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CEGL002644 Populus angustifolia / Crataegus rivularis Riparian Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Narrowleaf Cottonwood / River Hawthorn Riparian Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This riparian woodland association is found on the lower slopes (2400-2500 m elevation) of the San Juan Mountains and along wide, sinuous tributaries of the San Miguel and Yampa rivers in western Colorado. Stands occur away from the main channel along dry back channels or ephemeral streams in sandy clay soils. This open to moderately dense deciduous woodland is characterized by mature Populus angustifolia trees (10-57% cover) in the overstory and dense stands of Crataegus rivularis (10-70% cover) in the understory. Tree canopy often includes other species, such as Pinus ponderosa, Quercus gambelii, and Pseudotsuga menziesii. The shrub canopy is usually diverse, with no single species codominant in all stands. Common shrubs include Rosa woodsii, Cornus sericea, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius, and several Salix species, including Salix bebbiana, Salix ligulifolia, and Salix monticola. Forb and graminoid cover is minimal due to dry soil conditions.
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 deciduous woodland association is characterized an open to dense (10-65% cover) tree canopy dominated by Populus angustifolia with a dense short-shrub layer dominated by Crataegus rivularis (10-70% cover) (Kittel et al. 1999b, Carsey et al. 2003a). Tree canopy often includes other species, such as Pinus ponderosa, Quercus gambelii, and Pseudotsuga menziesii. The shrub canopy is usually diverse, with no single species codominant in all stands. Common shrubs include Rosa woodsii, Ribes inerme, Amelanchier alnifolia, Cornus sericea, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius, and several Salix species, including Salix bebbiana, Salix ligulifolia (= Salix eriocephala var. ligulifolia), and Salix monticola. Graminoid and forb cover is typically low due to dry soil conditions. Frequent species are Carex praegracilis, Delphinium nuttallianum, Iris missouriensis, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis (= Juncus balticus), Maianthemum stellatum, Osmorhiza depauperata, Rudbeckia laciniata, Thalictrum fendleri, and Thermopsis montana. Introduced species Bromus inermis, Melilotus officinalis, Phleum pratense, Poa pratensis and Taraxacum officinale are common.
Dynamics: The abundance of Crataegus rivularis may indicate a late-seral stage of these riparian narrowleaf cottonwood stands (Carsey et al. 2003a).
Environmental Description: This riparian woodland association is found on the lower slopes of the San Juan Mountains and along sinuous tributaries of the San Miguel and Yampa rivers in moderate to wide valleys in western Colorado. Elevation ranges from 2100-2500 m (6900-8000 feet). Stands generally occur away from the immediate streambank in moderately wide valleys on relatively dry riparian sites and along ephemeral streams and dry back channels, where surface flooding is likely infrequent (Kittel et al. 1999b, Carsey et al. 2003a). Stream channels are wide and moderately to highly sinuous (Rosgen''s Channel Type: B3 and C6) (Rosgen 1996). Soils include sandy clays, silty clay loams, loamy sands, sandy loams, and highly stratified alluvium.
Geographic Range: This type is documented only in western Colorado within the southern Rocky Mountains and eastern Colorado Plateau.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684957
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2?
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 | A3759 Narrowleaf Cottonwood Riparian Forest Alliance | A3759 | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a |
| Association | CEGL002644 Narrowleaf Cottonwood / River Hawthorn Riparian Woodland | CEGL002644 | 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: >< Populus angustifolia / Amelanchier alnifolia / Smilacina stellata Habitat Type, Crataegus rivularis - Cornus sericea phase (Hess and Wasser 1982)
? Populus angustifolia / Amelanchier species Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Populus angustifolia / Crataegus rivularis Woodland (Carsey et al. 2003b)
= Populus angustifolia / Crataegus rivularis Woodland (Carsey et al. 2003a)
= Populus angustifolia / Crataegus rivularis Woodland (Kittel et al. 1999b)
? Populus angustifolia / Amelanchier species Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Populus angustifolia / Crataegus rivularis Woodland (Carsey et al. 2003b)
= Populus angustifolia / Crataegus rivularis Woodland (Carsey et al. 2003a)
= Populus angustifolia / Crataegus rivularis Woodland (Kittel et al. 1999b)
- CNHP [Colorado Natural Heritage Program]. 2006-2017. Tracked natural plant communities. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. [https://cnhp.colostate.edu/ourdata/trackinglist/plant_communities/]
- Carsey, K., D. Cooper, K. Decker, D. Culver, and G. Kittel. 2003b. Statewide wetlands classification and characterization: Wetland plant associations of Colorado. Prepared for Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Denver, by Colorado Natural Heritage Program, College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. 79 pp. [http://www.cnhp.colostate.edu/documents/2003/wetland_classification_final_report_2003.pdf]
- Carsey, K., G. Kittel, K. Decker, D. J. Cooper, and D. Culver. 2003a. Field guide to the wetland and riparian plant associations of Colorado. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Fort Collins, CO.
- Coles, J., A. Tendick, J. Von Loh, G. Bradshaw, G. Manis, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, and A. Evenden. 2010. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR--2010/361. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
- Hess, K., and C. H. Wasser. 1982. Grassland, shrubland, and forest habitat types of the White River-Arapaho National Forest. Unpublished final report 53-82 FT-1-19. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 335 pp.
- Johnston, B. C. 1987. Plant associations of Region Two: Potential plant communities of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas. R2-ECOL-87-2. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Lakewood, CO. 429 pp.
- Kittel, G., E. Van Wie, M. Damm, R. Rondeau, S. Kettler, A. McMullen, and J. Sanderson. 1999b. A classification of riparian and wetland plant associations of Colorado: A user''s guide to the classification project. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO. 70 pp. plus appendices.
- Kittel, G., E. Van Wie, M. Damm, R. Rondeau, S. Kettler, and J. Sanderson. 1999a. A classification of the riparian plant associations of the Rio Grande and Closed Basin watersheds, Colorado. Unpublished report prepared by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
- Reid, M. 1990. Yampa River Basin riparian vegetation classification project. Unpublished data prepared for The Nature Conservancy, Colorado Field Office and Western Heritage Task Force, Boulder, CO.
- Richard, C., G. Kittel, and S. Kettler. 1996. A classification of the riparian vegetation of the San Juan National Forest. Draft 1 report. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
- Rosgen, D. 1996. Applied river morphology. Wildland Hydrology, Pagosa Springs, CO.
- Tendick, A., J. Coles, P. Williams, G. Bradshaw, G. Manis, A. Wight, G. Wakefield, and A. Evenden. 2010. Vegetation classification and mapping project report, Curecanti National Recreation Area. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCPN/NRTR--2010/408. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 797 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.