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CEGL000940 Populus deltoides ssp. wislizeni / Rhus trilobata Riparian Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Rio Grande Cottonwood / Skunkbush Sumac Riparian Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This woodland association is documented from the Colorado, Yampa and San Miguel/Dolores river basins in western Colorado and northeastern Utah below 1680 m (5500 feet) in elevation. An ecologically similar association with a different subspecies of cottonwood, Populus deltoides ssp. monilifera, is known from southeastern Colorado. Both of these associations represent a late-seral stage of maturing cottonwoods. The trees are usually large and widely spaced with thick patches of Rhus trilobata in between and underneath the overstory canopy. Populus deltoides ssp. wislizeni with a Rhus trilobata understory form this late-seral plant association. Populus angustifolia becomes an important overstory component at higher elevations in the Colorado River basin. Other shrubs commonly present are Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Cornus sericea, Chrysothamnus linifolius, Symphoricarpos spp., Shepherdia argentea, Tamarix ramosissima (an exotic), and Salix exigua. The forb understory is usually sparse and consists mainly of Cirsium arvense (an exotic), Asclepias speciosa, and Melilotus officinalis (another exotic). Graminoid cover ranges from 10-30% and consists mostly of introduced species such as Poa pratensis, Bromus inermis, and Elymus repens.
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 dominated by broad-leaved deciduous species, both in the tree canopy and shrub layer. Populus deltoides ssp. wislizeni dominates the canopy, with cover varying from 15% to over 50%. Older, more mature stands will be characterized by a few large (up to 1 m dbh) trees with less canopy cover but large basal areas. Other trees occasionally present include Populus angustifolia and Populus x acuminata. The understory has a shrub layer also of varying cover but characterized by the presence of Rhus trilobata. Density and cover of shrubs, including Rhus, are related to the degree of livestock grazing, the age of the stand, and the density of the tree canopy. Middle-aged stands have dense Rhus cover, while in older stands individual shrubs are widely spaced. Other shrubs commonly present include Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Chrysothamnus linifolius, Forestiera pubescens, Rosa woodsii, and Symphoricarpos occidentalis, and the woody liana Clematis ligusticifolia. The herbaceous layer is generally sparse to moderately so, with an average cover less than 30%. Species composition varies somewhat, and many stands have abundant introduced grass species. Graminoids present in relatively undisturbed stands may include Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis (= Juncus balticus), Carex nebrascensis, Eleocharis palustris, Distichlis spicata, Elymus trachycaulus, and Hordeum jubatum. Forbs are sparse. Most (and maybe all) stands of this association have been severely impacted by livestock use and can have abundant introduced herbaceous species, particularly the grasses Elymus repens (= Elytrigia repens), Bromus inermis, and Poa pratensis, and the forb Melilotus officinalis. The low shrub Symphoricarpos occidentalis may be abundant in undisturbed stands.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This type is found along moderately large, snow-fed rivers on the west slope of Colorado and adjacent Utah, from roughly 1370 to 1720 m (4500-5640 feet) elevation. Climate is continental, with hot summers and cold winters. Precipitation is less than 38.1 cm (15 inches) annually. Sites where this association occurs vary from point bars and other depositional features (early-seral stands) to alluvial terraces (mature stands) that may be many meters away from the main channel and several meters above the high-water mark. It also occurs in depressions associated with upland springs. Mature cottonwoods are able to tap deeper water tables than seedlings. Soils are derived from alluvium and are deep, stratified sandy loams with cobbles. Point bars within the channels are composed of fresh alluvial sands and gravels.
Geographic Range: This woodland association is documented from the Colorado, Yampa, and San Miguel/Dolores river basins in western Colorado and adjacent Utah.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, UT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684223
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.Nd Western North American Interior Flooded Forest Division | D013 | 1.B.3.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.3.Nd.2 Interior Warm & Cool Desert Riparian Forest Macrogroup | M036 | 1.B.3.Nd.2 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nd.2.b Western Interior Riparian Forest & Woodland Group | G797 | 1.B.3.Nd.2.b |
| Alliance | A3798 Rio Grande Cottonwood - Plains Cottonwood - Peachleaf Willow Riparian Woodland Alliance | A3798 | 1.B.3.Nd.2.b |
| Association | CEGL000940 Rio Grande Cottonwood / Skunkbush Sumac Riparian Woodland | CEGL000940 | 1.B.3.Nd.2.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Populus deltoides / Rhus trilobata Woodland (Carsey et al. 2003a)
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- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.