Print Report

G526 Salix exigua - Crataegus spp. - Forestiera pubescens Rocky Mountain-Great Basin Riparian Shrubland Group

Type Concept Sentence: This group consists of riparian shrublands dominated by low to tall shrubs such as Acer glabrum, Artemisia spp., Cornus sericea, Crataegus spp., Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Forestiera pubescens, Oplopanax horridus, Philadelphus lewisii, Prunus virginiana, Rhus trilobata, Rosa spp., Salix spp., Shepherdia argentea, and Symphoricarpos spp. They do not occur up in the mountains, but rather in between mountain valleys and lowlands of the Interior West.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Narrowleaf Willow - Hawthorn species - Stretchberry Rocky Mountain-Great Basin Riparian Shrubland Group

Colloquial Name: Rocky Mountain-Great Basin Lowland-Foothill Riparian Shrubland

Hierarchy Level:  Group

Type Concept: These short to tall shrublands (0.5-5 m in height) occur along streams at and below lower treeline, that is, not up in the mountains, but in between mountain valleys and lowlands of the Interior West. Dominant shrubs include Acer glabrum, Artemisia cana, Artemisia cana ssp. bolanderi, Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Cornus sericea, Crataegus douglasii, Crataegus rivularis, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Forestiera pubescens, Oplopanax horridus, Philadelphus lewisii, Prunus virginiana, Rhus trilobata, Rosa nutkana, Rosa woodsii, Salix exigua, Salix irrorata, Salix melanopsis, Shepherdia argentea, and Symphoricarpos spp. Herbaceous layers are often dominated by Athyrium filix-femina, Carex flava, Carex spp., Elymus trachycaulus, Equisetum arvense, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca idahoensis, Galium triflorum, Glyceria striata, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Heracleum maximum, Iris missouriensis, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis, Juncus spp., Leymus cinereus, Maianthemum stellatum, Muhlenbergia filiformis, Muhlenbergia richardsonis, Pascopyrum smithii, Poa cusickii, and Poa secunda. Introduced forage species such as Agrostis stolonifera, Poa pratensis, Phleum pratense, and the invasive annual Bromus tectorum are often present in disturbed stands. Streams are permanent, intermittent and ephemeral. Stands occur in steep-sided canyons or in broad flat valleys. They can be large, wide occurrences on mid-channel islands in larger rivers or narrow bands on small, rocky canyon tributaries and well-drained benches. They also are typically found in backwater channels and other perennially wet but less scoured sites, such as floodplain swales and irrigation ditches, and they can occur in depressional wetlands and non-alkaline playas. Stands may also occur on upper benches away from active channel movement. Willow-dominated shrublands require flooding and bare gravels for reestablishment. Stands are maintained by annual flooding and hydric soils throughout the growing season. Sites are subject to temporary flooding during spring runoff. The water table is often just below the ground surface. Occurrences are found within the flood zone of rivers, on islands, sand or cobble bars, and immediate streambanks and upper benches, and occasionally on hillslope springs. This group occurs throughout the Rocky Mountain and Colorado Plateau regions from approximately 780 to 1850 m (2560-6000 feet) in elevation, around the edges and between the mountain ranges of the Great Basin and along the lower eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada at about 1220 m (4000 feet) in elevation, at lowland and montane elevations in the Columbia Plateau, on the periphery of the mountains surrounding the Columbia River Basin, and along major tributaries and the main stem of the Columbia at relatively low elevations. It also occurs in the foothills of the northern Rocky Mountains and the east slopes of the Cascades in the lower montane and foothill zones. Climate is generally semi-arid.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Short to tall (0.5-5 m) riparian and wetland shrublands at foothill and lower elevations of the temperate interior West.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This group represents a range of short to tall shrubs (0.5-5 m in height). This group also represents lower elevation and foothill elevations shrublands. Higher elevation shrublands belong to ~Western Montane-Subalpine Riparian & Seep Shrubland Group (G527)$$.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Wetland and mesic shrublands dominated by short to tall shrubs (0.5-5 m).

