Print Report
A3337 Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri - Festuca saximontana Alpine Meadow Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: Vegetation in this alliance is characterized by xeric graminoids combined with a diverse flora of herbaceous and cryptogram species. It is found in the subalpine and alpine zones of the high mountains of the Pacific Coast and Cascade Range of Washington and British Columbia, and south into the Sierra Nevada of California.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Roemer''s Fescue - Rocky Mountain Fescue Alpine Meadow Alliance
Colloquial Name: North Pacific Fescue Alpine Meadow
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: Vegetation is characterized by a dense cover (>100%) and a diverse flora of herbaceous and cryptogam species; 35 species is the average number per stand. The alliance is characterized by xeric graminoids combined with a diverse flora of herbaceous and cryptogram species often occurring as a "turf" of sod-forming sedges or grasses, dominated by one or more, and often an intermixed combination of, species. These are often expressed with one or two having higher cover than the rest, but with usually at least three of the following species present: Calamagrostis purpurascens, Carex breweri, Carex capitata, Carex nardina, Carex scirpoidea ssp. pseudoscirpoidea, Carex phaeocephala, Carex proposita, Festuca saximontana, Festuca brachyphylla, and/or Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri. A variety of other alpine forbs are also typically present such as Lupinus arcticus ssp. subalpinus, Lupinus latifolius, Lupinus sellulus var. lobbii, Minuartia obtusiloba, Oreostemma alpigenum, Selaginella wallacei, Sibbaldia procumbens, Silene parryi, Smelowskia ovalis, Solidago multiradiata, and Trisetum spicatum. This alliance is found in the subalpine and alpine zones of the high mountains of the Pacific Coast and Cascade Range of Washington and British Columbia, and south into the Sierra Nevada of California. Stands occur between 1700 and 2600 m elevation on all aspects of dry, well-drained moderate, gentle to steep upper slopes. Some sites can be slightly more mesic. Sites may have exposed rocks and mineral soil. A few stands can occur at lower elevations, on exposed grassy bald ridges well below treeline.
Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance is comprised entirely of herbaceous species, often occurring as a "turf" of sod-forming graminoids, dominated by one or an intermixed combination, often expressed with one or two species having high cover but usually at least three species are present.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Kartesz''s (1999) taxonomic treatment splits Festuca ovina into Festuca brachyphylla (primarily Cascades) and Festuca saximontana (primarily Olympics). These two species are treated as ecologic equivalents for this classification.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: The alliance is characterized by a moderately dense to dense low herbaceous layer, often composed of a mix of perennial graminoids and forbs. Shrubs are entirely absent.
Floristics: The vegetation cover varies from moderate to dense and sometimes occurs within fell-fields. It is comprised entirely of herbaceous species, often occurring as a "turf" of sod-forming sedges, dominated by one or an intermixed combination, often expressed with one or two having highest cover than the rest, but usually at least three of these species are present: Calamagrostis purpurascens, Carex breweri, Carex capitata, Carex nardina, Carex proposita, Carex scirpoidea ssp. pseudoscirpoidea, Carex phaeocephala, Festuca saximontana (= Festuca ovina var. rydbergii), Festuca brachyphylla (= Festuca ovina var. brevifolia), and/or Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri. Danthonia intermedia is especially important in the northeastern Cascades, and Poa nervosa becomes important in the Sierra Nevada alpine. Many other alpine species may be present and include Achillea millefolium, Antennaria lanata, Antennaria microphylla, Arenaria capillaris, Campanula rotundifolia, Carex spectabilis, Danthonia intermedia, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Potentilla fruticosa), Douglasia laevigata, Erigeron aureus, Erigeron compositus, Erigeron peregrinus, Eriophyllum lanatum, Erysimum arenicola, Geum triflorum, Hydrophyllum fendleri, Lathyrus nevadensis, Lomatium martindalei, Lupinus arcticus ssp. subalpinus, Lupinus latifolius, Lupinus sellulus var. lobbii (= Lupinus lepidus var. lobbii), Minuartia obtusiloba (= Arenaria obtusiloba), Oreostemma alpigenum, Oxytropis campestris, Pedicularis contorta, Penstemon procerus, Phlox diffusa ssp. longistylis, Phlox hendersonii, Polygonum bistortoides, Potentilla diversifolia, Sedum divergens, Selaginella wallacei, Sibbaldia procumbens, Silene parryi, Smelowskia ovalis, Solidago multiradiata, and Trisetum spicatum. The bryophytes Bryum weigelii and Tortula ruralis and the lichens Cetraria islandica and Trapeliopsis granulosa (= Lecidea granulosa) are also often present. Adjacent vegetation can be parkland or krummholz composed of Abies lasiocarpa, Larix lyallii, Pinus albicaulis, or Tsuga mertensiana, or dry alpine grasslands, sedge- or shrub-dominated wetlands, or bare rock and ice.
