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CEGL000327 Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Salix drummondiana Swamp Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce / Drummond''s Willow Swamp Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This heavily forested spruce-fir riparian association occurs in the San Juan Mountains and southern Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It occurs along steep, narrow first-order streams above 2700 m (9000 feet) elevation where Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii forests also occur on adjacent hillslopes. Soils are typically shallow (<1 m deep) sandy loams to sandy clay loams packed between large angular boulders and cobbles with a thin layer of partially decomposed organic matter under the litter layer. The canopy can be dense, with up to 90% cover of Abies lasiocarpa and Picea engelmannii. Occasional canopy associates can include Picea pungens at wet, low-elevation sites and Pinus contorta in drier, early-seral stands. Populus tremuloides may also occur sporadically. Tall Salix drummondiana and Alnus incana grow in a thick band along the edge of the stream depending on elevation; at higher elevations, Salix drummondiana is dominant and Alnus incana is rare, whereas at lower elevations, Alnus incana is more abundant than Salix drummondiana, but at mid elevations, the two shrubs can be codominant. Shrub associates that occur with less frequency include Cornus sericea, Salix brachycarpa, Salix planifolia, Salix monticola, Salix bebbiana, and Lonicera involucrata. The herbaceous layer is diverse and dominated by forbs; species can include Heracleum maximum, Mertensia ciliata, Senecio triangularis, and Streptopus amplexifolius var. chalazatus, among many others.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: In stands where Alnus incana and Salix drummondiana codominate the shrub layer, the stand should be classified as ~Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Salix drummondiana Swamp Forest (CEGL000327)$$. Salix drummondiana is a later-successional species and tends to form relatively stable, long-lived seral communities, whereas Alnus incana is a long-lived, but early-successional species (Uchytil 1989, 1991).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This spruce-fir riparian association is heavily forested; the canopy can be dense, with 20-90% cover of Abies lasiocarpa and/or Picea engelmannii. Occasional canopy associates can include Picea pungens at wet, low-elevation sites and Pinus contorta in drier, early-seral stands. Populus tremuloides may also occur sporadically Tall Salix drummondiana and Alnus incana grow in a thick band along the edge of the stream depending on elevation; at higher elevations, Salix drummondiana is dominant and Alnus incana is rare, whereas at lower elevations, Alnus incana is more abundant than Salix drummondiana, but at mid elevations, the two shrubs can be codominant. With a more open tree canopy, tall shrubs have higher abundance. Shrub associates that occur with less frequency include Cornus sericea, Salix brachycarpa, Salix planifolia, Salix monticola, Salix bebbiana, and Lonicera involucrata. The herbaceous layer is diverse and dominated by forbs; species can include Heracleum maximum, Mertensia ciliata, Senecio triangularis, and Streptopus amplexifolius var. chalazatus, among many others.
Dynamics: This is a late-seral spruce-fir riparian association of higher elevations. Its high forb cover suggests that, with time, further tree canopy closure and a continued high water table, this association may shift to ~Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Mertensia ciliata Swamp Forest (CEGL002663)$$.
Environmental Description: This heavily forested spruce-fir riparian association occurs along steep, narrow first-order streams above 2700 m (9000 feet) elevation where Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii forests also occur on adjacent hillslopes. Soils are typically shallow (<1 m deep) sandy loams to sandy clay loams packed between large angular boulders and cobbles with a thin layer of partially decomposed organic matter under the litter layer.
Geographic Range: This spruce-fir riparian association is currently only known from upper montane zones of Colorado.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688656
Confidence Level: High
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G5
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.3 Temperate Flooded & Swamp Forest Formation | F026 | 1.B.3 |
| Division | 1.B.3.Nc Rocky Mountain-Great Basin Montane Flooded & Swamp Forest Division | D195 | 1.B.3.Nc |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.3.Nc.1 Engelmann Spruce - Narrowleaf Cottonwood / Red-osier Dogwood Riparian & Swamp Forest Macrogroup | M034 | 1.B.3.Nc.1 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a Engelmann Spruce - Blue Spruce - Narrowleaf Cottonwood Riparian & Swamp Forest Group | G506 | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a |
| Alliance | A3757 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce Swamp Forest Alliance | A3757 | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a |
| Association | CEGL000327 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce / Drummond''s Willow Swamp Forest | CEGL000327 | 1.B.3.Nc.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Salix drummondiana Forest (Carsey et al. 2003a)
= Abies lasiocarpa-Picea engelmannii/Salix drummondiana (Kittel et al. 1999b)
= Subalpine fir - Engelmann spruce/Drummond willow (Abies lasiocarpa-Picea engelmannii/Salix drummondiana) Plant Association (Kittel et al. 1999a)
= Abies lasiocarpa-Picea engelmannii/Salix drummondiana (Kittel et al. 1999b)
= Subalpine fir - Engelmann spruce/Drummond willow (Abies lasiocarpa-Picea engelmannii/Salix drummondiana) Plant Association (Kittel et al. 1999a)
- Baker, W. L. 1986a. Riparian vegetation of the montane and subalpine zones in west-central and southwestern Colorado: Final report prepared for The Nature Conservancy and Colorado Natural Areas Program, Boulder.
- Baker, W. L. 1989b. Classification of the riparian vegetation of the montane and subalpine zones in western Colorado. Great Basin Naturalist 49(2):214-228.
- 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/]
- Carsey, K., G. Kittel, K. Decker, D. J. Cooper, and D. Culver. 2003a. Field guide to the wetland and riparian plant associations of Colorado. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Fort Collins, CO.
- Kittel, G., E. Van Wie, M. Damm, R. Rondeau, S. Kettler, A. McMullen, and J. Sanderson. 1999b. A classification of riparian and wetland plant associations of Colorado: A user''s guide to the classification project. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO. 70 pp. plus appendices.
- Kittel, G., E. Van Wie, M. Damm, R. Rondeau, S. Kettler, and J. Sanderson. 1999a. A classification of the riparian plant associations of the Rio Grande and Closed Basin watersheds, Colorado. Unpublished report prepared by the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
- Salas, D. E., J. Stevens, K. Schulz, M. Artmann, B. Friesen, S. Blauer, E. W. Schweiger, and A. Valdez. 2010b. Vegetation classification and mapping project report: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Natural Resource Report NPS/ROMN/NRR--2010/179. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
- 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.).
- Uchytil, R. J. 1989. Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia. In: Fire Effects Information System [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). [http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/] (accessed 7 March 2005).
- Uchytil, R. J. 1991a. Salix drummondiana. In: Fire Effects Information System [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). [http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/] (accessed 7 March 2005).
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.