Floristics: Dominant shrubs include Acer glabrum, Amelanchier alnifolia, Artemisia cana ssp. bolanderi, Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula, Artemisia cana, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Cornus sericea, Crataegus douglasii, Crataegus rivularis, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Forestiera pubescens, Oplopanax horridus, Philadelphus lewisii, Prunus virginiana, Rhus trilobata, Rosa nutkana, Rosa woodsii, Salix exigua (= ssp. exigua), Salix irrorata, Salix melanopsis, Shepherdia argentea, and Symphoricarpos spp. Herbaceous layers are often dominated by Athyrium filix-femina, Carex flava (= Carex nevadensis), Carex spp., Elymus trachycaulus, Equisetum arvense, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca idahoensis, Galium triflorum, Glyceria striata, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Heracleum maximum, Iris missouriensis, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis (= Juncus balticus), Juncus spp., Leymus cinereus, Maianthemum stellatum, Muhlenbergia filiformis, Muhlenbergia richardsonis, Pascopyrum smithii, Poa cusickii, and Poa secunda (= Poa nevadensis). Introduced forage species such as Agrostis stolonifera, Poa pratensis, Phleum pratense, and the invasive annual Bromus tectorum are often present in disturbed stands. Floristic information was compiled from the following sources: Daubenmire (1952), Johnson and Simon (1985), Kovalchik (1987, 1992), Hansen et al. (1989), Manning and Padgett (1989, 1995), Padgett et al. (1989), Szaro (1989), MacKinnon et al. (1990), Banner et al. (1993), Delong et al. (1993), Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf (1995), Walford (1996), Crowe and Clausnitzer (1997), Steen and Coupe (1997), Walford et al. (1997, 2001), Kittel et al. (1999b), Muldavin et al. (2000a), Delong (2003), MacKenzie and Moran (2004), and Sawyer et al. (2009).

Dynamics:  Willow-dominated associations are disturbance-driven systems that require flooding, scour and deposition for germination and maintenance. Livestock grazing is a major influence in altering structure, composition, and function of the community (Baker 1988, 1989a, Padgett et al. 1989).
Environmental Description:  Climate: Climate is generally semi-arid continental with typically cold winters and hot summers. Soil/substrate/hydrology: These shrublands occur along all streams at and below lower treeline, that is, not up in the mountains, but in the between- mountain valleys and lowlands of the interior west. Streams are permanent, intermittent and ephemeral. Stands occur in steep-sided canyons or in broad flat valleys. They can be large, wide occurrences on mid-channel islands in larger rivers or narrow bands on small, rocky canyon tributaries and well-drained benches. They also are typically found in backwater channels and other perennially wet but less scoured sites, such as floodplain swales and irrigation ditches, and they can occur in depressional wetlands and non-alkaline playas, on hillside seeps and springs. These shrublands require flooding and bare gravels for reestablishment. Willow-dominated stands are maintained by annual flooding and hydric soils throughout the growing season. Sites are subject to temporary flooding during spring runoff. The water table is often just below the ground surface. Occurrences are found within the flood zone of rivers, on islands, sand or cobble bars, immediate streambanks and upper benches. Soils are typically alluvial deposits of sand, clays, silts and cobbles that are highly stratified with depth due to flood scour and deposition. Highly stratified profiles consist of alternating layers of clay loam and organic material with coarser sand or thin layers of sandy loam over very coarse alluvium. Soils are fine-textured with organic material over coarser alluvium. Some soils are more developed due to a slightly more stable environment and greater input of organic matter. Environmental information was compiled from the following sources: Daubenmire (1952), Johnson and Simon (1985), Kovalchik (1987, 1992), Hansen et al. (1989), Manning and Padgett (1989, 1995), Padgett et al. (1989), Szaro (1989), MacKinnon et al. (1990), Banner et al. (1993), Delong et al. (1993), Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf (1995), Walford (1996), Crowe and Clausnitzer (1997), Steen and Coupe (1997), Walford et al. (1997, 2001), Kittel et al. (1999b), Muldavin et al. (2000a), Delong (2003), MacKenzie and Moran (2004), and Sawyer et al. (2009).
Geographic Range: This group is found throughout the Rocky Mountain and Colorado Plateau regions from approximately 900 to 1850 m (3000-6000 feet) in elevation, in the mountain ranges of the Great Basin and along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada from about 1220 m (4000 feet) in elevation, at lowland and montane elevations in the Columbia Plateau, on the periphery of the mountains surrounding the Columbia River Basin, and along major tributaries and the main stem of the Columbia at relatively low elevations. It also occurs in the northern Rocky Mountains and the east slopes of the Cascades in the lower montane and foothill zones.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  AB, AZ, BC, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Nb Western North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D031 2.C.4.Nb
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nb.5 Sitka Alder - Booth''s Willow / Northwest Territory Sedge Montane Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M893 2.C.4.Nb.5
Group 2.C.4.Nb.5.a Narrowleaf Willow - Hawthorn species - Stretchberry Rocky Mountain-Great Basin Riparian Shrubland Group G526 2.C.4.Nb.5.a
Alliance A2557 Silver Sagebrush Wet Shrubland Alliance A2557 2.C.4.Nb.5.a
Alliance A3799 Skunkbush Sumac - River Hawthorn - Stretchberry Shrubland Alliance A3799 2.C.4.Nb.5.a
Alliance A3800 Narrowleaf Willow - Dewystem Willow Shrubland Alliance A3800 2.C.4.Nb.5.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< Other Sagebrush Types (408) (Shiflet 1994) [Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula shrublands are included.]
< Riparian (422) (Shiflet 1994)
Concept Author(s): G. Kittel, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2011)

Author of Description: G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: J. Nachlinger, K. Schulz, J. Kagan, M.S. Reid

Version Date: 12-02-15
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