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CEGL000470 Thuja plicata / Adiantum pedatum Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Western Red-cedar / Northern Maidenhair Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is described based on data collected on 30 plots located in northern Idaho in the Clearwater River watershed. The association occurs on moist, low to moderately sloped sites in mid, lower, to toeslope positions at moderately low elevation (generally <915 m [3000 feet]) between the St. Joe and Selway rivers, Idaho. Stands are characterized by a lush understory dominated by Adiantum pedatum and Polystichum munitum. Adenocaulon bicolor, Asarum caudatum, Clintonia uniflora, and Coptis occidentalis and many other species form a rich herbaceous layer. Wet-site species such as Trautvetteria caroliniensis and Senecio triangularis may occur with low abundance but are characteristically less abundant than on adjacent Thuja plicata / Athyrium filix-femina sites. Thuja plicata is typically dominant in late-seral stands. Tsuga heterophylla is present in some stands. Abies grandis is often the dominant tree in early and mid-seral stands.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The association is described by Cooper et al. (1987) from 30 ecology plots located in northern Idaho.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This is an evergreen needle-leaved forest association, dominated by Thuja plicata (averaging 60% cover), and Abies grandis commonly present with 25% cover. Occasional stands have abundant Tsuga heterophylla regeneration in the understory, indicating this species may codominate in older stands. Several shrub species indicative of moist woods may be present, but only the creeping evergreen Linnaea borealis is ever abundant, with 15% average cover. The herbaceous layer is species-rich and lush, with close to 100% cover in most stands. The ferns Adiantum pedatum and Polystichum munitum average 23% and 13% cover, respectively. Common perennial forbs include Adenocaulon bicolor, Clintonia uniflora, Coptis occidentalis, Cornus canadensis, Maianthemum stellatum (= Smilacina stellata), and Tiarella trifoliata.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This association occurs in a region of inland maritime climate, characterized by mild, moderate winters with prolonged gentle rains, deep snow accumulations at higher altitudes, and abundant clouds, fog and high humidity. Summers are very dry (<2.5 cm [1 inch] precipitation/month). This association generally occurs below 915 m (3000 feet) elevation, although examples can be found in the Selway drainage up to 1433 m (4700 feet). It is found on gentle to steep slopes, on all aspects except south, on moist mid to lower slopes and toeslopes with cold-air drainage. Parent materials vary, but are primarily granitics, or mica schist. Soils are seasonally wet, and textures range from loams to clay loams, with small amounts of gravel, and little rock. Litter layer on the soil surface is typically 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) thick.
Geographic Range: The association is considered a regional endemic. The association occurs within the Clearwater River watershed, Idaho. This region is strongly influenced by a Pacific maritime climatic regime.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: ID
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687307
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.3 Western Hemlock - Grand Fir - Western Larch Mesic Lower Montane Forest Macrogroup | M500 | 1.B.2.Nb.3 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.3.b Western Red-cedar - Western Hemlock Central Rocky Mountain Forest Group | G217 | 1.B.2.Nb.3.b |
| Alliance | A3613 Western Hemlock - Western Red-cedar Warm-Mesic Central Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance | A3613 | 1.B.2.Nb.3.b |
| Association | CEGL000470 Western Red-cedar / Northern Maidenhair Forest | CEGL000470 | 1.B.2.Nb.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Thuja plicata / Adiantum pedatum Habitat Type (Cooper et al. 1987)
- 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.
- Cooper, S. V., K. E. Neiman, R. Steele, and D. W. Roberts. 1987. Forest habitat types of northern Idaho: A second approximation. General Technical Report INT-236.USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT. 135 pp. [reprinted in 1991]
- IDCDC [Idaho Conservation Data Center]. 2005. Wetland and riparian plant associations in Idaho. Idaho Conservation Data Center, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise. [http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/tech/CDC/ecology/wetland_riparian_assoc.cfm] (accessed 14 June 2005).
- Steele, R. W. 1971. Red alder habitats in Clearwater County, Idaho. Unpublished thesis, University of Idaho, Moscow. 88 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.