Print Report
CEGL000460 Pseudotsuga menziesii / Holodiscus discolor - Symphoricarpos albus Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Douglas-fir / Oceanspray - Common Snowberry Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association occurs below 180 m (600 feet) elevation primarily in the northern portion of the Puget Lowland, Washington (Clallam, Jefferson, San Juan, Island, Skagit), and in the Gulf Islands (and possibly southeastern Vancouver Island), and very rarely in the southern Puget Lowland. This is an evergreen needle-leaved forest, or occasionally woodland, dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii, with other tree species absent or in small amounts. Deciduous broad-leaved shrubs dominate the understory. A well-developed tall-shrub layer 2-6 m tall is dominated by Holodiscus discolor. A shrub layer 0.5-1.5 m tall is dominated by Symphoricarpos albus and to a lesser extent Rosa gymnocarpa. An often diverse herbaceous layer usually has Bromus vulgaris, Festuca occidentalis, Melica subulata, Galium aparine, Fragaria vesca, Clinopodium douglasii, Osmorhiza berteroi, Sanicula crassicaulis, and Trientalis borealis ssp. latifolia. This association typically occurs on moderately dry sites, usually on glacial drift, and mostly in a very dry climatic zone where annual precipitation is less than 30 inches. This association is distinguished from similar ones by >10% cover of Symphoricarpos albus, combined with<10% cover of Gaultheria shallon, Tsuga heterophylla, Thuja plicata, and Abies grandis, <20% cover of Arbutus menziesii, and <5% cover of Polystichum munitum.
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 is a forest association dominated by the tall needle-leaved evergreen tree Pseudotsuga menziesii. Very occasionally, the conifers Abies grandis or Thuja plicata occur in the canopy or suppressed in the understory. Other trees may include the broad-leaved evergreen Arbutus menziesii. The understory is primarily composed of a 1- to 3-m tall shrub layer of broad-leaved deciduous species. The tall shrub Holodiscus discolor averages 44% cover, while the short shrubs Symphoricarpos albus and Rosa gymnocarpa codominate the lower shrub layer, with average covers of 19% and 11%, respectively. The herbaceous layer ranges from sparse to moderate in cover, with a mix of perennial grasses and forbs. Grasses typically present include Festuca occidentalis, Bromus vulgaris, and Melica subulata. Forbs include Galium aparine, Fragaria vesca, Clinopodium douglasii (= Satureja douglasii), Osmorhiza berteroi (= Osmorhiza chilensis), Sanicula crassicaulis, and Trientalis borealis ssp. latifolia (= Trientalis latifolia). Moss cover varies, but can be moderate in some stands.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This association occurs primarily in the northern Puget Sound basin, an area in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains. The climate in this rainshadow is drier than surrounding coastal mountain areas, with average annual precipitation ranging from as low as 46 cm in the San Juan Islands to 75 cm in the Puget lowlands, with a pronounced summer dry season. Temperatures are strongly moderated by oceanic influence. Geologically, the Puget Trough includes the Puget Sound basin and extends into the Willamette Valley of north-central Oregon. The Puget Sound basin is a depressed, glaciated region which is now partially submerged. This basin contains many lakes and poorly drained depressions underlain by glacial drift. This association occurs on flat or gently sloping sites, generally below 47 m (155 feet) elevation, and often only a few meters above sea level. Less commonly it occurs on mid to upper convex slopes, where topographic moisture is limited. Soils are derived from glacial deposits or bedrock, well-drained, and texturally are loamy sands to sandy loams, with weakly developed profiles. Glacial till deposits are sometimes quite shallow and overlay bedrock which is exposed in places.
Geographic Range: Found primarily in the San Juan Islands and vicinity (San Juan, Skagit, Island, and Clallam counties). Very rare further south in the Puget Lowland.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: WA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687475
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1
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.Nd Vancouverian Forest & Woodland Division | D192 | 1.B.2.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nd.1 Southern Vancouverian Dry Foothill Forest & Woodland Macrogroup | M886 | 1.B.2.Nd.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nd.1.a Southern Vancouverian Dry Douglas-fir - Madrone Woodland Group | G800 | 1.B.2.Nd.1.a |
| Alliance | A3716 Douglas-fir - Grand Fir - Pacific Madrone Forest & Woodland Alliance | A3716 | 1.B.2.Nd.1.a |
| Association | CEGL000460 Douglas-fir / Oceanspray - Common Snowberry Forest | CEGL000460 | 1.B.2.Nd.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pseudotsuga menziesii / Symphoricarpos albus - Holodiscus discolor (Fonda and Bernardi 1976)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Symphoricarpos albus - Holodiscus discolor (Franklin and Dyrness 1973)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Symphoricarpos albus - Holodiscus discolor Forest (Copass and Ramm-Granberg 2016a)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Symphoricarpos albus - Holodiscus discolor Forest Association (Rocchio et al. 2012)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii /Holodiscus discolor-Symphoricarpos albus (Chappell 2006b)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii-(Abies grandis)/Symphoricarpos albus-Holodiscus discolor (Chappell 2001)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii/Holodiscus discolor-Symphoricarpos albus (Meidinger et al. 2005) [PNWCOAST_128]
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Symphoricarpos albus - Holodiscus discolor (Franklin and Dyrness 1973)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Symphoricarpos albus - Holodiscus discolor Forest (Copass and Ramm-Granberg 2016a)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Symphoricarpos albus - Holodiscus discolor Forest Association (Rocchio et al. 2012)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii /Holodiscus discolor-Symphoricarpos albus (Chappell 2006b)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii-(Abies grandis)/Symphoricarpos albus-Holodiscus discolor (Chappell 2001)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii/Holodiscus discolor-Symphoricarpos albus (Meidinger et al. 2005) [PNWCOAST_128]
- 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.
- Chappell, C. B. 2001. Draft upland forest vegetation classification for Fort Lewis Military Reservation, Washington. Unpublished report, Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA. . 41 pp.
- Chappell, C. B. 2006b. Upland plant associations of the Puget Trough ecoregion, Washington. Natural Heritage Report 2006-01. Washington Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, Olympia, WA. [http://www.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/communities/pdf/intro.pdf]
- Copass, C., and T. Ramm-Granberg. 2016a. Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve vegetation inventory and mapping project. Natural Resource Report NPS/NCCN/NRR--2016/1127. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 194 pp.
- Fonda, R. W., and J. A. Bernardi. 1976. Vegetation of Sucia Island in Puget Sound, Washington. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 103(3):99-109.
- Franklin, J. F., and C. T. Dyrness. 1973. Natural vegetation of Oregon and Washington. General Technical Report PNW-8. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Portland, OR. 417 pp.
- Meidinger, D., C. Chappell, C. Cadrin, G. Kittel, C. McCain, K. Boggs, J. Kagan, G. Cushon, A. Banner, and T. DeMeo. 2005. International Vegetation Classification of the Pacific Northwest: International correlation of temperate coastal forest plant associations of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. Contributors: B.C. Ministry of Forests, USDA Forest Service, B.C. Conservation Data Centre, Alaska Natural Heritage Program, Washington Natural Heritage Program, and Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center.
- Rocchio, F. J., R. C. Crawford, and C. C. Thompson. 2012. San Juan Island National Historical Park vegetation classification and mapping project. Natural Resource Report NPS/NCCN/NRR--2012/603. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 188 pp.
- WNHP [Washington Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data files. Washington Natural Heritage Program, Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.