Print Report

CEGL002666 Salix geyeriana / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Geyer''s Willow / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: The association is widely distributed, but infrequently sampled, in the northern central and southern Rocky Mountains at mid to high elevations of about 1122 to over 3019 m (3680-9900 feet). This association usually occurs in wide, low-gradient valley bottoms with sinuous streams or large rivers, but it is also known from narrower, slightly steeper valleys of headwater creeks. Sites supporting this association include terraces and streambanks (at or much higher than mean high water), as well as the drier margins of wetland floodplains. Soils are highly stratified alluvium and range from well-drained sandy loams and clay loams, with large amounts of coarse fragments intermixed, to highly organic and poorly drained, silty clay loams with mottling. The association is clearly dominated by clumps of 1.5- to 2.5-m tall Salix geyeriana (usually 60-90% cover) with Salix boothii sometimes also present with low to moderate cover. Other willows, such as Salix drummondiana, low shrubs (especially Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Ericameria parryi, Ribes inerme, Ribes lacustre, and/or Rosa woodsii), and trees occasionally occur with low to moderate cover in stands. There is a diverse mixture of mesic forbs (with cover greater than that of mesic graminoids) in the understory, forming multiple height layers. No single species has consistently high cover or constancy. The most common and widespread forbs are Aconitum columbianum, Equisetum arvense, Fragaria virginiana, Geranium spp., Geum macrophyllum, Maianthemum stellatum, Pedicularis groenlandica, Swertia perennis, and Symphyotrichum foliaceum. Other tall forb species, sometimes with moderate cover but lower constancy, include Angelica arguta, Heracleum maximum, Mertensia spp., Polemonium occidentale, Potentilla gracilis, Thalictrum spp., and Urtica dioica. The graminoid layer is poorly developed, tending to be dominated by exotic species with low cover (e.g., Agrostis gigantea, Agrostis stolonifera, Poa pratensis, and Phleum pratense), but also includes native graminoids (most commonly Bromus ciliatus, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex microptera, Carex utriculata, or Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis).

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Classification of this association is based on over 20 plots from throughout the range of the association (Youngblood et al. 1985a, Padgett et al. 1989, Kittel et al. 1999b, Jankovsky-Jones et al. 2001, Walford et al. 2001, IDCDC 2002). This association is sometimes lumped within broader associations when dominance by Salix geyeriana is not obvious. A general Salix geyeriana association described in eastern Idaho may include stands with mesic forb understories (Hansen and Hall 2002). In contrast, other studies may have split this association into finer types that are included here; some of these may represent grazing-induced variants of this association. Several other associations, such as ~Salix boothii / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland (CEGL001180)$$, may floristically resemble this association. However, when undisturbed, this association is defined by obvious Salix geyeriana dominance with an understory dominated by mixed native mesic forbs, none of which has consistently high cover and constancy (Youngblood et al. 1985a, Padgett et al. 1989).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: The association is clearly dominated by clumps of 1.5- to 2.5-m tall Salix geyeriana (usually 60-90% cover) with Salix boothii sometimes also present (with low to moderate cover). Other tall willows, such as Salix drummondiana, low shrubs (especially Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Ericameria parryi, Ribes inerme, Ribes lacustre, and/or Rosa woodsii), and trees occasionally occur with low to moderate cover in stands. There is a diverse mixture of mesic forbs (with cover greater than that of mesic graminoids) in the understory, forming multiple height layers. No single species has consistently high cover or constancy. The most common and widespread forbs are Aconitum columbianum, Equisetum arvense, Fragaria virginiana, Geranium spp., Geum macrophyllum, Maianthemum stellatum, Pedicularis groenlandica, Swertia perennis, and Symphyotrichum foliaceum. Other tall forb species, sometimes with moderate cover but lower constancy, include Angelica arguta, Heracleum maximum, Mertensia spp., Polemonium occidentale, Potentilla gracilis, Rumex salicifolius, Thalictrum spp., Urtica dioica, and Vicia americana. The graminoid layer is poorly developed, tending to be dominated by exotic species with low cover (e.g., Agrostis gigantea, Agrostis stolonifera, Poa pratensis, and Phleum pratense), but also includes native graminoids (most commonly Bromus ciliatus, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex microptera, Carex utriculata, or Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis (= Juncus balticus)). Introduced forbs include Cardaria chalepensis, Cirsium arvense, Descurainia sophia, Lepidium campestre, and Taraxacum officinale.

