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CEGL005925 Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Engelmann Spruce / Common Juniper Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This late-seral subalpine conifer association is found in the mountains of northwestern Wyoming, eastern Idaho and northwestern or north-central Montana. Elevation ranges from 2000 to 3140 m. Stands usually occur on cooler northern and eastern aspects on a variety of terrain on dry, rocky substrates derived from calcareous, volcanic, or granitic parent materials. In Montana, stands occurred on steep, south-facing talus slopes, with rocky, poorly developed soils. Otherwise, the soil surface typically has high cover of litter with low cover of bare soil and rock. This association has an open to moderately dense to dense (30% to over 60%) canopy of conifer trees over 30 m tall that is dominated by Picea engelmannii or Picea x albertiana. Other trees in the canopy may include Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus flexilis, or Pinus contorta depending on substrate. Pinus albicaulis is sometimes present in the northerly stands in Montana. Abies lasiocarpa is absent from the tree canopy and regeneration layer. The understory is composed of large, dense, short-shrub patches of Juniperus communis with Shepherdia canadensis common in seral stands. The sparse herbaceous layer is composed of the forbs Arnica cordifolia, Astragalus miser, Solidago multiradiata, Chamerion angustifolium, Frasera speciosa, and the graminoids Carex rossii and Poa nervosa.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Some stands in the Picea engelmannii / Senecio streptanthifolius Habitat Type described by Pfister et al. (1977) may be similar to this association (Steele et al. 1983). This association now includes the former Picea (engelmannii x glauca, engelmannii) / Juniperus communis Forest (CEGL000410), originally identified by Roberts (1980) from central Montana. Both Roberts'' (1980) stands and those identified in Glacier National Park occur on talus and scree slopes, and tend towards a more woodland physiognomy, with the trees also stunted by wind-swept conditions. While environmental setting is somewhat different from the Wyoming and Idaho expressions, the species composition is much the same. Picea engelmannii and/or Picea x albertiana (= Picea engelmannii x glauca) (hybrids) are the diagnostic overstory species in this plant association. Stands can include pure Picea engelmannii and Picea x albertiana hybrid, or both. Hansen et al. (1995) explained that the frequent absence of mature cones, similar morphology, and ecological amplitudes led them to lump Picea engelmannii and Picea glauca (hybrids) into a single type.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This association has an open to moderately dense to dense (30% to over 60%) canopy of conifer trees over 30 m tall that is dominated by Picea engelmannii or Picea x albertiana (= Picea engelmannii x glauca) hybrids. Other trees in the canopy may include Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pinus flexilis, and Pinus contorta depending on substrate, but there is typically little Pinus albicaulis except in the northern part of its range. Abies lasiocarpa is absent from the tree canopy and regeneration layer. The understory is composed of large, dense, short-shrub patches of Juniperus communis with Shepherdia canadensis common in seral stands. The sparse herbaceous layer is composed of the forbs Arnica cordifolia, Astragalus miser, Chamerion angustifolium (= Epilobium angustifolium), Solidago multiradiata, Frasera speciosa, and the graminoids Carex rossii and Poa nervosa.
Dynamics: Tree-canopy species composition is strongly influenced by substrate parent material. Picea engelmannii, Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Pinus flexilis all do well on calcareous substrates such as limestone, whereas Pinus contorta is common on sandstone and granites, and Pseudotsuga menziesii is uncommon (Steele et al. 1983). Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus contorta do equally well on extrusive volcanics such as andesite (Steele et al. 1983).
Environmental Description: This late-seral, subalpine forest association is found in the mountains of northwestern Wyoming, eastern Idaho and northwestern Montana. Elevation ranges from 2255 to 3140 m (7400-10300 feet), in northern stands extending down to 2100 m (6880 feet). Stands usually occur on cooler northern and eastern aspects on a variety of terrain on dry, rocky substrates. Soils are gravely (25% mean gravel content) and are derived from various parent materials such as limestone, sandstone, andesite, basalt, rhyolite, or granite. The soil surface has high cover of litter (>4 cm mean depth) with low cover of bare soil and rock. In Glacier National Park and north-central Montana, this association occurs on moderately steep, xeric, south- or west-facing, talus slopes at elevations above 2000 m (6560 feet). Soil texture is a sandy loam that is rapidly drained due to 35-50% gravel content. Loose rock, sand, and bare soil comprise over 50% of the ground cover.
