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CEGL000377 Picea engelmannii / Trifolium dasyphyllum Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Engelmann Spruce / Alpine Clover Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is known only from the Front Range of north-central Colorado. It occurs from 3300-3450 m (10,810-11,320 feet) elevation, just below krummholz timberline, on moderately steep north-facing slopes that are mostly convex to undulating. Sites can be characterized as relatively xeric, cold and exposed. Soils are derived primarily from granitic colluvial parent materials; they are minimally developed Typic Cryorthents: shallow, coarse-textured (sandy loams), and with rocks on the surface. This is a forest association typically dominated by the evergreen needle-leaved tree Picea engelmannii, both in the canopy and as seedlings and saplings in the understory. Abies lasiocarpa, Pinus flexilis, and Pinus aristata are minor components in the canopy and very infrequent in the understory. There is no shrub layer. The herbaceous understory layer is sparse, with total cover averaging <15%. The perennial forbs Trifolium dasyphyllum and Trifolium parryi are the only abundant herbaceous species, averaging 6% and 3% cover, respectively. The remaining herbaceous species are a mix of perennial graminoids and forbs; important species include the graminoids Festuca brachyphylla and Trisetum spicatum, and the forbs Arenaria fendleri, Penstemon whippleanus, Pyrola minor, and Sedum stenopetalum.
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 evergreen needle-leaved tree Picea engelmannii, both in the canopy and as seedlings and saplings in the understory. Abies lasiocarpa and Pinus aristata are typically minor components in the canopy and infrequent in the understory but may codominate occasionally. There is no shrub layer. The herbaceous understory layer is sparse, with total cover averaging <15%. The perennial forbs Trifolium dasyphyllum and Trifolium parryi are the only abundant herbaceous species, averaging 6% and 3% cover, respectively. The remaining herbaceous species are a mix of perennial graminoids and forbs; important species include the graminoids Festuca brachyphylla and Trisetum spicatum, and the forbs Arenaria fendleri, Penstemon whippleanus, Pyrola minor, and Sedum stenopetalum.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This type occurs in the upper subalpine zone in a high-elevation, mountainous region. The Front Range is a mosaic of vault-bounded and uplifted blocks of Pre-Cambrian granites, schists and gneisses. Climate is inland continental and strongly controlled by topographic variation. Generally, precipitation probably averages 76-100 cm (30-40 inches) annually, much of it falling as winter and spring snows; temperatures are cold in the winter. This association occurs from 3300 to 3450 m (10,810-11,320 feet) elevation, just below krummholz timberline, on moderately steep (20-45%) north-facing slopes that are mostly convex to undulating. Sites can be characterized as relatively xeric, cold and exposed. Soils are derived primarily from granitic colluvial parent materials. They are minimally developed Typic Cryorthents: shallow, coarse-textured (sandy loams), and with rocks on the surface.
Geographic Range: Has been documented only in the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests in the Front Range of north-central Colorado.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688583
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.5 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce - Whitebark Pine Rocky Mountain Forest Macrogroup | M020 | 1.B.2.Nb.5 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir - Lodgepole Pine Dry-Mesic Forest & Woodland Group | G219 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
| Alliance | A3642 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce Treeline Dry-Mesic Forest Alliance | A3642 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
| Association | CEGL000377 Engelmann Spruce / Alpine Clover Forest | CEGL000377 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Picea engelmannii / Trifolium dasyphyllum Habitat Type (Hess 1981)
= Picea engelmannii / Trifolium dasyphyllum Habitat Type (Hess and Alexander 1986)
= Picea engelmannii / Trifolium dasyphyllum Plant Association (Baker 1984a)
= Picea engelmannii / Trifolium dasyphyllum Habitat Type (Hess and Alexander 1986)
= Picea engelmannii / Trifolium dasyphyllum Plant Association (Baker 1984a)
- Baker, W. L. 1984a. A preliminary classification of the natural vegetation of Colorado. Great Basin Naturalist 44(4):647-676.
- 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.
- CNHP [Colorado Natural Heritage Program]. 2006-2017. Tracked natural plant communities. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. [https://cnhp.colostate.edu/ourdata/trackinglist/plant_communities/]
- Hess, K. 1981. Phyto-edaphic study of habitat types of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado. Unpublished dissertation, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. 558 pp.
- Hess, K., and R. R. Alexander. 1986. Forest vegetation of the Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests in northcentral Colorado: A habitat type classification. Research Paper RM-266. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 48 pp.
- Salas, D., J. Stevens, and K. Schulz. 2005. USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Technical Memorandum No. 8260-05-02. USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO. 161 pp. plus Appendices A-L (733 pp.).
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.