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CEGL000643 Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana / Prunus virginiana Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Green Ash - American Elm / Chokecherry Woodland
Colloquial Name: Green Ash - Elm Woody Draw
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community type occurs in the northwestern Great Plains of the United States. Stands occur in upland ravines and broad valleys or on moderately steep slopes. They also occurs along small permanent or ephemeral streams, including deep mesic ravines and canyon bottoms that are not flooded or saturated. On these sites, soil and topography permit greater than normal moisture. The soils are clay loams, sandy clay loam, and sandy loam, dry to moist, and moderately well-drained. The parent material is typically colluvium or alluvium. This community is an open- to closed-canopy woodland dominated by Fraxinus pennsylvanica. Ulmus americana or Acer negundo sometimes achieve codominance. In undisturbed stands, the understory is composed of two layers. The taller and more conspicuous layer is a shrub layer 2-3 m tall. This layer is dominated by Prunus virginiana with smaller amounts of Symphoricarpos occidentalis or more rarely Ostrya virginiana. The lower layer is dominated by grasses and sedges such as Elymus virginicus, Elymus villosus, and Carex sprengelii. Common herbaceous species include Aquilegia canadensis, Cerastium arvense, Thalictrum dasycarpum, Galium boreale, Galium aparine, Maianthemum stellatum, and Thalictrum dasycarpum. The continuation of the status of Ulmus americana as a prominent part of this community is uncertain due to the effects of Dutch elm disease.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The community described by Girard et al. (1989) in southwestern North Dakota was very dense for a woodland (700 trees/ha); however, the basal area was fairly low (18 m2/ha) and the trees averaged 9 m tall. This appears to be a dense woodland and now includes former Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Prunus virginiana Forest (CEGL000642) that occurs in Montana and Wyoming. For example, the Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Prunus virginiana habitat type in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, western North Dakota (Hansen et al. 1985) was expanded in Hansen et al. (1990) to include this community in eastern Montana. Wali et al. (1980) also described a green ash-American elm forest in western North Dakota. In Nebraska, this type is becoming more ruderal.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This community is an open- to closed-canopy woodland dominated by Fraxinus pennsylvanica. Ulmus americana or Acer negundo sometimes achieve codominance. The largest trees are 50-60 cm dbh, but most trees are 20-30 cm dbh. In sharply cut, V-shaped upland ravines, the largest trees are near the center or bottom of the ravine where there is greater soil moisture. The average tree age is 70 to 80 years. The tree subcanopy, when present, consists of the same species, with the infrequent addition of Betula occidentalis, Crataegus succulenta, Ostrya virginiana, and Populus tremuloides at some sites. In undisturbed stands, the understory is composed of two layers. The taller and more conspicuous layer is a shrub layer 2-3 m tall. This layer is dominated by Prunus virginiana with smaller amounts of Symphoricarpos occidentalis. In Nebraska, a variety of other shrubs occur. The most common are Prunus americana, Prunus virginiana, Ribes aureum var. villosum, Rosa woodsii, and Symphoricarpos occidentalis; less common shrubs include Acer glabrum, Amorpha fruticosa, Cornus sericea, Crataegus succulenta, Rhus glabra, Ribes americanum, Ribes oxyacanthoides, and Rubus occidentalis. Toxicodendron rydbergii frequently forms a short-shrub layer. Vitis riparia is the most common vine. Rangewide, the lower layer is dominated by grasses and sedges such as Elymus virginicus and Carex sprengelii. Common herbaceous species include Aquilegia canadensis, Galium boreale, Galium aparine, Maianthemum stellatum, and Thalictrum dasycarpum. In central South Dakota this community is a woodland with an open canopy of ash trees and an extremely dense shrubby understory. The average tree height is 6.7 m and the shrub understory is 1.6 m high. There are few herbaceous species. The continuation of the status of Ulmus americana as a prominent part of this community is uncertain due to the effects of Dutch elm disease (USACE 1979, Hansen et al. 1984, 1990, Hansen and Hoffman 1988, Girard et al. 1989, Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).
