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A3367 Betula papyrifera Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This forest and woodland alliance is found in Alberta, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming and dominated by the successional species Betula papyrifera.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Paper Birch Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Rocky Mountain Paper Birch Forest & Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This forest and woodland alliance is found in Montana, Washington, and Wyoming. It is composed of early-successional forests and woodlands that occur on north-facing slopes and rocky, cut-over areas. This alliance is a provisional type, developed to account for Betula papyrifera stands in the Rockies that have not been adequately studied or classified.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Small patch early-successional forests and woodlands of a wide geographic distribution dominated by Betula papyrifera with >90% of the total deciduous canopy cover.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Although in the range of Populus tremuloides, this alliance is restricted to stands where Betula papyrifera comprises >90% of the deciduous canopy.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This alliance has a cold-deciduous, tree-dominated canopy that is woodland or forest in structure. The dominant tree does not cast dense shade and thus there is usually a prominent subcanopy or shrub layer. The subcanopy, and most other tree reproduction, is composed largely of more shade-tolerant tree species, of a mix of either deciduous or evergreen species.
Floristics: The canopy is open to closed and in some stands the tree density can be high. The dominant tree Betula papyrifera does not cast dense shade and thus there is usually a prominent subcanopy or shrub layer.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This alliance occurs on north-facing slopes and rocky, cut-over areas of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: AB, MT, WA, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899491
Confidence Level: Low
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.Nb Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Division | D194 | 1.B.2.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Nb.5 Subalpine Fir - Engelmann Spruce - Whitebark Pine Rocky Mountain Forest Macrogroup | M020 | 1.B.2.Nb.5 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Nb.5.d Quaking Aspen Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Group | G222 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.d |
| Alliance | A3367 Paper Birch Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance | A3367 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.d |
| Association | CEGL000520 Paper Birch Forest | CEGL000520 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.d |
| Association | CEGL005844 Paper Birch / Rocky Mountain Maple Woodland | CEGL005844 | 1.B.2.Nb.5.d |
Concept Lineage: A.267 & A.603
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- 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.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.