Print Report
CEGL000182 Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Ponderosa Pine / Geyer''s Sedge Woodland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This Pinus ponderosa / sedge woodland occurs in mountainous areas of the western United States from 1875 to 2610 m (6150-8560 feet) in elevation. It occurs on gentle to moderately steep slopes (10-25%) with variable aspect. Soils are generally moderately deep sandy loams or rocky loams. Canopy cover is strongly dominated by Pinus ponderosa. Pseudotsuga menziesii and Juniperus spp. are common associates. Shrubs are variable and tend to be sparse but commonly include Mahonia repens, Symphoricarpos oreophilus, and Juniperus communis, with Quercus gambelii, Amelanchier alnifolia, and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi as occasional associates. The herbaceous layer is well-developed and dominated by Carex geyeri (10-60%). Additional graminoids that occur with lower cover include Leucopoa kingii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Poa nervosa, and Koeleria macrantha, among others. Forbs are often uncommon but can include Campanula rotundifolia, Crepis acuminata, Potentilla fissa, Antennaria rosea, and Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, when present. Unvegetated surface is common in these stands and is composed of dense needle duff.
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: Canopy cover in this Pinus ponderosa / sedge woodland is strongly dominated by Pinus ponderosa. Pseudotsuga menziesii and Juniperus spp. are common associates. Shrubs are variable and tend to be sparse but commonly include Mahonia repens, Symphoricarpos oreophilus, and Juniperus communis, with Quercus gambelii, Amelanchier alnifolia, and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi as occasional associates. The herbaceous layer is well-developed and dominated by Carex geyeri (10-60%). Additional graminoids that occur with lower cover include Leucopoa kingii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Poa nervosa, and Koeleria macrantha, among others. Forbs are often uncommon but can include Campanula rotundifolia, Crepis acuminata, Potentilla fissa (= Drymocallis fissa), Antennaria rosea, and Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis (= Achillea lanulosa), when present. Unvegetated surface is common in these stands and is composed of dense needle duff.
Dynamics: Carex geyeri is a late-successional, shade-tolerant sedge that is fire-resistant, adapted to frequent low-intensity fires. It tends to decrease with clearcut logging practices and heavy grazing (Chadwick 2002).
Environmental Description: This Pinus ponderosa / sedge woodland occurs in mountainous areas of the western United States from 1875 to 2610 m (6150-8560 feet) in elevation. It occurs on gentle to moderately steep slopes (10-25%) with variable aspect. Soils are generally moderately deep sandy loams or rocky loams. The ground surface is typically covered in long needle litter, duff, and scattered pieces of downed wood.
Geographic Range: This Pinus ponderosa / sedge woodland occurs in mountainous regions of the western United States from Colorado and Wyoming west to Oregon and Washington.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, MT, OR, UT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687091
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
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.a Ponderosa Pine Central Rocky Mountain Open Woodland Group | G213 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.a |
| Alliance | A3447 Ponderosa Pine / Herbaceous Understory Central Rocky Mountain Open Woodland Alliance | A3447 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.a |
| Association | CEGL000182 Ponderosa Pine / Geyer''s Sedge Woodland | CEGL000182 | 1.B.2.Nb.2.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Habitat Type (Alexander et al. 1986)
= Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Habitat Type (Mauk and Henderson 1984)
= Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Plant Association (Baker 1984a)
>< Pseudotsuga menziesii / Berberis repens Habitat Type, Carex geyeri Phase (Mauk and Henderson 1984)
= Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Habitat Type (Mauk and Henderson 1984)
= Pinus ponderosa / Carex geyeri Plant Association (Baker 1984a)
>< Pseudotsuga menziesii / Berberis repens Habitat Type, Carex geyeri Phase (Mauk and Henderson 1984)
- Alexander, R. M. 1986. Classification of the forest vegetation of Wyoming. Research Note RM-466. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 10 pp.
- Alexander, R. R., G. R. Hoffman, and J. M. Wirsing. 1986. Forest vegetation of the Medicine Bow National Forest in southeastern Wyoming: A habitat type classification. Research Paper No. RM-271. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO.
- 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.
- Boyce, D. A. 1977. Vegetation of the South Fork of the White River Valley, Colorado. Unpublished dissertation, University of Colorado, Boulder. 312 pp.
- 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/]
- Chadwick, A. C. 2002. Carex geyeri. In: Fire Effects Information System [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). [http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/] (accessed 25 February 2005).
- Cole, D. N. 1977b. Man''s impact on wilderness: An example from Eagle Cap Wilderness, northeastern Oregon. Ph.D. dissertation, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 307 pp.
- Johnson, C. G., and R. R. Clausnitzer. 1992. Plant associations of the Blue and Ochoco mountains. R6-ERW-TP-036-92. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. 163 pp. plus appendices.
- 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.
- Jones, G. 1992b. Wyoming plant community classification (Draft). Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. 183 pp.
- Jones, G., and S. Ogle. 2000. Characterization abstracts for vegetation types on the Bighorn, Medicine Bow, and Shoshone national forests. Prepared for USDA Forest Service, Region 2 by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming.
- Kagan, J. S., J. A. Christy, M. P. Murray, and J. A. Titus. 2004. Classification of native vegetation of Oregon. January 2004. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Portland. 52 pp.
- MTNHP [Montana Natural Heritage Program]. 2002b. List of ecological communities for Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana State Library, Helena, MT.
- Mauk, R. L., and J. A. Henderson. 1984. Coniferous forest habitat types of northern Utah. General Technical Report INT-170. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT. 89 pp.
- 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.).
- Terwilliger, C., K. Hess, and C. Wasser. 1979a. Key to the preliminary habitat types of Region 2. Addendum to initial progress report for habitat type classification. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Fort Collins, CO.
- 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.
- Wirsing, J. M., and R. R. Alexander. 1975. Forest habitat types on the Medicine Bow National Forest, southeastern Wyoming: Preliminary report. General Technical Report RM-12. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 11 pp.