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CEGL000138 Pinus contorta / Calamagrostis canadensis Swamp Forest

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Lodgepole Pine / Bluejoint Swamp Forest

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association is found in the upper montane and subalpine zone of the central and northern Rocky Mountains on cool, seasonally moist sites. Elevations range between 968 and 3050 m (3175-10,000 feet) depending on longitude and aspect. Stands occur in narrow canyons, valley bottoms to lower slopes, small flats and benches with gentle slopes. Soils are seasonally moist either from an impermeable soil horizon that impedes drainage or are subirrigated from nearby riparian areas, but may dry out in late summer. The vegetation is characterized by a Pinus contorta-dominated tree canopy with a grassy understory. The tree canopy is open to moderately dense (30-80% cover), but may be nearly closed and is often solely dominated by Pinus contorta. However, in some stands. Populus tremuloides, Abies lasiocarpa, or Picea engelmannii trees may be present, especially in the subcanopy. Scattered dwarf-, short and tall shrubs are often present, and may form a distinct layer. Common shrubs may include Amelanchier alnifolia, Betula glandulosa, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Juniperus communis, Ribes spp., Rosa spp., Rubus parviflorus, Salix spp., Spiraea betulifolia, Symphoricarpos albus, Vaccinium cespitosum, Vaccinium membranaceum, or Vaccinium scoparium. The moderately dense to dense (30-90% cover) herbaceous layer is typically dominated by the perennial graminoid Calamagrostis canadensis (>5% cover) and diverse forbs. Wet-site forbs such as Aconitum columbianum, Dodecatheon jeffreyi, and Senecio triangularis are absent or have very low cover. Diagnostic of this association is the dominance of Pinus contorta in the tree canopy with Calamagrostis canadensis dominating the graminoid layer. Moss cover can be quite high (up to 98%).

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This association was considered seral and included in the Abies lasiocarpa / Calamagrostis canadensis Habitat Type (Cooper 1975, Pfister et al. 1977, Steele et al. 1981, 1983).

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

Floristics: This association is characterized by a Pinus contorta-dominated tree canopy with a grassy understory. The evergreen needle-leaved tree canopy is 5-15 m tall. It is open to moderately dense (30-80% cover), but may be nearly closed. The tree canopy is often solely dominated by Pinus contorta, however, in some stands Populus tremuloides, Abies lasiocarpa, or Picea engelmannii trees may be present, especially in the subcanopy. Stands are often relatively young (<150 years old) with evidence of past fire. Scattered dwarf-, short and tall shrubs are often present and may form a distinct layer. Common shrubs may include Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Amelanchier alnifolia, Antennaria microphylla, Betula glandulosa, Juniperus communis, Ribes spp., Rosa spp., Rubus parviflorus, Salix bebbiana, Salix drummondiana, Sorbus scopulina, Spiraea betulifolia, Symphoricarpos albus, Vaccinium cespitosum, Vaccinium membranaceum, or Vaccinium scoparium. The herbaceous layer is moderately dense to dense (30-90% cover) and typically strongly dominated by the perennial graminoid Calamagrostis canadensis (with minimum cover of 5%) and diverse forbs. Common herbaceous species include Angelica arguta, Arnica cordifolia, Eurybia conspicua (= Aster conspicuus), Astragalus miser, Carex rossii, Elymus caninus, Fragaria virginiana, Geum macrophyllum, Lupinus argenteus, Maianthemum stellatum, Poa wheeleri, Solidago simplex var. spathulata (= Solidago spathulata), Trifolium longipes, and Trisetum spicatum. Wet-site forbs such as Aconitum columbianum, Dodecatheon jeffreyi, and Senecio triangularis are absent or have very low cover. Mosses may be very abundant with up to 98% cover on the ground surface.

Dynamics:  This association is restricted to seasonally moist but not wet sites. The moist soil conditions are controlled by impermeable soil horizons and/or seasonal seeps or flowing streams. The dominance of Pinus contorta in stands in this association is related to fire history and topo-edaphic conditions (Cooper 1975, Pfister et al. 1977, Steele et al. 1981, Mauk and Henderson 1984, Cooper et al. 1987). Following stand-replacing fires, Pinus contorta will rapidly colonize and develop into dense stands of even-aged trees. Over time, many of these stands can succeed to dominance by other, more shade-tolerant conifer species. Most forests in this alliance are early- to mid-successional forests which developed following fires and are considered seral to ~Abies lasiocarpa - Picea engelmannii / Calamagrostis canadensis Swamp Forest (CEGL000300)$$ (Cooper 1975, Pfister et al. 1977, Steele et al. 1981, 1983, Tuhy and Jensen 1982), while other stands have a canopy that is dominated by more persistent Pinus contorta that is successfully regenerating, especially on more extreme sites with only scattered Picea engelmannii or Abies lasiocarpa (Henderson et al. 1977).
Environmental Description:  This association is found in the upper montane and subalpine zone of the central and northern Rocky Mountains on cool, seasonally moist sites. Elevations range between 968 and 2985 m (3175-9800 feet) depending on longitude and aspect. Stands occur in narrow canyons, valley bottoms to lower slopes, small flats and benches with gentle slopes. Soils are seasonally moist from high water table or poor soil drainage that is often caused by an impermeable soil horizon that impedes drainage, or the site is subirrigated from nearby riparian areas. Soils generally dry out in late summer. Soil texture is variable (sandy loam to clay) and includes well-developed fine-textured loams with an agile horizon and poorly developed, coarse-textured alluvium. Substrates are derived from quartzite, granite, volcanic, and/or calcareous sedimentary alluvium. Litter dominates ground cover often over 3 cm deep with low cover of rock and bare ground.
Geographic Range: This association occurs in subalpine riparian areas in the central and northern Rocky Mountains from the Uinta Mountains to northwestern Montana.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA?, ID, MT, OR, UT, WY


Confidence Level: Low

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 A3758 Sierra Lodgepole Pine - Tall Lodgepole Pine Swamp Forest Alliance A3758 1.B.3.Nc.1.a
Association CEGL000138 Lodgepole Pine / Bluejoint Swamp Forest CEGL000138 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 / Calamagrostis canadensis - Calamagrostis canadensis Habitat Type (Steele et al. 1981)
< Abies lasiocarpa / Calamagrostis canadensis Habitat Type (Pfister et al. 1977)
< Abies lasiocarpa / Calamagrostis canadensis Habitat Type (Cooper 1975)
< Abies lasiocarpa / Calamagrostis canadensis Habitat Type (Steele et al. 1983)
< Abies lasiocarpa / Calamagrostis canadensis Habitat Type (Tuhy and Jensen 1982)
< Pinus contorta / Calamagrostis canadensis - Thalictrum occidentale Community Type (Tuhy 1981)
= Pinus contorta / Calamagrostis canadensis (Crowe and Clausnitzer 1997)
> Pinus contorta / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Mutz and Queiroz 1983)
= Pinus contorta / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Mauk and Henderson 1984)
= Pinus contorta / Calamagrostis canadensis Community Type (Henderson et al. 1977)
= Pinus contorta / Calamagrostis canadensis Ecological Type (Girard et al. 1997)
= Pinus contorta var. latifolia / Calamagrostis canadensis Association (Crowe et al. 2004)
Concept Author(s): Western Ecology Group

Author of Description: K.A. Schulz and G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 07-06-05
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