Dynamics: The time of snowmelt appears to be the most important environmental factor determining the pattern of the Cascade tundra communities (Douglas and Bliss 1977). The snowmelt date influences the summer soil moisture regime, at least during the early part of the growing season. Stands that occur in areas with an early snowmelt date (mid April to early May) may be able to tolerate drier conditions later in the season than the other alpine communities. Climate change may have a strong influence on the duration of snowpack and the timing of snowmelt.
Environmental Description: Vegetation in this alliance is found in the subalpine and alpine zones of the high mountains of the Pacific Coast and Cascade Range of Washington and British Columbia, and south into the Sierra Nevada of California. Much of the following environmental information is from Douglas and Bliss (1977) and Crawford et al. (2009). Stands occur between 1700 and 2600 m elevation on all aspects of dry, well-drained, moderate, gentle to steep upper slopes. Some sites can be slightly more mesic. Sites may have exposed rocks and mineral soil. A few stands can occur at lower elevations, on exposed grassy bald ridges well below treeline. The climate is cold and snowy with severe winds, late-lying snow, and a short growing season. Annual precipitation ranges from over 250 cm near the Cascade Crest to less than 100 cm farther east in the Cascades and in the Sierra Nevada of California. The vegetation typically occurs on concave snowbeds, which are well-drained. Snow melts by late July and soils dry thoroughly by late summer. Soils are composed of varied parent materials, including granitics, pumice, pyroclastic deposits, or basalt, with abundant coarse fragments. Most soils are classified as poorly developed Inceptisols due to the slow weathering at high altitudes. The A horizon can be moderately thick (4-10 cm) with a dense mat of mainly fine roots, and often covered with a layer of graminoid litter. Soil pH has been observed between 5.2 and 6.0. Soils can be relatively deep yet poorly developed sandy loams. It has also been reported to occur on calcareous soils in the Sierra Nevada (Bamberg and Major 1968).
Geographic Range: Vegetation in this alliance is found in the subalpine and alpine zones of the high mountains of the Pacific Coast and Cascade Range of Washington and British Columbia, and south into the Sierra Nevada of California. It has been reported to occur in the Klamath Mountains and southern Cascades, but data are lacking.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: BC, CA, OR, WA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899461
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: A.1296, A.1297, A.1299, A.1301, A.1305, A.1306, A.1313, A.1321, A.2591.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Festuca brachyphylla (Alpine fescue fell-fields) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [91.170.00]
- Bamberg, S. A., and J. Major. 1968. Ecology of the vegetation and soils associated with calcareous parent materials in three alpine regions of Montana. Ecological Monographs 38(2):127-167.
- Crawford, R. C., C. B. Chappell, C. C. Thompson, and F. J. Rocchio. 2009. Vegetation classification of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic national parks. Plant association descriptions and identification keys: Appendices A-G. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/NCCN/NRTR--2009/D-586. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 586 pp.
- Douglas, G. W., and L. C. Bliss. 1977. Alpine and high subalpine plant communities of the North Cascades Range, Washington and British Columbia. Ecological Monographs 47:113-150.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, M. Hall, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, L. Sneddon, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2013-2019b. Screening alliances for induction into the U.S. National Vegetation Classification: Part 1 - Alliance concept review. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
- Kartesz, J. T. 1999. A synonymized checklist and atlas with biological attributes for the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. First edition. In: J. T. Kartesz and C. A. Meacham. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC.
- Klinkenberg, B., editor. 2010. E-Flora BC: Electronic atlas of the plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [eflora.bc.ca] (accessed 2 December 2010).
- Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.