Print Report
CEGL005879 Vaccinium (myrtillus, scoparium) / Luzula glabrata Dwarf-shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: (Whortleberry, Grouse Whortleberry) / Smooth Woodrush Dwarf-shrubland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community has been documented from throughout the southern reaches of Glacier National Park, Montana. This small-patch community has been documented from 1775 to 2280 m (5820-7475 feet), usually on moderate to steep southerly exposures (southeasterly to southwesterly), but northerly aspects have been noted as well. It is mostly found on mid- to upper-slope positions as well as slope shoulders and ridges. Soils have developed from argillites, mudstone and sandstone of colluvial or glacial deposition, contain more than 20% rock in the upper profile and are rapidly drained loams and loamy sands. All sampled stands currently have mixtures of trace amounts of seedling and sapling Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, and Pinus albicaulis. These sites are characterized as having more than 10% Vaccinium scoparium (or Vaccinium myrtillus) cover; usually these species have in excess of 20% cover. Other shrubs are not consistently present and, with the exception of Spiraea betulifolia, none have more than 3% cover. The graminoid component for a given stand ranges from diverse (in excess of 10 species) to relatively depauperate (only 2 species), but only four species, Luzula glabrata, Trisetum spicatum, Danthonia intermedia, and Carex geyeri, occur with greater than 50% constancy and only Luzula glabrata has coverages consistently in excess of 10%. Luzula''s presence and cover are indicative of persisting snowpack; also indicative of this condition are the graminoids Juncus drummondii and Juncus parryi and forbs Sibbaldia procumbens and Arenaria capillaris, but their constancy and covers are low. The forb component is generally diverse, but there were no forbs having high-constancy values; only Xerophyllum tenax, Chamerion angustifolium, and Silene parryi have values in excess of 50%. There is a relatively broad moisture regime represented with the moister sites having Erigeron peregrinus, Valeriana sitchensis, and Hypericum scouleri and on the drier ones Eriogonum flavum, Erigeron compositus, and trace amounts of various bunchgrass species or Carex geyeri.
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: All sampled stands currently have mixtures of trace amounts of seedling and sapling Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, and Pinus albicaulis. These sites are characterized as having more than 10% Vaccinium scoparium (or Vaccinium myrtillus) cover; usually these species have in excess of 20% cover. Other shrubs are not consistently present and, with the exception of Spiraea betulifolia, none have more than 3% cover. The graminoid component for a given stand ranges from diverse (in excess of 10 species) to relatively depauperate (only 2 species), but only four species, Luzula glabrata, Trisetum spicatum, Danthonia intermedia, and Carex geyeri, occur with greater than 50% constancy and only Luzula glabrata has coverages consistently in excess of 10%. Luzula''s presence and cover are indicative of persisting snowpack; also indicative of this condition are the graminoids Juncus drummondii and Juncus parryi and forbs Sibbaldia procumbens and Arenaria capillaris, but their constancy and covers are low. The forb component is generally diverse, but there were no forbs having high-constancy values; only Xerophyllum tenax, Chamerion angustifolium, and Silene parryi have values in excess of 50%. There is a relatively broad moisture regime represented with the moister sites having Erigeron peregrinus, Valeriana sitchensis, and Hypericum scouleri (= Hypericum formosum) and on the drier ones Eriogonum flavum, Erigeron compositus, and trace amounts of various bunchgrass species or Carex geyeri.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This small-patch community has been documented from 1775 to 2280 m (5820-7475 feet), usually on moderate to steep southerly exposures (southeasterly to southwesterly), but northerly aspects have been noted as well. It is mostly found on mid- to upper-slope positions as well as slope shoulders and ridges. Soils have developed from argillites, mudstone and sandstone of colluvial or glacial deposition, contain more than 20% rock in the upper profile and are rapidly drained loams and loamy sands.
Geographic Range: This community has been documented from throughout the southern reaches of Glacier National Park, Montana.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: AB, MT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.728637
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass | S18 | 2.B |
| Formation | 2.B.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation | F012 | 2.B.2 |
| Division | 2.B.2.Nf Western North American Grassland & Shrubland Division | D022 | 2.B.2.Nf |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.2.Nf.2 Saskatoon Serviceberry / Idaho Fescue - Bluebunch Wheatgrass Grassland & Shrubland Macrogroup | M048 | 2.B.2.Nf.2 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nf.2.d Blueberry species - Rusty Menziesia / Common Beargrass Central Rocky Mountain-Vancouverian Mesic Shrubland Group | G305 | 2.B.2.Nf.2.d |
| Alliance | A3969 Thinleaf Huckleberry - Whortleberry - Grouse Whortleberry Montane-Subalpine Shrubland Alliance | A3969 | 2.B.2.Nf.2.d |
| Association | CEGL005879 (Whortleberry, Grouse Whortleberry) / Smooth Woodrush Dwarf-shrubland | CEGL005879 | 2.B.2.Nf.2.d |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Vaccinium (myrtillus, scoparium) / Luzula glabrata var. hitchcockii Dwarf-shrubland (Hop et al. 2007)
= Vaccinium (myrtillus, scoparium) / Luzula hitchcockii (Allen 2005)
>< Xerophylletum tenacis Association (Damm 2001)
= Vaccinium (myrtillus, scoparium) / Luzula hitchcockii (Allen 2005)
>< Xerophylletum tenacis Association (Damm 2001)
- Allen, L. 2005. Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre Preliminary Plant Community Tracking List. Alberta Community Development, Edmonton, Alberta. 94 pp.
- Allen, L. 2012-2013. Alberta Conservation Information Management System Ecological Community Tracking List. Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation, Edmonton, AB. [http://tpr.alberta.ca/parks/heritageinfocentre/default.aspx]
- Damm, C. 2001. A phytosociological study of Glacier National Park, Montana, U. S. A., with notes on the syntaxonomy of alpine vegetation in western North America. Dissertation from Georg - August University, Germany. 297 pp. plus appendices.
- Hop, K., M. Reid, J. Dieck, S. Lubinski, and S. Cooper. 2007. U.S. Geological Survey-National Park Service Vegetation Mapping Program: Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI. 131 pp. plus Appendices A-L.
- Reid, M. S., S. V. Cooper, and G. Kittel. 2004. Vegetation classification of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Final report for USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, International Peace Park Mapping Project. NatureServe, Arlington VA.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.