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G318 North Vancouverian Montane Bedrock, Cliff & Talus Vegetation Group
Type Concept Sentence: This group consists of sparsely vegetated rock outcrops and cliff faces from Alaska south into northern California. It occurs as small patches of dense vegetation, typically scattered trees and/or shrubs, such as trees Abies spp., Callitropsis nootkatensis, Pseudotsuga menziesii (not in Alaska), Thuja plicata, or Tsuga spp., and shrubs Acer circinatum, Alnus viridis, and Ribes spp.; mosses or lichens may be very dense.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: North Vancouverian Montane Bedrock, Cliff & Talus Vegetation Group
Colloquial Name: North Vancouverian Montane Bedrock, Cliff & Talus Vegetation
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group consists of sparsely vegetated rock outcrops and cliff faces where fractures in the rock surface and colluvial slopes may be occupied by small patches of dense vegetation, typically scattered trees and/or shrubs. This group is found on the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands, Coast Mountains of British Columbia, as well as in the Cascade Range in Washington and Oregon, south to just inside northern California. Characteristic trees include Abies spp., Callitropsis nootkatensis, Pseudotsuga menziesii (not in Alaska), Thuja plicata, or Tsuga spp. There may be scattered shrubs present, such as Acer circinatum, Alnus viridis, and Ribes spp. Soil development is limited as is herbaceous cover. Mosses or lichens may be very dense, well-developed and display cover well over 10%. Substrates include active volcanic areas dominated by ash, pyroclastic deposits, lava, landslides and other exposed bare mineral and rock of various igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic bedrock types. Periodic eruptions and earthquakes are the primary processes maintaining a primarily barren environment. Decades of inactivity slowly provide opportunity for vegetation development as primary successional stages. Elevation ranges from foothill to subalpine, and includes steep cliff faces, narrow canyons, larger rock outcrops, unstable scree and talus slopes. The dominant process is the extreme growing conditions created by exposed rock or unstable slopes, with drought becoming more of an issue in the southern part of the range. Alaskan montane rock and talus is not drought-limited.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Greater than 10% dense covering of mosses and/or nonvascular plants and sparse cover of herbaceous and woody vascular plants on exposed bedrock or talus.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Need information on moss and other nonvascular species.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Dense patches of moss and nonvascular cover and sparse herbaceous and woody vascular plant cover.
Floristics: Scattered, stunted characteristic trees include Abies spp., Callitropsis nootkatensis (= Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) (not southern range), Pseudotsuga menziesii (not in Alaska), Pinus contorta, Thuja plicata, or Tsuga spp., and the broadleaf tree species Arbutus menziesii and Quercus garryana. There may be scattered shrubs as well, such as Arctostaphylos columbiana, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Rosa gymnocarpa, Holodiscus discolor, Acer circinatum, Alnus viridis, and Ribes spp. Herbaceous cover is limited and may include species such as Selaginella wallacei, Polypodium glycyrrhiza, Cryptogramma acrostichoides, and graminoids such as Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri (= Festuca roemeri), Danthonia spp., Koeleria macrantha, and forbs such as Collinsia parviflora, Eriophyllum lanatum, Heuchera glabra, Heuchera micrantha, Phlox diffusa, Saxifraga ferruginea, Saxifraga rufidula, and Sedum spathulifolium. Mosses or lichens may be very dense, well-developed and display cover well over 10%. Racomitrium spp., Polytrichum juniperinum, Dicranum scoparium, Amphidium lapponicum, Cladonia portentosa (= Cladina portentosa), and Cystocoleus ebeneus are characteristic mosses and lichens in the Georgia Basin. Characteristic moss and nonvascular species information is not available.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Soil/substrate/hydrology: Substrates include active volcanic areas dominated by ash, pyroclastic deposits, lava, landslides and other exposed bare mineral and rock of various igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic bedrock types. Periodic eruptions and earthquakes are the primary processes maintaining a primarily barren environment. Decades of inactivity slowly provide opportunity for vegetation development. Elevation ranges from foothill to subalpine and includes steep cliff faces, narrow canyons, larger rock outcrops, stable scree and talus slopes. The dominant process is substrate drought, especially farther south in its distribution, and other extreme growing conditions created by exposed rock or unstable slopes typically associated with steep slopes. Soil development is limited.
Geographic Range: This group consists of sparsely vegetated rock outcrops and cliff faces found on the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands, Coast Mountains of British Columbia, as well as in the Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon, south to just inside northern California (Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta, but does not include the Sierra Nevada or Klamath Mountains).
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: AK, BC, CA, OR, WA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.849141
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 6 Open Rock Vegetation Class | C06 | 6 |
| Subclass | 6.B Temperate & Boreal Open Rock Vegetation Subclass | S04 | 6.B |
| Formation | 6.B.1 Temperate & Boreal Cliff, Scree & Other Rock Vegetation Formation | F034 | 6.B.1 |
| Division | 6.B.1.Nb Western North American Temperate Cliff, Scree & Rock Vegetation Division | D052 | 6.B.1.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 6.B.1.Nb.1 Douglas-fir - Ponderosa Pine / Moss Western North American Cliff, Scree & Rock Vegetation Macrogroup | M887 | 6.B.1.Nb.1 |
| Group | 6.B.1.Nb.1.d North Vancouverian Montane Bedrock, Cliff & Talus Vegetation Group | G318 | 6.B.1.Nb.1.d |
| Alliance | A3778 Steller''s Alpine Speedwell - Coiled Sedge Sparse Rock Vegetation Alliance | A3778 | 6.B.1.Nb.1.d |
| Alliance | A3779 North Pacific Nonvascular Rock Vegetation Alliance | A3779 | 6.B.1.Nb.1.d |
| Alliance | A4145 Oregon Coolwort - Northern Maidenhair Wet Rock Alliance | A4145 | 6.B.1.Nb.1.d |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
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