Print Report

CEGL001147 Alnus incana / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Gray Alder / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This shrubland association has a widespread distribution that includes the western states of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, California and Colorado. Stands occur on streambanks and terraces immediately adjacent to streams with a bedload of boulders, cobble or gravel. Channel type is variable, ranging from high-gradient reaches that support the association as stringers, to more extensive stands on sites with a developed floodplain. Soils typically have a seasonally high water table with mottling in the top 25 cm of the surface. These riparian shrublands are characterized by stands of medium-tall and tall deciduous shrubs and a thick herbaceous undergrowth of forbs and wetland-indicator grasses. Alnus incana clearly dominates the tall-shrub overstory with over 25% cover. Conifers, including Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, and Pinus contorta, are sometimes present. A low-shrub layer is often present and may include Lonicera involucrata, Cornus sericea, and species of Ribes, Rosa, and Salix. Undisturbed stands have abundant forbs and native grasses. The undergrowth is characterized by a mixed forb cover of Angelica arguta, Heracleum maximum, Equisetum arvense, Mertensia spp., Aconitum columbianum, Senecio triangularis, and/or Maianthemum stellatum with over 100% cover in combination. Native graminoids include Cinna latifolia, Carex simulata, Glyceria striata, and Elymus glaucus. Stands disturbed by season-long livestock grazing have reduced forb cover and increased non-native grasses, including Poa pratensis and Agrostis stolonifera. Large stands (>100 square meters), with the native herbaceous undergrowth intact are uncommon.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This association was originally ranked G3G4 due to uncertainty about the taxonomy of the association across state lines. The ~Alnus incana / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland (CEGL001147)$$ has been described in a number of classifications. Stands considered synonymous include those described in Nevada (Manning and Padgett 1995), Colorado (Kittel et al. 1999a), and Utah and southeastern Idaho (Padgett et al. 1989). Kovalchik''s (1993) Washington Alnus incana / Mesic forbs stands have shrub and tree composition similar to Idaho, Utah, and Nevada stands. The understory of Kovalchik''s stands are somewhat distinct, however, with Cinna latifolia, Streptopus amplexifolius, and Athyrium spp. having high constancy. Kovalchik''s stands are more appropriately treated as other associations. Where stands are codominated by Alnus incana and other shrubs such as Salix spp., there is inconsistency in the classifications as to which is considered the diagnostic species. Hansen et al. (1995) treat all stands with Alnus incana as the dominant shrub as the Alnus incana dominance type.

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

Floristics: These riparian shrublands are characterized by stands of medium-tall and tall deciduous shrubs and a thick herbaceous undergrowth of forbs and wetland-indicator grasses. Alnus incana clearly dominates the tall-shrub overstory with over 25% cover. Conifers, including Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, and Pinus contorta, are sometimes present. A somewhat sparse low-shrub layer is often present and may include Lonicera involucrata, Cornus sericea, and species of Ribes, Rosa, and Salix. Undisturbed stands have abundant forbs and native grasses. The undergrowth is characterized by a mixed forb cover of Angelica arguta, Heracleum maximum (= Heracleum lanatum), Osmorhiza berteroi, Senecio triangularis, Galium triflorum, Polemonium sp., Rudbeckia occidentalis, Equisetum arvense, Mertensia spp., Aconitum columbianum, and/or Maianthemum stellatum with over 100% cover in combination. Graminoids are often present and include Cinna latifolia, Elymus glaucus, Glyceria striata, Bromus inermis, Calamagrostis canadensis, and Poa pratensis. Stands disturbed by season-long livestock grazing have reduced forb cover and increased non-native grasses, including Poa pratensis and Agrostis stolonifera. Large stands (>100 m2), with the native herbaceous undergrowth intact are uncommon.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This association occurs at elevations of 1710 to 2805 m (5600-9200 feet). Stands occur on streambanks in narrow valleys and on moist terraces and floodplains adjacent to streams with a bedload of boulders, cobble or gravel. Channel type is variable, ranging from high-gradient reaches that support the association as stringers, to more extensive stands on sites with a developed floodplain. Soils are sandy-skeletal to loamy-skeletal, often with greater than 50% coarse fragments. Soils typically have a seasonally high water table with mottling in the top 25 cm of the surface.
Geographic Range: The plant association is known from Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Nb Western North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D031 2.C.4.Nb
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nb.5 Sitka Alder - Booth''s Willow / Northwest Territory Sedge Montane Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M893 2.C.4.Nb.5
Group 2.C.4.Nb.5.d Willow species - Alder species - Water Birch Riparian & Seep Shrubland Group G527 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Alliance A3771 Gray Alder - Green Alder Wet Shrubland Alliance A3771 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Association CEGL001147 Gray Alder / Mesic Forbs Wet Shrubland CEGL001147 2.C.4.Nb.5.d
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Alnus incana - Ribes spp. / Mesic Forb (Crowe and Clausnitzer 1997) [Stands have Ribes hudsonianum consistently present, a species not reported for all other western references for this type.]
= Alnus incana / Heracleum maximum association (Odion et al. 2013)
= Alnus incana / Ribes hudsonianum Community Type (Youngblood et al. 1985a)
= Alnus incana Community Type (Hansen et al. 1995)
= Alnus incana / Mesic Forb Community Type (Manning and Padgett 1995)
= Alnus incana / Mesic Forb Community Type (Padgett et al. 1989)
= Alnus incana / Mesic Forbs Association (Crowe et al. 2004)
= Alnus incana / Mesic Forbs Association (Kovalchik 1993)
= Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia / Mesic Forb Shrubland (Carsey et al. 2003a)
= Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia/Mesic forb (Kittel et al. 1999b)
= Gray Alder / Mesic Forbs Shrubland (Alnus incana / Mesic Forbs Shrubland) (Bell et al. 2009)
= Thinleaf alder/Mesic Forbs (Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia/Mesic Forbs) Plant Association (Kittel et al. 1999a)
Concept Author(s): M. Jankovsky-Jones

Author of Description: M. Jankovsky-Jones

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 08-11-05
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