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CEGL000082 Pseudotsuga menziesii - Sequoia sempervirens / Rhododendron macrophyllum / Vaccinium ovatum Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Douglas-fir - Redwood / Pacific Rhododendron / California Huckleberry Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: These giant conifer forests are found in the coastal fog zone of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. They occupy steep slopes and ridges of coastal mountains, below 500 m in elevation (900 m in California). The canopy of these forests is dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii and Sequoia sempervirens trees which are often greater than 60 m tall. There is almost always a subcanopy of Notholithocarpus densiflorus, usually between 10-30 m tall, occasionally codominant with Umbellularia californica. Notholithocarpus densiflorus (1-70%) also dominates the shrub layer with both Rhododendron macrophyllum (2-60%) and Vaccinium ovatum (10-70%). Gaultheria shallon and Mahonia nervosa are often found, and in moist pockets Polystichum munitum and Oxalis oregana can be found. Other forbs include Lotus crassifolius, Arnica cordifolia and Xerophyllum tenax. This was the dominant forest community along the coastal fog belt in extreme southern Oregon and in extreme northwestern California. Farther south, Sequoia sempervirens completely dominates the forests, and farther north, it disappears. Both fire and windthrow play an important part in the maintenance of these giant forests. As a result, some ecologists believe these would be climax Notholithocarpus densiflorus forests. However, since the canopy trees can live over 1000 years and are extremely resistant to fire, this seems unlikely. This association is the only Pseudotsuga menziesii - Sequoia sempervirens association which occurs with dense evergreen shrubs. The only other type from southwestern Oregon occurs on moist toeslopes and valleys and has a dense tall-forb understory dominated by Polystichum munitum, Oxalis oregana, and Clintonia andrewsiana.
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: The canopy of these forests is dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii and Sequoia sempervirens trees which are often greater than 60 m tall. There is almost always a subcanopy of Notholithocarpus densiflorus (= Lithocarpus densiflorus), usually between 10-30 m tall, occasionally codominant with Umbellularia californica. Notholithocarpus densiflorus (1-70%) also dominates the shrub layer with both Rhododendron macrophyllum (2-60%) and Vaccinium ovatum (10-70%). Gaultheria shallon and Mahonia nervosa (= Berberis nervosa) are often found, and in moist pockets Polystichum munitum and Oxalis oregana can be found. Other forbs include Lotus crassifolius, Arnica cordifolia and Xerophyllum tenax. This was the dominant forest community along the coastal fog belt in extreme southern Oregon and in extreme northwestern California. Farther south, Sequoia sempervirens completely dominates the forests, and farther north, it disappears. Both fire and windthrow play an important part in the maintenance of these giant forests. As a result, some ecologists believe these would be climax Notholithocarpus densiflorus forests. However, since the canopy trees can live over 1000 years and are extremely resistant to fire, this seems unlikely. This association is the only Pseudotsuga menziesii - Sequoia sempervirens association which occurs with dense evergreen shrubs. The only other type from southwestern Oregon occurs on moist toeslopes and valleys and has a dense tall-forb understory dominated by Polystichum munitum, Oxalis oregana, and Clintonia andrewsiana.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: These giant conifer forests are found in the coastal fog zone of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. They occupy steep slopes and ridges of coastal mountains, below 500 m in elevation (900 m in California).
Geographic Range: Restricted to the coastal fog belt south of Brookings, Oregon (12 miles north of the California border), south to Arcata, California.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CA, OR
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.690080
Confidence Level: Low
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.Nd Vancouverian Forest & Woodland Division | D192 | 1.B.2.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nd.3 Western Hemlock - Sitka Spruce - Redwood Rainforest Macrogroup | M024 | 1.B.2.Nd.3 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nd.3.a Redwood Forest Group | G235 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.a |
| Alliance | A3403 Coastal Redwood Forest Alliance | A3403 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.a |
| Association | CEGL000082 Douglas-fir - Redwood / Pacific Rhododendron / California Huckleberry Forest | CEGL000082 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Lithocarpus densiflorus-Sequoia sempervirens Young Growth association (Stumpf et al. 2017)
? Sequoia sempervirens / Vaccinium ovatum (Atzet and Wheeler 1984)
> Sequoia sempervirens-Pseudotsuga menziesii-Lithocarpus densiflorus/Vaccinium ovatum association (Stumpf et al. 2017)
? Sequoia sempervirens / Vaccinium ovatum (Atzet and Wheeler 1984)
> Sequoia sempervirens-Pseudotsuga menziesii-Lithocarpus densiflorus/Vaccinium ovatum association (Stumpf et al. 2017)
- Atzet, T., and D. L. Wheeler. 1984. Preliminary plant associations of the Siskiyou Mountains Province, Siskiyou National Forest. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR.
- 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.
- Kagan, J. S., J. A. Christy, M. P. Murray, and J. A. Titus. 2004. Classification of native vegetation of Oregon. January 2004. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Portland. 52 pp.
- Stumpf, K. A., Cogan Technology, and Kier Associates. 2017. Vegetation mapping and classification project: Redwood National and State Parks, California. Natural Resource Report NPS/REDW/NRR--2017/1431. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 270 pp.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.