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CEGL000905 Pseudotsuga menziesii / Piptatheropsis micrantha Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Douglas-fir / Little-seed Ricegrass Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This woodland occurs in the Missouri River Breaks south of the Little Rocky Mountains in Phillips County, north-central Montana. Pseudotsuga menziesii is the climax tree species, and Pinus ponderosa is common in seral stands. Juniperus scopulorum and Symphoricarpos occidentalis are common in the understory. Piptatheropsis micrantha and species of moss are common in the ground layer. This vegetation is found only on cool, moist slopes. Soils are presumably derived from shales and sandstones.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Roberts et al. (1979a) call this type Pseudotsuga menziesii / Muhlenbergia cuspidata Habitat Type because they misidentified Oryzopsis micrantha as Muhlenbergia cuspidata (B. Heidel, MTNHP, pers. comm.). In general, this community appears to be a distinctive plant association of restricted range at the eastern edge of the distribution of Pseudotsuga menziesii. Roberts et al. (1979a) state that canopy closure occurs in climax stands, so perhaps forest would be the more appropriate class.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This is an open woodland association, dominated by the evergreen needle-leaved tree Pseudotsuga menziesii which is the climax dominant (mean canopy cover 18%), and canopy closure will occur in climax stands. Pinus ponderosa shares canopy dominance (5%) in seral stands that have not yet closed. It regenerates only following disturbances such as fire or logging. Mean maximum height for Pinus ponderosa and Pseudotsuga menziesii is 14 m (46 feet). The shrub layer is dominated by Juniperus scopulorum (40%) and Symphoricarpos occidentalis (7%); Rosa spp., Ribes spp., and Rhus aromatica are other common shrubs. The ground layer is dominated by Piptatheropsis micrantha (= Oryzopsis micrantha) (29%) and species of moss; other common species include Pseudoroegneria spicata, Achillea millefolium, and Solidago missouriensis (Roberts et al. 1979a).
Dynamics: Roberts et al. (1979a) report that fires occur at a low frequency. Of the 14 stands they sampled, nine showed no evidence of multiple fire-scarred trees or of buried charcoal.
Environmental Description: This association is found within the Glaciated Missouri Plateau section of the Great Plains, a region within the southern limit of continental glaciation during the last ice age. These plains consist of relatively flat to gently rolling sedimentary (especially shale) and glacial till surfaces modified by stream erosion. Sharply dissected badlands topography occurs along the Missouri River where this association is found. The slopes are moderately steep and unstable, and drainage density is high near the Missouri. This association is restricted to moist sites on moderate to steep slopes of northwestern to northeastern aspects (Roberts et al. 1979a), from 820 to 975 m (2700-3200 feet) elevation. Parent materials in the Breaks are shales, and due the erodibility of the slopes, shale is exposed over large areas. Soils are primarily clay loam or sandy clay badland Entisols derived from soft shales and some sandstones (Montagne et al. 1982). The climate of the region is semi-arid. Mean annual precipitation is 36 cm (14 inches), but can vary from 28 to over 50 cm (11-20 inches). A large proportion of the precipitation falls during the summer months. Temperatures are extreme in both summer and winter; the region is often impacted by cold Arctic air masses in the winter.
Geographic Range: This community is common in a section of the Missouri River Breaks south of the Little Rocky Mountains in Phillips County, Montana. This type was not found in the breaks near the confluence with the Musselshell River (Roberts et al. 1979a).
Nations: US
States/Provinces: MT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684497
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2Q
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.2 Ponderosa Pine - Douglas-fir - Limber Pine Central Rocky Mountain Dry Forest Macrogroup | M501 | 1.B.2.Nb.2 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.2.c Douglas-fir Middle Rocky Mountain Montane Forest & Woodland Group | G215 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.c |
| Alliance | A3463 Douglas-fir Middle Rocky Mountain Mesic-Wet Forest Alliance | A3463 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.c |
| Association | CEGL000905 Douglas-fir / Little-seed Ricegrass Woodland | CEGL000905 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pseudotsuga menziesii / Muhlenbergia cuspidata Habitat Type (Roberts et al. 1979a) [Roberts et al. (1979) called this type Pseudotsuga menziesii / Muhlenbergia cuspidata Habitat Type because they misidentified Oryzopsis micrantha as Muhlenbergia cuspidata (B. Heidel, MTNHP, pers. comm.).]
- Hansen, P. L., G. R. Hoffman, and A. J. Bjugstad. 1984. The vegetation of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota: A habitat type classification. General Technical Report RM-113. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 35 pp.
- Hansen, P. L., and G. R. Hoffman. 1988. The vegetation of the Grand River/Cedar River, Sioux, and Ashland districts of the Custer National Forest: A habitat type classification. General Technical Report RM-157. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 68 pp.
- MTNHP [Montana Natural Heritage Program]. 2002b. List of ecological communities for Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana State Library, Helena, MT.
- Montagne, C., L. C. Munn, G. A. Nielsen, J. W. Rogers, and H. E. Hunter. 1982. Soils of Montana. Bulletin 744, Montana Agricultural Experiment Station, Montana State University, Bozeman.
- Roberts, D. W. 1980. Forest habitat types of the Bear''s Paw Mountains and Little Rocky Mountains, Montana. Unpublished thesis, Department of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula. 116 pp.
- Roberts, D. W., J. I. Sibbernsen, and R. D. Pfister. 1979a. Forest and woodland habitat types of northcentral Montana. Volume 2: The Missouri River Breaks. Unpublished report prepared by University of Montana, School of Forestry. IFRES YA-512-CT6-B4. Prepared for the USDI Bureau of Land Management State Office, Research Division, Billings, MT. 24 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.