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CEGL000337 Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Symphoricarpos albus Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce / Common Snowberry Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This forest association has been found locally from mountains in eastern Idaho, western Wyoming and western Montana. Elevation ranges from 1737-2316 m (5700-7600 feet) . Stands are found on benches, lower slopes and dry alluvial terraces on rocky substrates derived from sandstone and less commonly limestone or andesite parent materials. This forest type has a moderately dense to dense canopy (>60% cover) of evergreen needle-leaved trees over 30 m tall. Abies lasiocarpa dominates or codominates the tree canopy, with Pseudotsuga menziesii or Pinus contorta in seral stands, and occasional Picea engelmannii. Populus tremuloides may also be present in the tree canopy. Amelanchier alnifolia forms a sparse, tall-shrub layer in some stands. The diagnostic understory vegetation is composed of a sparse short-shrub layer dominated by Symphoricarpos albus with lesser amounts of Spiraea betulifolia and Mahonia repens. The graminoid Calamagrostis rubescens dominates the typically sparse herbaceous layer. Other common herbaceous species include Arnica cordifolia, Geranium viscosissimum, and Carex geyeri.
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 forest type has a moderately dense to dense canopy (>60% cover) of evergreen needle-leaved trees over 30 m tall. Abies lasiocarpa dominates or codominates the tree canopy, with Pseudotsuga menziesii or Pinus contorta in seral stands, and occasional Picea engelmannii. Populus tremuloides may also be present in the tree canopy. Amelanchier alnifolia forms a sparse, tall-shrub layer in some stands. The diagnostic understory vegetation is composed of a sparse short-shrub layer dominated by Symphoricarpos albus with lesser amounts of Paxistima myrsinites, Spiraea betulifolia, and Mahonia repens. The graminoid Calamagrostis rubescens dominates the typically sparse herbaceous layer. Other common herbaceous species include Arnica cordifolia, Geranium viscosissimum, and Carex geyeri.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This association occurs locally in the northern Rocky Mountains. Elevation ranges from 1737-2316 m (5700-7600 feet). Stands occur on benches, lower slopes, and well-drained alluvial terraces, on rocky substrates derived from sandstone and, less commonly, limestone or andesite parent material. Soils are deep and are usually covered in thick litter and duff (up to 8 cm), with little bare soil or rock at the surface.
Geographic Range: This association in found locally in the mountains of eastern Idaho, western Wyoming and western Montana.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: ID, MT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685912
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
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.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.5 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce - Whitebark Pine Rocky Mountain Forest Macrogroup | M020 | 1.B.2.Nb.5 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.5.c Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir - Mountain Hemlock Moist Forest & Woodland Group | G218 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.c |
| Alliance | A3614 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce Rocky Mountain Moist Forest Alliance | A3614 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.c |
| Association | CEGL000337 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce / Common Snowberry Forest | CEGL000337 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Abies lasiocarpa / Symphoricarpos albus Habitat Type (Steele et al. 1983) [p.53; a few stands include are dominated by Pinus contorta or Pseudotsuga menziesii.]
- 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.
- Cogan, D., K. Varga, and G. Kittel. 2005. USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program: Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Final Project Report 2002-2005 Vegetation Mapping Project. Technical Memorandum 8260-06-02. USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO. 87 pp. plus Appendixes A-F.
- Cooper, S., and R. Pfister. 1981. Forest habitat types of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Review Draft, 5/21/81, for Bureau of Indian Affairs, Wind River Agency, Fort Washakie, WY.
- MTNHP [Montana Natural Heritage Program]. 2002b. List of ecological communities for Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana State Library, Helena, MT.
- Steele, R., S. V. Cooper, D. M. Ondov, D. W. Roberts, and R. D. Pfister. 1983. Forest habitat types of eastern Idaho - western Wyoming. General Technical Report INT-144. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT. 122 pp.
- WNDD [Wyoming Natural Diversity Database]. No date. Unpublished data on file. Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.