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CEGL000454 Pseudotsuga menziesii / Quercus rugosa Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Douglas-fir / Netleaf Oak Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This minor conifer forest association occurs in mid-elevations of mountain ranges of southwestern New Mexico (Animas Mountains) and southeastern Arizona (Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, and Huachuca mountains with outliers in the Mogollon Mountains), and likely occurs in adjacent Texas and northern Mexico. Stands are found in rugged, steep topography and restricted to cool, dry-mesic sites from 1980-2285 m elevation on northerly aspects and from 2285-2440 m on warmer aspects. Soils are shallow and very rocky and are derived from rhyolite and granite parent materials. Rock outcrops are common. At higher elevations the association occurs on steep, mid and upper slopes with convex topography and windy exposures. Stands can also occur as a topo-edaphic climax at lower elevations in ravines and canyons, which have significant cold-air drainage. These sites have deeper soil, but remain cool. The tree canopy is dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii with Pinus ponderosa or Pinus arizonica often codominant. Pinus strobiformis and Pinus discolor may be present in some stands. The shrub layer is dominated by the broad-leaved evergreen oak Quercus rugosa, often with >60% cover. Quercus hypoleucoides is also commonly present, but with <5% cover. On very rocky sites Quercus chrysolepis can be abundant, with cover up to 20%. The herbaceous layer has low cover and moderate diversity. Perennial grasses may include Koeleria macrantha, Muhlenbergia longiligula, and Poa fendleriana. Forbs typically present include Galium tinctorium, Hedeoma hyssopifolia, Lathyrus graminifolius, Packera neomexicana, Thalictrum fendleri, and Vicia americana. The dominance of Quercus rugosa in the shrub layer distinguishes this association from other Pseudotsuga menziesii-dominated forests.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association is treated as a Quercus rugosa phase of ~Pseudotsuga menziesii / Quercus hypoleucoides Forest (CEGL000453)$$ by Bassett et al. (1987) and Stuever and Hayden (1997a). Muldavin et al. (1996) classified this community as the Pseudotsuga menziesii / Quercus rugosa habitat type.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The evergreen needle-leave tree Pseudotsuga menziesii dominates the canopy of this forest association. Other trees that may be important in some stands are Pinus ponderosa and Pinus strobiformis. The shrub layer is dominated by the broad-leaved evergreen oak Quercus rugosa, often with >60% cover. Quercus hypoleucoides is commonly present, but with <5% cover and on very rocky sites Quercus chrysolepis can be abundant, with cover up to 20%. The herbaceous layer has low cover and moderate diversity. Perennial grasses include Koeleria macrantha, Muhlenbergia longiligula, and Poa fendleriana. Forbs typically present include Galium tinctorium, Hedeoma hyssopifolia, Lathyrus graminifolius, Packera neomexicana (= Senecio neomexicanus), Thalictrum fendleri, and Vicia americana.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This association is found in a mountainous region with rugged, steep topography. A high percentage of the annual precipitation falls during the summer months as rain, a result of the "Arizona monsoon." Summers are hot, while winters are moderately cold.
This association occupies cool, dry-mesic sites on northerly aspects from 1980 to 2438 m (6500-8000 feet) elevation. Soils are derived from rhyolite and granite parent materials. They are shallow and very rocky. At higher elevations the association occurs on steep, mid and upper slopes with convex topography and windy exposures. It can also occur as a topo-edaphic climax at lower elevations in ravines and canyons which have significant cold-air drainage. Soils in these sites are deeper, but remain cool.
This association occupies cool, dry-mesic sites on northerly aspects from 1980 to 2438 m (6500-8000 feet) elevation. Soils are derived from rhyolite and granite parent materials. They are shallow and very rocky. At higher elevations the association occurs on steep, mid and upper slopes with convex topography and windy exposures. It can also occur as a topo-edaphic climax at lower elevations in ravines and canyons which have significant cold-air drainage. Soils in these sites are deeper, but remain cool.
Geographic Range: Uncommon in the "Borderlands" region of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico (and possibly northern Mexico), and potentially in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas and Mexico.
Nations: MX?,US
States/Provinces: AZ, MXCHH?, NM, TX?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688547
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.1 Warm Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F018 | 1.B.1 |
| Division | 1.B.1.Nd Madrean-Balconian Forest & Woodland Division | D060 | 1.B.1.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.1.Nd.2 Chihuahuan Pine - Douglas-fir / Silverleaf Oak Madrean Montane Forest & Woodland Macrogroup | M011 | 1.B.1.Nd.2 |
| Group | 1.B.1.Nd.2.b Douglas-fir - Southwestern White Pine / Silverleaf Oak Forest & Woodland Group | G202 | 1.B.1.Nd.2.b |
| Alliance | A3108 Douglas-fir / Silverleaf Oak - Netleaf Oak Forest & Woodland Alliance | A3108 | 1.B.1.Nd.2.b |
| Association | CEGL000454 Douglas-fir / Netleaf Oak Forest | CEGL000454 | 1.B.1.Nd.2.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Pseudotsuga menziesii / Quercus hypoleucoides association (Bassett et al. 1987) [Quercus rugosa phase.]
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Quercus hypoleucoides, Quercus rugosa phase (Stuever and Hayden 1997a)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Quercus rugosa Habitat Type (Muldavin et al. 1996)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Quercus hypoleucoides, Quercus rugosa phase (Stuever and Hayden 1997a)
= Pseudotsuga menziesii / Quercus rugosa Habitat Type (Muldavin et al. 1996)
- Bassett, D., M. Larson, and W. Moir. 1987. Forest and woodland habitat types of Arizona south of the Mogollon Rim and southwestern New Mexico. Edition 2. USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Albuquerque, NM.
- Bourgeron, P. S., L. D. Engelking, H. C. Humphries, E. Muldavin, and W. H. Moir. 1993b. Assessing the conservation value of the Gray Ranch: Rarity, diversity and representativeness. Unpublished report prepared for The Nature Conservancy by the Western Heritage Task Force, Boulder, CO. (Volume I and II).
- Bourgeron, P. S., L. D. Engelking, H. C. Humphries, E. Muldavin, and W. H. Moir. 1995a. Assessing the conservation value of the Gray Ranch: Rarity, diversity and representativeness. Desert Plants 11(2-3):3-68.
- 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.
- Muldavin, E. H., R. L. DeVelice, and F. Ronco, Jr. 1996. A classification of forest habitat types of southern Arizona and portions of the Colorado Plateau. General Technical Report RM-GTR-287. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 130 pp.
- NHNM [Natural Heritage New Mexico]. No date. Unpublished data on file. Natural Heritage New Mexico, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
- Reid, M. S., L. S. Engelking, and P. S. Bourgeron. 1994. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States, Western Region. Pages 305-620 in: D. H. Grossman, K. L. Goodin, and C. L. Reuss, editors. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States, an initial survey. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
- Stuever, M. C., and J. S. Hayden. 1997a. Plant associations of Arizona and New Mexico, edition 3. Volume 1: Forests. USDA Forest Service, Southwestern Region. Habitat Typing Guides. 291 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.