Geographic Range: This forest association is found in the central Rocky Mountains of eastern Idaho and western Wyoming, and central and northwestern Montana, including southern portions of the Absaroka Range, Owl Creek Mountains, and the eastern portions of the Wind River Range.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: ID, MT, NV, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.731879
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3
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.Nb Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Division | D194 | 1.B.2.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nb.5 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce - Whitebark Pine Rocky Mountain Forest Macrogroup | M020 | 1.B.2.Nb.5 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir - Lodgepole Pine Dry-Mesic Forest & Woodland Group | G219 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
| Alliance | A3643 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce Rocky Mountain Dry-Mesic Forest Alliance | A3643 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
| Association | CEGL005925 Engelmann Spruce / Common Juniper Forest | CEGL005925 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.b |
Concept Lineage: CEGL000410 and CEGL000369 merged, and expanded in concept to include both P. engelmannii and P. engelmannii x glauca hybrids.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Picea / Juniperus communis site type (Roberts 1980)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis (Jones and Ogle 2000)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Forest (Hop et al. 2007)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Habitat Type (Pfister et al. 1977)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Habitat Type (Steele et al. 1983)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis (Jones and Ogle 2000)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Forest (Hop et al. 2007)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Habitat Type (Pfister et al. 1977)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Habitat Type (Steele et al. 1983)
= Picea engelmannii / Juniperus communis Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
- 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.
- Cogan, D., J. E. Taylor, and K. Schulz. 2012. Vegetation inventory project: Great Basin National Park. Natural Resource Report NPS/MOJN/NRR--2012/568. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 373 pp.
- Hansen, P. L., R. D. Pfister, K. Boggs, B. J. Cook, J. Joy, and D. K. Hinckley. 1995. Classification and management of Montana''s riparian and wetland sites. Miscellaneous Publication No. 54. Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, School of Forestry, University of Montana. 646 pp. plus posters.
- 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.
- Johnston, B. C. 1987. Plant associations of Region Two: Potential plant communities of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas. R2-ECOL-87-2. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Lakewood, CO. 429 pp.
- Jones, G., and S. Ogle. 2000. Characterization abstracts for vegetation types on the Bighorn, Medicine Bow, and Shoshone national forests. Prepared for USDA Forest Service, Region 2 by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming.
- Pfister, R. D., B. L. Kovalchik, S. F. Arno, and R. C. Presby. 1977. Forest habitat types of Montana. General Technical Report INT-34. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT. 174 pp.
- 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.
- Roberts, D. W. 1980. Forest habitat types of the Bear''s Paw Mountains and Little Rocky Mountains, Montana. Unpublished thesis, Department of Forestry, University of Montana, Missoula. 116 pp.
- Schulz, K. A., and M. E. Hall. 2011. Vegetation inventory project: Great Basin National Park. Unpublished report submitted to USDI National Park Service, Mojave Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network. NatureServe, Western Regional Office, Boulder, CO. 30 pp. plus Appendices A-H.
- Steele, R., D. Ondov, S. V. Cooper, and R. D. Pfister. 1977. Preliminary forest habitat types of eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. Unpublished report for USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UR. 147 pp.
- Steele, R., S. V. Cooper, D. M. Ondov, D. W. Roberts, and R. D. Pfister. 1983. Forest habitat types of eastern Idaho - western Wyoming. General Technical Report INT-144. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, UT. 122 pp.
- WNDD [Wyoming Natural Diversity Database]. No date. Unpublished data on file. Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.