Print Report
A3453 Picea pungens Southern Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This forest and woodland alliance occurs in the central and southern Rocky Mountains west to the Great Basin and is defined by canopies dominated by Picea pungens.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Blue Spruce Southern Rocky Mountain Forest & Woodland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Southern Rocky Mountain Blue Spruce Forest & Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This forest and woodland alliance occurs in the central and southern Rocky Mountains west to the Great Basin and is characterized by the dominance of Picea pungens in the forest canopy. Other conifers are usually present to codominant in these stands and may include Abies concolor, Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, Pinus contorta, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus strobiformis, and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Populus tremuloides is the only widespread hardwood associate. The shrub layer usually has only moderate cover and is dominated by ericaceous or cold-deciduous species, with the latter group increasing with soil moisture or proximity to watercourses. Common dominant species include Acer glabrum, Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Juniperus communis, Mahonia repens, Quercus gambelii, and Rubus parviflorus. Due to favorable soil moisture, the herbaceous layer is usually a diverse mixture of forbs and graminoids, including Achillea millefolium, Arnica cordifolia, Carex siccata, Festuca arizonica, Fragaria virginiana, Linnaea borealis, Packera cardamine, and Pseudoroegneria spicata. Stands are usually found in moist, concave topographic positions. Soils are variable, but usually young and derived from glacial or alluvial materials. Stands often occupy sites that are protected from extreme sun and wind within Pinus ponderosa or Pseudotsuga menziesii montane forests. North aspects are most common.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Diagnostic of this alliance is the dominance of Picea pungens in the moderately closed to closed tree canopy on sites that are moist, but not flooded during the growing season.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This alliance is the combination of the former Picea pungens Forest Alliance (A.165) and Picea pungens Woodland Alliance (A.557).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These forests are of low to medium stature (10-25 m) and are dominated by needle-leaved evergreen trees. Cold-deciduous trees are often mixed in these stands, especially in recently disturbed areas. These communities often have sclerophyllous or cold-deciduous shrub layers of moderate cover (10-30%). The herbaceous layer is usually well-developed, and dominated by mesophytic forbs and graminoids less than 1 m in height.
Floristics: These forests are characterized by the dominance of Picea pungens in the forest canopy and usually represent a mesic phase of the mixed conifer forests of the southern Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau. Other conifers are usually present in these stands, depending upon geographic location, site moisture, and stand history. Common associates include Abies concolor, Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, Pinus contorta, Pinus ponderosa, Pinus strobiformis, and Pseudotsuga menziesii. Populus tremuloides is the only widespread hardwood associate. The shrub layer usually has only moderate cover and is dominated by ericaceous or cold-deciduous species, with the latter group increasing with soil moisture or proximity to watercourses. Common species include Acer glabrum, Amelanchier alnifolia, Arctostaphylos patula, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Ceanothus velutinus, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, Juniperus communis, Mahonia repens, Paxistima myrsinites, Purshia tridentata, Quercus gambelii, Ribes cereum, Rosa woodsii, Rubus parviflorus, Shepherdia canadensis, and Symphoricarpos oreophilus. Due to favorable soil moisture, the herbaceous layer is usually a diverse mixture of forbs and graminoids. Common and dominant graminoids may include Achnatherum lettermanii, Carex siccata (= Carex foenea), Festuca arizonica, Hesperostipa comata, Poa fendleriana, and Pseudoroegneria spicata. Common forbs may include Achillea millefolium, Arenaria congesta, Arenaria fendleri, Arnica cordifolia, Astragalus miser, Cirsium calcareum, Erigeron eximius, Fragaria virginiana ssp. glauca (= Fragaria ovalis), Galium boreale, Geranium spp., Linnaea borealis, Maianthemum stellatum, Mertensia ciliata, Packera cardamine (= Senecio cardamine), and Thalictrum fendleri.
Dynamics: Picea pungens is a slow-growing, long-lived tree which regenerates from seed (Burns and Honkala 1990a). Seedlings are shallow-rooted and require perennially moist soils for establishment and optimal growth. Picea pungens is intermediate in shade tolerance, being somewhat more tolerant than Pinus ponderosa or Pseudotsuga menziesii, and less tolerant than Abies lasiocarpa or Picea engelmannii. It forms late-seral stands in the subhumid regions of the southern Rocky Mountains. It is common for these forests to be heavily disturbed by grazing or fire.
Environmental Description: These forests occur at middle elevations (1800-3300 m) of the central and southern Rocky Mountains and west to the Great Basin, usually in moist, concave topographic positions. Precipitation averages 46-60 cm annually, with the majority falling as growing-season rainfall. The temperature regime is continental and winters are moderately severe. Soils are variable, but usually young and derived from glacial or alluvial materials. The pH is neutral to slightly alkaline. Youngblood and Mauk (1985) suggest a preference by these forests for non-igneous parent materials. These communities often occupy sites that are protected from extreme sun and wind, within Pinus ponderosa or Pseudotsuga menziesii montane forests. These forests are typically most common on north-facing slopes, which can be gentle to steep.
Geographic Range: This forest alliance is from the central and southern Rocky Mountains, east to the Wyoming Basins and west to the Great Basin.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AZ, CO, NM, OR?, UT, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899576
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: A.165 and A.557
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< Picea pungens Series (Muldavin et al. 1996)
>< Picea pungens Series (Alexander et al. 1984b)
>< Picea pungens Series (DeVelice et al. 1986)
>< Picea pungens Series (Fitzhugh et al. 1987)
>< Blue Spruce: 216 (Eyre 1980)
>< Picea pungens Series (Alexander et al. 1984b)
>< Picea pungens Series (DeVelice et al. 1986)
>< Picea pungens Series (Fitzhugh et al. 1987)
>< Blue Spruce: 216 (Eyre 1980)
- Alexander, B. G., Jr., F. Ronco, Jr., A. S. White, and J. A. Ludwig. 1984b. Douglas-fir habitat types of northern Arizona. General Technical Report RM-108. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 13 pp.
- Burns, R. M., and B. H. Honkala, technical coordinators. 1990a. Silvics of North America: Volume 1. Conifers. Agriculture Handbook 654. USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC. 675 pp.
- DeVelice, R. L., J. A. Ludwig, W. H. Moir, and F. Ronco, Jr. 1986. A classification of forest habitat types of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. General Technical Report RM-131. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 59 pp.
- 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, 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.
- Fitzhugh, E. L., W. H. Moir, J. A. Ludwig, and F. Ronco, Jr. 1987. Forest habitat types in the Apache, Gila, and part of the Cibola national forests. General Technical Report RM-145. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 116 pp.
- Muldavin, E. H., R. L. DeVelice, and F. Ronco, Jr. 1996. A classification of forest habitat types of southern Arizona and portions of the Colorado Plateau. General Technical Report RM-GTR-287. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 130 pp.
- Youngblood, A. P., and R. L. Mauk. 1985. Coniferous forest habitat types of central and southern Utah. General Technical Report INT-187. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Ogden, UT. 89 pp.