In Theodore Roosevelt National Park, cattle grazing was common in these stands, as is true elsewhere in the range of this type. The importance of a number of weedy species, such as Melilotus officinalis (= Melilotus albus), Poa pratensis, and even some of the dominance of Symphoricarpos occidentalis, may be attributed to this past grazing history (Hansen et al. 1984).
In Theodore Roosevelt National Park, cattle grazing was common in these stands, as is true elsewhere in the range of this type. The importance of a number of weedy species, such as Melilotus officinalis (= Melilotus albus), Poa pratensis, and even some of the dominance of Symphoricarpos occidentalis, may be attributed to this past grazing history (Hansen et al. 1984).
Dynamics: In Theodore Roosevelt National Park, bison utilize this habitat for grazing, watering, and summertime shade (Hansen et al. 1984). Past heavy grazing by cattle is reflected in the dominance of some weedy species, such as Melilotus officinalis and Poa pratensis and even some of the dominance of Symphoricarpos occidentalis may be attributed to this past grazing history (Hansen et al. 1984). In Nebraska, this type is becoming more ruderal.
Environmental Description: Stands occur in upland ravines and broad valleys or on moderately steep slopes. They also occur along small permanent or ephemeral streams. In central North Dakota, this community is also found along the north slopes of end moraines or kames and along lakeshores. On these sites, soil and topography permit greater than normal moisture conditions. In south-central South Dakota stands occur on steep, north-facing escarpments and around boulder outcrops. In northwestern Nebraska they occur in deep mesic ravines or canyons. Soils are clay loams, sandy clay loam, silty clay, and sandy loam. Soil pH ranges from 6.0 to 8.1. Slopes range from 0 to 40%. In south-central South Dakota soils are dry to moist, and moderately drained (Godfread 1976, Williams 1979, Hansen and Hoffman 1988, Girard et al. 1989, Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).
Geographic Range: This community type occurs in the northwestern Great Plains of the United States, from northern and western Nebraska to the Dakotas and Montana.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: MT, ND, NE, SD
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.689876
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3
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.Ne North American Great Plains Forest & Woodland Division | D326 | 1.B.2.Ne |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Ne.1 Bur Oak - Quaking Aspen / Western Wheatgrass Forest Woodland Macrogroup | M151 | 1.B.2.Ne.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Ne.1.b Green Ash - American Elm / Cherry species Forest & Woodland Group | G145 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.b |
| Alliance | A3211 Green Ash - American Elm Great Plains Forest Alliance | A3211 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.b |
| Association | CEGL000643 Green Ash - American Elm / Chokecherry Woodland | CEGL000643 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.b |
Concept Lineage: CEGL000642 merged into CEGL000643 (JD 4-11-13). The old type is now a southern extension of this type into Nebraska (DFL 1-00).
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana / Prunus virginiana Woodland (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
? Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Zanthoxylum americanum (USACE 1979) [Similar. In south-central South Dakota along the east bank of the Lake Francis Case Reservoir on the Missouri River. This type was trampled heavily as domestic animals and wildlife commonly use it for shade from the mid-day sun.]
< Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Prunus virginiana Habitat Type (Hansen and Hoffman 1988)
< Deciduous woods (Tolstead 1947)
= Mesic Forest (Rolfsmeier and Stewart-Phelps 2007)
= Northwestern Canyon Bottom Deciduous Woodland (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003)
? Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Zanthoxylum americanum (USACE 1979) [Similar. In south-central South Dakota along the east bank of the Lake Francis Case Reservoir on the Missouri River. This type was trampled heavily as domestic animals and wildlife commonly use it for shade from the mid-day sun.]
< Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Prunus virginiana Habitat Type (Hansen and Hoffman 1988)
< Deciduous woods (Tolstead 1947)
= Mesic Forest (Rolfsmeier and Stewart-Phelps 2007)
= Northwestern Canyon Bottom Deciduous Woodland (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003)
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