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CEGL002845 Pseudotsuga menziesii - (Abies grandis, Thuja plicata) / Mahonia nervosa - Gaultheria shallon Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Douglas-fir - (Grand Fir, Western Red-cedar) / Cascade Barberry - Salal Forest
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This matrix forest community occurs on zonal and near-zonal sites within the Coastal Douglas-fir moist maritime biogeoclimatic unit (CDFmm) of the Georgia Basin of British Columbia and adjacent Washington. Known sites occur at elevations from 0 to 150 m in British Columbia and to 390 m in Washington, on level to steep (mostly gentle) middle to upper slopes on all aspects where sandy loamy soils are common. This plant community has a moderately open to closed coniferous overstory typically dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii with a well-developed shrub layer dominated by Mahonia nervosa and/or Gaultheria shallon, sparse herb layer, and well-developed moss layer dominated by Eurhynchium oreganum. Pseudotsuga menziesii may codominate the overstory with Thuja plicata. Thuja plicata and/or Abies grandis tend to dominate smaller size class trees. The well-developed shrub layer is dominated by high cover of Mahonia nervosa and/or Gaultheria shallon. The sparse herb layer typically includes low cover of Rubus ursinus, Trientalis borealis, Polystichum munitum, Pteridium aquilinum, Linnaea borealis, and Festuca subuliflora. The well-developed moss layer is dominated by high cover of Eurhynchium oreganum. It is distinguished from the similar ~Thuja plicata - Pseudotsuga menziesii - Abies grandis / Mahonia nervosa / Polystichum munitum Forest (CEGL002848)$$ by the low cover of Polystichum munitum and greater dominance of Pseudotsuga menziesii.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association (CEGL002845) could potentially be merged with ~Thuja plicata / Gaultheria shallon Forest (CEGL000475)$$, but there currently is not sufficient information to support that.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This plant community has a moderately open to closed coniferous overstory dominated by Pseudotsuga menziesii, typically intermixed with low to moderate cover of Abies grandis and Thuja plicata. Mahonia nervosa and/or Gaultheria shallon dominate the well-developed shrub layer along with moderate cover of Holodiscus discolor. Rosa gymnocarpa, Lonicera ciliosa, Vaccinium parvifolium, Symphoricarpos albus, and Symphoricarpos hesperius often are present with low cover. The sparse herb layer typically includes low cover of Rubus ursinus, Trientalis borealis, Polystichum munitum, Pteridium aquilinum, Linnaea borealis, and Festuca subuliflora. The well-developed moss layer is dominated by high cover of Eurhynchium oreganum often with low to moderate cover of Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus and Hylocomium splendens.
Dynamics: This is a late-successional (mature and climax) climatic forest community. Stands originated from infrequent stand-replacing fires (perhaps every few hundred years or more) and occasionally windthrow. Small gaps result from the death of single trees or small groups of trees due to root-rots, bark beetles, or windthrow. Stand-maintaining surface fires, both aboriginal and lightning-caused, were more frequent (perhaps every 50-100 years) (Brown and Hebda 1999) prior to European settlement. These surface fires likely resulted in a moderately open overstory and pulses of understory regeneration, creating a multi-aged stand consisting of sequences of age cohorts within the overstory and understory layers. This is typically found in existing forests where original stand origin was likely high-severity forest fires, and stand development was subsequently modified by low-severity surface fires.
Environmental Description: This community once formed the matrix forest within its range, occurring on mesic and near-mesic sites, at elevations from 0 to 150 m within the Georgia Basin of coastal British Columbia and to 390 m in adjacent Washington. It occurs on level to steep (mostly gentle) middle to upper slopes on all aspects. Parent materials are mostly morainal, occasionally colluvial or marine. Soils are mostly sandy loams with some gravelly, sandy and silt loam and are typically classified as Orthic Dystric Brunisols. Sites have a submesic or mesic soil moisture regime and medium nutrient (to poor) regime.
