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CEGL001432 Salix arctica - Salix nivalis Dwarf-shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Arctic Willow - Snow Willow Dwarf-shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This alpine dwarf-shrubland association occupies cold, mesic sites in the low alpine of Colorado and northern New Mexico. Stands of this association form in areas where snow accumulates and does not melt until late in the spring or early summer. Slopes range from gentle to very steep, and stands tend to occur in sheltered areas or on lee slopes. Elevations range from 3450 m (11,320 feet) in Colorado to over 3660 m (12,000 feet) in New Mexico. Frost-shattered bedrock or rocks are often exposed within stands. The vegetation is characterized by the presence of both Salix arctica and Salix nivalis; either species may be dominant, or they may be codominant. Herbaceous species present are variable and may include Artemisia scopulorum, Lloydia serotina, Polygonum viviparum, Saxifraga rhomboidea, Silene acaulis, Trifolium brandegeei, Trisetum spicatum, Festuca brachyphylla, Geum rossii, and Oreoxis bakeri. Mosses and lichens may have up to 30% total cover.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The precise relationship between this association and two closely related associations (~Salix arctica / Geum rossii Dwarf-shrubland (CEGL001430)$$ and ~Salix nivalis / Geum rossii Dwarf-shrubland (CEGL005936)$$) is unclear. This association is being separated from the other two based on the codominance of Salix nivalis and Salix arctica.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This dwarf-shrubland is characteristic of snowpatch sites in the low to mid-alpine. Although both Salix arctica or Salix nivalis are present, either may be dominant, or they may be codominant. Total dwarf-shrub cover may be as much as 50%. Herbaceous species present are variable and may include Artemisia scopulorum, Lloydia serotina, Polygonum viviparum, Saxifraga rhomboidea, Silene acaulis, Trifolium brandegeei, Trisetum spicatum, Festuca brachyphylla, Geum rossii, and Oreoxis bakeri. Mosses and lichens may have up to 30% total cover.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This alpine dwarf-shrubland association occupies cold, mesic sites in the low alpine of Colorado and northern New Mexico. Stands of this association form in areas where snow accumulates and does not melt until late in the spring or early summer. Slopes range from gentle to very steep, and stands tend to occur in sheltered areas or on lee slopes. Elevations range from 3450 m (11,320 feet) in Colorado to over 3660 m (12,000 feet) in New Mexico. Frost-shattered bedrock or rocks are often exposed within stands, covering up to 40% of the unvegetated surface. Mosses and lichens may also have significant cover.
Geographic Range: This association is known from the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado and northern New Mexico.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, NM
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684518
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2Q
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 4 Polar & High Montane Scrub, Grassland & Barrens Class | C04 | 4 |
| Subclass | 4.B Temperate to Polar Alpine & Tundra Vegetation Subclass | S12 | 4.B |
| Formation | 4.B.1 Temperate & Boreal Alpine Tundra Formation | F037 | 4.B.1 |
| Division | 4.B.1.Nb Western North American Alpine Tundra Division | D043 | 4.B.1.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 4.B.1.Nb.2 Eight-petal Mountain-avens - Blackroot Sedge - Moss Campion Alpine Tundra Macrogroup | M099 | 4.B.1.Nb.2 |
| Group | 4.B.1.Nb.2.a Eight-petal Mountain-avens - Mountain-heath species - Arctic Willow Alpine Dwarf-shrubland & Krummholz Group | G316 | 4.B.1.Nb.2.a |
| Alliance | A3176 Arctic Willow - Snow Willow - Netleaf Willow Alpine Dwarf-shrubland Alliance | A3176 | 4.B.1.Nb.2.a |
| Association | CEGL001432 Arctic Willow - Snow Willow Dwarf-shrubland | CEGL001432 | 4.B.1.Nb.2.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Salix arctica - Salix reticulata ssp. nivalis Plant Association (Baker 1984a)
= Dwarf Salix Community (Baker 1983a)
= Dwarf Salix Community (Baker 1983a)
- Baker, W. L. 1980a. Alpine vegetation of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, New Mexico: Gradient analysis and classification. Unpublished thesis, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 55 pp.
- Baker, W. L. 1983a. Alpine vegetation of Wheeler Peak, New Mexico, USA: Gradient analysis, classification, and biogeography. Arctic and Alpine Research 15(2):223-240.
- Baker, W. L. 1984a. A preliminary classification of the natural vegetation of Colorado. Great Basin Naturalist 44(4):647-676.
- 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.
- Salas, D., J. Stevens, and K. Schulz. 2005. USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Technical Memorandum No. 8260-05-02. USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO. 161 pp. plus Appendices A-L (733 pp.).
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.