographic and elevational position of the stand. Carex jonesii, Carex limosa, and Carex echinata are characteristic bog graminoids. The rich variety of forbs includes Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. foliaceum, Fragaria virginiana, Platanthera dilatata (= Habenaria dilatata), Pedicularis groenlandica, Saxifraga oregana, Trifolium longipes, Dodecatheon spp., Triantha sp. (= Tofieldia sp.), Equisetum arvense, Mimulus primuloides, and Polygonum bistortoides.
Dynamics: From Crowe et al. (2004): Wildfire is infrequent in bogs (100-300 year frequency). Species composition will remain relatively the same following cool fires except for a reduction in conifers. The shrubs will resprout from stem bases, while the various graminoids and forbs will regenerate from roots, rhizomes, and corms. Peat soils are flammable when dry, and deeply burning fires will restrict the regeneration of most plants by destroying their roots. Long periods of drought may dry the soil surface, starting a trend where decomposition exceeds buildup or where fire lowers the soil surface. However, in the long run these bog sites are self-perpetuating. The eventual long-term potential is a larger, deeper bog and not forest.
Environmental Description: From Crowe et al. (2004): This association is common throughout the Cascade Range of Oregon at moderately high elevations. It is rare eastward (though all of the sample sites used for this description are from east of the Cascades). Bogs develop in basin landforms within zones of abundant rainfall on flat, poorly drained sites that support cold, water-saturated soil development (Gorham 1957). Coastal-influenced wet climate and irregular, glaciated topography help create sites favorable for bog development in the Cascade Range. Eastward these requirements are met only at locations such as Pisgah Meadows (Ochoco National Forest), the headwaters of Jack Creek (Winema National Forest), and in the vicinity of Gearheart and Yamsay mountains (Fremont National Forest). Soils range from sedge to sphagnum and moss peats. Peat formation is due to slow plant decomposition on water-logged sites (Gorham 1957). Low dissolved oxygen and water temperatures, lack of fluctuation in the water table and water temperature, plus concentration of organic and mineral acids (tannins, etc.) in the water table all contribute to slow decomposition of plant residues and peat accumulates. The soil surface is saturated through most of the summer. Available water-holding capacity is very high.
Geographic Range: This association is common throughout the Cascade Range of Oregon at moderately high elevations.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: OR
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683743
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.3 Temperate Flooded & Swamp Forest Formation | F026 | 1.B.3 |
| Division | 1.B.3.Nc Rocky Mountain-Great Basin Montane Flooded & Swamp Forest Division | D195 | 1.B.3.Nc |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.3.Nc.1 Engelmann Spruce - Narrowleaf Cottonwood / Red-osier Dogwood Riparian & Swamp Forest Macrogroup | M034 | 1.B.3.Nc.1 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a Engelmann Spruce - Blue Spruce - Narrowleaf Cottonwood Riparian & Swamp Forest Group | G506 | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a |
| Alliance | A3757 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce Swamp Forest Alliance | A3757 | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a |
| Association | CEGL000361 Engelmann Spruce / Few-flower Spikerush Swamp Woodland | CEGL000361 | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Pinus contorta - Picea engelmannii / Eleocharis pauciflora (Kovalchik 1987) [(p.45)]
= Pinus contorta var. latifolia - Picea engelmannii / Eleocharis quinqueflora Association (Crowe et al. 2004)
= Pinus contorta var. latifolia - Picea engelmannii / Eleocharis quinqueflora Association (Crowe et al. 2004)
- 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.
- Crowe, E. A., B. L. Kovalchik, and M. J. Kerr. 2004. Riparian and wetland vegetation of central and eastern Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Institute for Natural Resources, Oregon State University, Portland. 473 pp. [http://oregonstate.edu/ornhic/ publications.html]
- Gorham, E. 1957. The chemical composition of lake waters in Nova Scotia. Limnology and Oceanography 2:12-21.
- Kagan, J. S., J. A. Christy, M. P. Murray, and J. A. Titus. 2004. Classification of native vegetation of Oregon. January 2004. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Portland. 52 pp.
- Kovalchik, B. L. 1987. Riparian zone associations - Deschutes, Ochoco, Fremont, and Winema national forests. Technical Paper 279-87. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR. 171 pp.
- Seyer, S. C. 1979. Vegetative ecology of a montane mire, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. Unpublished thesis, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 87 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.