Geographic Range: This community occurs in British Columbia within the Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone (CDF), which occupies a total of 2593 km2. It is located within the rainshadow around the Straight of Georgia, from the Saanich Peninsula (Victoria) northward along the southeastern coast of Vancouver Island to Bowser, from Cortes Island southward through the Gulf Islands, and along a narrow strip of the mainland Sunshine Coast near Halfmoon Bay and Powell River and adjacent islands, including southwestern Texada Island. It also extends into the San Juan Islands of Washington.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: BC, WA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.787981
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
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.c Douglas-fir - Western Hemlock / Salal Rainforest Group | G240 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.c |
| Alliance | A3378 Western Hemlock - Douglas-fir / Western Cordilleran Bunchberry Mesic Forest Alliance | A3378 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.c |
| Association | CEGL002845 Douglas-fir - (Grand Fir, Western Red-cedar) / Cascade Barberry - Salal Forest | CEGL002845 | 1.B.2.Nd.3.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Pseudotsuga menziesii - Abies grandis / Gaultheria shallon (Chappell 2006b) [10 plots]
> Pseudotsuga menziesii - Thuja plicata - (Abies grandis) / Gaultheria shallon (Chappell 2006b) [Washington variant of same association. The reason it is finer is that the WA plots all have Thuja plicata in the stand and some of the BC units do not; BC includes stands with only Abies grandis and PSME or possibly even a few stands with only PSME. 29 plots]
= Pseudotsuga menziesii-(Thuja plicata-Abies grandis)/Mahonia nervosa-Gaultheria shallon (Meidinger et al. 2005) [PNWCOAST_157]
= CDF mm /01 (Green and Klinka 1994)
> Pseudotsuga menziesii - Thuja plicata - (Abies grandis) / Gaultheria shallon (Chappell 2006b) [Washington variant of same association. The reason it is finer is that the WA plots all have Thuja plicata in the stand and some of the BC units do not; BC includes stands with only Abies grandis and PSME or possibly even a few stands with only PSME. 29 plots]
= Pseudotsuga menziesii-(Thuja plicata-Abies grandis)/Mahonia nervosa-Gaultheria shallon (Meidinger et al. 2005) [PNWCOAST_157]
= CDF mm /01 (Green and Klinka 1994)
- BCCDC [British Columbia Conservation Data Centre]. 2018. Unpublished data on file at British Columbia Conservation Data Center. Ministry of Environment, Victoria.
- BCMFRB [British Columbia Ministry of Forests Research Branch]. 2003a. Vegetation classification hierarchy: BECMaster May 2003. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC.
- BCMFRB [British Columbia Ministry of Forests Research Branch]. 2005a. Vegetation classification hierarchy: BECMaster 2005. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC.
- BCMFRB [British Columbia Ministry of Forests Research Branch]. 2005b. Vegetation and environment plot data: BECMaster January 2005. British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Victoria, BC.
- BCMWLAP [British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection]. 2004d. Spotted Owl. In: Accounts and measures for managing identified wildlife. British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection, Victoria, BC. 52 pp.
- Brown, K. J., and R. J. Hebda. 1999. Long-term fire incidence in coastal forests of British Columbia. Northwest Science 73:41-43.
- Cadrin, C. M., and M. Wolowicz. 2005. Application of terrestrial ecosystem mapping on coastal British Columbia to conservation status assessments of ecological communities. British Columbia Conservation Data Centre, Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, Victoria, BC.
- Chappell, C. B. 1997. Terrestrial forested plant associations of the Puget Lowland. Draft report. Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Olympia. 36 pp.
- Chappell, C. B. 2006b. Upland plant associations of the Puget Trough ecoregion, Washington. Natural Heritage Report 2006-01. Washington Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, Olympia, WA. [http://www.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/communities/pdf/intro.pdf]
- Green, R. N., and K. Klinka. 1994. A field guide to site interpretation for the Vancouver Forest Region. British Columbia Ministry of Forests. ISSN 0229-1622 Land Management Handbook 28. 285 pp.
- Meidinger, D., C. Chappell, C. Cadrin, G. Kittel, C. McCain, K. Boggs, J. Kagan, G. Cushon, A. Banner, and T. DeMeo. 2005. International Vegetation Classification of the Pacific Northwest: International correlation of temperate coastal forest plant associations of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. Contributors: B.C. Ministry of Forests, USDA Forest Service, B.C. Conservation Data Centre, Alaska Natural Heritage Program, Washington Natural Heritage Program, and Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center.
- WNHP [Washington Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data files. Washington Natural Heritage Program, Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA.
- Ward, P., G. Radcliffe, J. Kirkby, J. Illingworth, and C. Cadrin. 1998. Sensitive Ecosystems Inventory: East Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands 1993-1997. Volume 1: Methodology, Ecological Descriptions and Results. Technical Report Series No. 320, Canadian Wildlife Service, Pacific and Yukon Region, Victoria, BC. [http://a100.gov.bc.ca/appsdata/acat/documents/r2124/SEI_4206_rpt1_1111625239116_8be42252200c4f0283b18cac66eed366.pdf]
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.
- de Groot, A., and C. M. Cadrin. 2017. Ecosystem status report for Pseudotsuga menziesii / Mahonia nervosa (Douglas-fir / dull Oregon-grape) ecological community in British Columbia. Prepared for British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Conservation Data Centre, Victoria, BC. 41 pp.