Dynamics:  The association has many corridors between willow clumps that allow livestock access and increase the risk of overgrazing (Hansen and Hall 2002). Overgrazing of Salix geyeriana causes lost vigor, decreased stand density, and eventual elimination. The mesic forb understory will become dominated by Poa pratensis or other weedy species that increase with grazing (Youngblood et al. 1985a, Padgett et al. 1989, Walford et al. 2001, Hansen and Hall 2002). Livestock grazing, as well as human developments (e.g., roads, recreation sites, etc.), compact the Mollisol soils of stands and are not usually compatible (especially under wet conditions). Moreover, when the association converts to Poa pratensis dominance, streambank stability decreases and cattle trampling causes bank sloughing, creek overwidening, and water table alterations (Padgett et al. 1989, Hansen and Hall 2002). Salix geyeriana may be less tolerant of browsing pressure than Salix boothii, thus, moderate grazing may move the association toward Salix boothii-dominated associations. Similarly, understory shrub and forb composition may be the result of disturbances (e.g., some species, such as Rosa woodsii and some mesic forbs, increase under livestock grazing) (Weixelman et al. 1996, Hansen and Hall 2002). The removal of season-long grazing may help this association return to a native forb-dominated undergrowth or dominance by Calamagrostis canadensis (Kittel et al. 1999b).
Environmental Description:  The association is widely distributed, but infrequently sampled, in the northern central and southern Rocky Mountains at mid to high elevations of about 1122 to over 3019 m (3680-9900 feet). This association usually occurs in wide, low-gradient valley bottoms with sinuous streams or large rivers, but it is also known from narrower, slightly steeper valleys of headwater creeks. Sites supporting this association include terraces and streambanks (at or much higher than mean high water), as well as the drier margins of wetland floodplains. Soils are highly stratified alluvium and range from well-drained sandy loams and clay loams, with large amounts of coarse fragments intermixed, to highly organic and poorly drained, silty clay loams with mottling (Padgett et al. 1989, Kittel et al. 1999b, Carsey et al. 2003a).
Geographic Range: This association is known mainly from mid to high elevations of the northern, central and southern Rocky Mountains from Montana and Idaho to Colorado extending west into the high plateaus of Utah. Very similar associations, if determined synonymous, may extend the range to Nevada and Oregon (Weixelman et al. 1996, Crowe and Clausnitzer 1997).

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CO, ID, MT, OR, UT, WY


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Nb Western North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D031 2.C.4.Nb
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nb.5 Sitka Alder - Booth''s Willow / Northwest Territory Sedge Montane Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M893 2.C.4.Nb.5
Group 2.C.4.Nb.5.d Willow species - Alder species - Water Birch Riparian & Seep Shrubland Group G527 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Alliance A3769 Booth''s Willow - Geyer''s Willow - Yellow Willow Montane Wet Shrubland Alliance A3769 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Association CEGL002666 Geyer''s Willow / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland CEGL002666 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Concept Lineage: merged

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Salix spp. / Mesic Forb (Crowe and Clausnitzer 1997) [northeastern Oregon, may have high cover of Salix geyeriana, Salix boothii, or other Salix spp.]
> Salix geyeriana / Fragaria virginiana Habitat Type (Mattson 1984)
> Salix geyeriana / Geum macrophyllum Community Type (Tuhy 1981)
= Salix geyeriana / Mesic Forb Shrubland (Carsey et al. 2003a)
= Salix geyeriana / Mesic Forb Shrubland (Carsey et al. 2003b)
= Salix geyeriana / Mesic Forbs Community Type (Padgett et al. 1989)
= Salix geyeriana / Mesic Forbs Community Type (Youngblood et al. 1985a)
= Salix geyeriana/Mesic forb (Kittel et al. 1999b)
< Cold Willow/Mesic Forb Association (Weixelman et al. 1996) [central Nevada, may have high cover of Salix geyeriana, Salix boothii, or other Salix spp.]
= Geyer willow/Mesic Forbs (Salix geyeriana/Mesic Forbs) Plant Association (Kittel et al. 1999a)
Concept Author(s): C. Murphy

Author of Description: C. Murphy, G. Kittel and K.A. Schulz

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 02-27-06
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