Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Douglas-fir - Tanoak - Pacific Madrone Forest Group

Colloquial Name: Californian Moist Coastal Mixed Evergreen Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Group

Type Concept: This forest group is characterized by mixes of coniferous and broad-leaved evergreen trees. Characteristic trees include Arbutus menziesii, Chrysolepis chrysophylla, Notholithocarpus densiflorus, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Quercus chrysolepis, and Umbellularia californica. Pinus coulteri occurs in scattered stands. On the eastern fringe of this group, in the western Klamath Mountains, other conifers occur such as Calocedrus decurrens, Pinus ponderosa, and Chamaecyparis lawsoniana. In the southern portion of the range, stands are a mixture of Abies bracteata and Quercus chrysolepis. More northerly stands tend to have dense or diverse shrub understories, with Corylus cornuta, Gaultheria shallon, Mahonia nervosa, Quercus sadleriana, Rhododendron macrophyllum, Toxicodendron diversilobum, and Vaccinium ovatum being common. This group occurs in California in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Santa Lucia Mountains, throughout the outer and middle Coast Ranges, south across the outer central Coast Ranges and north in the northern Coast Ranges and western Klamath Mountains, into southwestern Oregon, and locally in the northern Sierra Nevada. It can occur on metasediments and granitic substrate, on Franciscan Formation soils (metasedimentary sandstones, schists and shales) with moderate to high rainfall in the Coast Ranges. Historic fire frequency in this group was higher than for redwood-dominated systems (every 50-100 years).Southern stands have a sparser shrub understory; Toxicodendron diversilobum is the most constant shrub, along with much Polystichum munitum. Especially in the south, stands are restricted to fire-protected sites (extremely steep, northerly, mesic slopes and coves) where fires from adjacent chaparral systems do not carry. Historic fire frequency was likely higher than the north. Stands with just conifers present are a part of ~Californian Conifer Forest & Woodland Group (G198)$$.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This forested group is characterized by mixes of coniferous and broad-leaved evergreen trees. Characteristic trees include Pseudotsuga menziesii, Pseudotsuga macrocarpa, Quercus chrysolepis, Notholithocarpus densiflorus, Arbutus menziesii, Umbellularia californica, and Chrysolepis chrysophylla var. chrysophylla.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: In northern California, especially around Point Reyes, there are stands dominated by Umbellularia californica. These nearly pure stands are a part of this group, as it is a disturbance-driven species and grows rapidly with full sunlight. With time and succession, other trees will succeed into the canopy. This is in contrast to small patches or individuals of Umbellularia californica in some of the various chaparral groups. Here there are no chaparral shrubs in the understory. Notholithocarpus densiflorus in mixed stands of various pines and oaks is the indicator species for this group in many places in the Coast Ranges throughout northern and central California, and locally in the northern Sierra Nevada.

It has been proposed by the reviewer to limit this group to the distribution of Notholithocarpus densiflorus and Arbutus menziesii, with Pseudotsuga menziesii. The southerly stands with Pseudotsuga macrocarpa (and lacking Notholithocarpus densiflorus or Arbutus menziesii) do not belong in this group. It is suggested to have a more southerly "mixed evergreen" group. For now this represents a more limited group concept. Pseudotsuga macrocarpa stands have been moved to ~Californian Montane Conifer Forest & Woodland Group (G344)$$, which is where Sawyer et al. (2009) place them, along with the Abies bracteata stands.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available