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CEGL003443 Chamaecyparis lawsoniana / Rhododendron occidentale Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Port Orford-cedar / Western Azalea Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This is an open-canopy, coniferous forest found on metamorphic substrates, primarily serpentine and gneiss, in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. It is found along the coast in Del Norte County, California, and adjacent Curry County, Oregon. These forests occur on toeslopes, lower slopes and stream terraces between 762 and 1204 m (2500-3950 feet) in elevation. The forests are old, approaching giant conifer status, although are less productive than most coastal Port Orford-cedar stands, with only moderate softwood volumes (the highest being about 10,000 cubic feet per acre). Chamaecyparis lawsoniana and Pseudotsuga menziesii dominate most stands. Pinus lambertiana and Notholithocarpus densiflorus are present in most stands, but with fairly low cover. The understory is characterized by shrubs, with an average of 24% cover of Rhododendron occidentale. Other shrubs include Gaultheria shallon, Gaultheria humifusa, Mahonia nervosa, Corylus cornuta, Quercus vacciniifolia, and Rubus ursinus. No forbs or graminoids were found with much cover or consistency in stands, but Xerophyllum tenax, Carex species, Goodyera oblongifolia, and Chimaphila sp. are all reported. It is distinguished from similar associations by the lack of abundant herbaceous undergrowth and non-wetland, non-serpentine habitat.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association (CEGL003443) was not differentiated from the wetland/riparian type ~Chamaecyparis lawsoniana / Rhododendron occidentale / Carex spp. Swamp Forest (CEGL000047)$$, found inland, by Jimerson (1994) or Jimerson et al. (1995). Based on stand tables, they did not sample more than a few of the wetland communities. Atzet and McCrimmon (1990) confined work to upland types, and have not sampled any riparian or wetland stands. This is clearly different from other coastal Chamaecyparis types.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The forests are old, approaching giant conifer status, although are less productive than most coastal Port Orford-cedar stands, with only moderate softwood volumes (the highest being about 10,000 cubic feet per acre). Chamaecyparis lawsoniana and Pseudotsuga menziesii dominate most stands. Pinus lambertiana and Notholithocarpus densiflorus (= Lithocarpus densiflorus) are present in most stands, but with fairly low cover. The understory is characterized by shrubs, with an average of 24% cover of Rhododendron occidentale. Other shrubs include Gaultheria shallon, Gaultheria humifusa, Mahonia nervosa, Corylus cornuta, Quercus vacciniifolia, and Rubus ursinus. No forbs or graminoids were found with much cover or consistency in stands, but Xerophyllum tenax, Carex species, Goodyera oblongifolia, and Chimaphila sp. are all reported.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This is an open-canopy, coniferous forest found on metamorphic substrates, primarily serpentine and gneiss, in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. It is found along the coast in Del Norte County, California, and adjacent Curry County, Oregon. These forests occur on toeslopes, lower slopes and stream terraces between 762 and 1204 m (2500-3950 feet) in elevation.
Geographic Range: This association is restricted to extreme southwestern Oregon, in Curry County, and adjacent northwestern California, in Del Norte County.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CA, OR
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688445
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.3 Western Hemlock - Sitka Spruce - Redwood Rainforest Macrogroup | M024 | 1.B.2.Nd.3 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nd.3.a Redwood Forest Group | G235 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.a |
| Alliance | A0104 Port Orford-cedar Forest Alliance | A0104 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.a |
| Association | CEGL003443 Port Orford-cedar / Western Azalea Forest | CEGL003443 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Chamaecyparis lawsoniana / Rhododendron occidentale (Sawyer et al. 2009) [81.100.01]
= Chamaecyparis lawsoniana / Rhododendron occidentale Forest (Atzet and McCrimmon 1990)
= Chamaecyparis lawsoniana / Rhododendron occidentale Forest (Atzet and McCrimmon 1990)
- Atzet, T., and L. A. McCrimmon. 1990. Preliminary plant associations of the southern Oregon Cascade Mountain Province. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Siskiyou National Forest, Grants Pass, OR. 330 pp.
- Hawk, G. M. 1977. A comparative study of temperate Chamaecyparis forests. Unpublished dissertation, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 194 pp.
- Jimerson, T. J. 1994. A field guide to the Port Orford cedar plant associations in northwestern California. Pacific Southwest Research Station PSW-R5-ECOL-TP-OO2. Six Rivers National Forest, Eureka, CA. 109 pp.
- Jimerson, T. J., L. D. Hoover, E. A. McGee, G. DeNitto, and R. M. Creasy. 1995. A field guide to serpentine plant associations and sensitive plants in northwestern California. Technical Publication R5-ECOL-TP-006. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region, San Francisco, CA.
- Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.