Print Report
CEGL000255 Abies concolor - Picea pungens - Populus angustifolia / Acer glabrum Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: White Fir - Blue Spruce - Narrowleaf Cottonwood / Rocky Mountain Maple Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This evergreen forest association is a rich, mixed conifer-deciduous forest occurring on active floodplains and streambanks of montane valley floors in Colorado and possibly New Mexico. The presence of Abies concolor distinguishes this community from the more common ~Populus angustifolia - Picea pungens / Alnus incana Riparian Woodland (CEGL000934)$$ and is indicative of the southern-most mountains in Colorado.
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 riparian forest association is dominated primarily by the evergreen needle-leaved trees Abies concolor and Picea pungens, with the broad-leaved deciduous tree Populus angustifolia always present as a codominant. The conifers average 40-45% cover, and Populus 15%. The understory has a well-developed tall-shrub layer, dominated by broad-leaved deciduous species. Acer glabrum is the most abundant, with 8% average cover. Other common shrubs include Alnus incana, Amelanchier utahensis, Cornus sericea (= Cornus stolonifera), Lonicera involucrata, and Rosa woodsii. The herbaceous layer is diverse and has many species with abundant cover, indicating relatively mesic conditions under the tree and shrub canopies. Most species are perennials; the graminoids include both grasses and sedges.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Found along streams and rivers in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, from 2040 to 2625 m (6700-8600 feet) elevation. Climate is continental and varied, with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation falls primarily as snow during the winter and spring, although summer convective showers make a significant contribution to the total. Sites are riparian, in valleys that tend to be broad and deep. Drainage basin area, length and relief are all relatively large; this association is found in lower montane valleys along higher order streams. Soils have not been described but can be expected to be derived from coarse-textured alluvium.
Geographic Range: This association appears to be restricted to a region of southern Colorado, and possibly northern New Mexico, with abundant precipitation at relatively low elevations.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, NM?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685602
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.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.1 White Fir - Douglas-fir - Blue Spruce Forest Macrogroup | M022 | 1.B.2.Nb.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.1.d White Fir - Blue Spruce - Douglas-fir Mesic Southern Rocky Mountain Forest Group | G225 | 1.B.2.Nb.1.d |
| Alliance | A3369 White Fir Southern Rocky Mountain Mesic Forest & Woodland Alliance | A3369 | 1.B.2.Nb.1.d |
| Association | CEGL000255 White Fir - Blue Spruce - Narrowleaf Cottonwood / Rocky Mountain Maple Forest | CEGL000255 | 1.B.2.Nb.1.d |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Abies concolor - (Picea pungens) - Populus angustifolia / Acer glabrum Forest (Carsey et al. 2003a)
= Abies concolor-(Picea pungens)-Populus angustifolia/Acer glabrum (Kittel et al. 1999b)
= White fir-Colorado blue spruce-narrowleaf cottonwood/Rocky Mountain Maple (Abies concolor-Picea pungens-Populus angustifolia/Acer glabrum) Plant Association (Kittel et al. 1999a)
= Abies concolor-(Picea pungens)-Populus angustifolia/Acer glabrum (Kittel et al. 1999b)
= White fir-Colorado blue spruce-narrowleaf cottonwood/Rocky Mountain Maple (Abies concolor-Picea pungens-Populus angustifolia/Acer glabrum) Plant Association (Kittel et al. 1999a)
- Baker, W. L. 1986a. Riparian vegetation of the montane and subalpine zones in west-central and southwestern Colorado: Final report prepared for The Nature Conservancy and Colorado Natural Areas Program, Boulder.
- Baker, W. L. 1989a. Macro- and micro-scale influences on riparian vegetation in western Colorado. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 79(1):65-78.
- Baker, W. L. 1989b. Classification of the riparian vegetation of the montane and subalpine zones in western Colorado. Great Basin Naturalist 49(2):214-228.
- 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.
- 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., 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.
- 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.
- Salas, D. E., J. Stevens, K. Schulz, M. Artmann, B. Friesen, S. Blauer, E. W. Schweiger, and A. Valdez. 2010b. Vegetation classification and mapping project report: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Natural Resource Report NPS/ROMN/NRR--2010/179. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.