Print Report
G145 Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana / Prunus spp. Forest & Woodland Group
Type Concept Sentence: This group is found in the northern Great Plains and has an open to closed tree canopy dominated by Betula papyrifera, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Populus tremuloides, Ulmus americana, Ulmus rubra, and Juniperus scopulorum and sometimes the tall shrubs Crataegus douglasii and Crataegus succulenta. It is found in valleys, ravines, and mesic slopes.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Green Ash - American Elm / Cherry species Forest & Woodland Group
Colloquial Name: Great Plains Mesic Forest & Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group is dominated by trees and/or shrubs in a largely grassland landscape. Cover of woody species is variable and can range from just over 10% to nearly 100%. This group occurs in a semi-arid climate, but sites are more mesic than the surrounding areas. In general, shrubs dominate stands that receive less moisture from surrounding areas (e.g., higher on the landscape, steeper slopes, coarser soil), while sites that receive more moisture are dominated by trees and shrubs. The herbaceous layer is variable but tends to be less prominent under heavier woody canopies with deep litter deposition. Dominant trees include Betula papyrifera, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Populus tremuloides, Ulmus americana, Ulmus rubra, and, in the western Great Plains, Juniperus scopulorum. Quercus macrocarpa is common but not dominant except in some stands in canyons. Common shrubs are Amelanchier alnifolia, Cornus sericea, Crataegus douglasii, Crataegus chrysocarpa, Crataegus succulenta, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Elaeagnus commutata, Juniperus horizontalis, Prunus virginiana, Rhus spp., Rosa woodsii, Shepherdia argentea, Symphoricarpos occidentalis, and Toxicodendron rydbergii. Common graminoids can include Calamagrostis stricta, Carex spp., Pascopyrum smithii, Piptatheropsis micrantha, Pseudoroegneria spicata, or Schizachyrium scoparium. Festuca spp. can be abundant in the northwestern Great Plains. Typical sites are upper river terraces, protected slopes (often north-facing), ravines, and draws. Stands of this group that occur on upper terraces and toeslopes in riparian areas are rarely flooded but have root access to groundwater. Soils range from shallow to deep and fine to sandy loams.
Diagnostic Characteristics: This group occurs in a landscape dominated by grasslands but is distinguished from them by having >25% tree and/or shrub cover. Stands are typically found in more mesic settings than surrounding grasslands but do not occur on regularly inundated or well-developed floodplains.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The northern limit of the distribution of this group is near or overlaps with parts of ~Northeastern Great Plains Aspen Woodland Group (G146)$$ and ~Northwestern Great Plains Aspen Woodland Group (G328)$$. Betula papyrifera and Populus tremuloides can be dominant canopy species in all three groups but this group (G145) is found on slopes or in valleys, tends to have higher tree cover, and has less cover by prairie grasses in the understory.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This group is characterized by having more than 10% cover by trees and/or shrubs. Cover of woody species is variable and can range from just over 25% to nearly 100%. In general, shrubs dominate stands that receive less moisture from surrounding areas (e.g., higher on the landscape, steeper slopes, coarser soil), while sites that receive more moisture are dominated by trees and shrubs. The herbaceous layer is variable but tends to be less prominent under heavier woody canopies with a deep litter layer.
Floristics: This group is dominated by trees and/or shrubs. The herbaceous layer is variable but tends to be less prominent under heavier woody canopies. Dominant trees include Betula papyrifera, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Populus tremuloides, Ulmus americana, Ulmus rubra, and, in the western Great Plains, Juniperus scopulorum. Quercus macrocarpa is common but not dominant except in some stands in canyons. Acer negundo is commonly present in portions of the northwestern Great Plains. Common shrubs are Amelanchier alnifolia, Cornus sericea, Crataegus douglasii, Crataegus chrysocarpa, Crataegus succulenta, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Elaeagnus commutata, Juniperus horizontalis, Prunus virginiana, Rhus spp., Rosa woodsii, Shepherdia argentea, Symphoricarpos occidentalis, and Toxicodendron rydbergii. Common graminoids can include Calamagrostis stricta, Carex spp., Pascopyrum smithii, Piptatheropsis micrantha (= Piptatherum micranthum), Pseudoroegneria spicata, or Schizachyrium scoparium. Festuca spp. can be abundant in the northwestern Great Plains. Forbs, including a number that are more moisture-demanding than those in surrounding grasslands, may be prominent under more shaded conditions.
Dynamics: Fire, grazing, and hydrologic dynamics are the dominant factors affecting this group. It occurs in a landscape dominated by grasslands but is found in sites that have more moisture and less fire frequency than the surrounding grasslands. Even in the more mesic sites where this group occurs (ravines, riparian terraces, protected slopes), a decrease in moisture and/or an increase in fire frequency can result in transformation of the site to another group. Excessive grazing can have significant effects on the herbaceous component of this group, particularly by fostering invasion by exotic species, including Euphorbia esula, Bromus inermis, Bromus arvensis, Poa pratensis, and Bromus tectorum.
Environmental Description: This group occurs in a semi-arid climate, but sites are more mesic than the surrounding areas. Typical sites are upper river terraces, protected slopes (often north-facing), ravines, and draws. Stands of this group in riparian areas are rarely flooded but have root access to groundwater. Soils range from shallow to deep and fine to sandy loams.
Geographic Range: This group can be found from southern Saskatchewan, southwestern Manitoba, and possibly southeastern Alberta south through much of the northern Great Plains. It may extend into the lower foothills of the Rocky Mountains and the lower elevations of the Black Hills. It extends eastward to the eastern Dakotas and eastern Nebraska (excluding the Sandhills).
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: AB?, CO, MB, MT, ND, NE, SD, SK, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.856641
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.Ne North American Great Plains Forest & Woodland Division | D326 | 1.B.2.Ne |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Ne.1 Bur Oak - Quaking Aspen / Western Wheatgrass Forest Woodland Macrogroup | M151 | 1.B.2.Ne.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Ne.1.b Green Ash - American Elm / Cherry species Forest & Woodland Group | G145 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.b |
| Alliance | A3210 Rocky Mountain Juniper - Eastern Red-cedar Woodland Alliance | A3210 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.b |
| Alliance | A3211 Green Ash - American Elm Great Plains Forest Alliance | A3211 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Bur Oak: 216 (Eyre 1980)
>< Bur Oak: 236 (Eyre 1980)
> Bur Oak: 42 (Eyre 1980)
> Cottonwood: 63 (Eyre 1980)
> Paper Birch: 18 (Eyre 1980)
>< Rocky Mountain Juniper: 220 (Eyre 1980)
>< Bur Oak: 236 (Eyre 1980)
> Bur Oak: 42 (Eyre 1980)
> Cottonwood: 63 (Eyre 1980)
> Paper Birch: 18 (Eyre 1980)
>< Rocky Mountain Juniper: 220 (Eyre 1980)
- Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]